Photo: David Wilson · CC BY 2.0West Branch spent less per resident in 2022 than 66% of similar cities
West Branch’s city government spent $3.4 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2023, about $1,317 per resident. Water and other utilities ($755,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how West Branch is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,092 per resident in 2022: less than 66% of them
West Branch’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,092 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 91 Iowa cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,177, and the middle half spent $1,027–$1,402. West Branch spent less than 66% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($514,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Iowa cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; West Branch itself left out).
About $1,317 per resident a year, or $3.61 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: fire, at 30%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 23% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years West Branch reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.
Day-to-day spending by fiscal year
Per resident: 2022: $1,092 · 2023: $1,317.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $2,937 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.36% of the home’s value, vs 1.39% across Iowa.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at West Branch’s rate.
Can I afford it? →The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate.
Tax bills are one input to West Branch’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in West Branch →
Who’s in charge in West Branch
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
West Branch’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on westbranchiowa.org ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 171 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2023 finance file (2,564).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
West Branch Community School District
West Branch’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $12,650 per pupil, $7,715 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.
Iowa districts overall: 43% local, 49% state, 8% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
West Branch’s votes are counted by county
Iowa reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for West Branch alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Cedar County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican60.1%6,390 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat38.4%4,075 votesOthers: 1.5% (159 votes).
Most votes in Cedar County: Donald J Trump
Iowa: Trump 55.7%, Harris 42.5%
96% of West Branch lies in Cedar County; the rest in Johnson County. Every 2024 race in Cedar County is on the county’s page.
Cedar County’s 2024 results →Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.
Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for West Branch.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: westbranchiowa.org ↗
- 2Iowa HouseState representatives
- 3Iowa SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Iowa
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
Reach West Branch’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about West Branch’s government
How much does West Branch spend per resident?
About $1,317 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2023, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,092 was less than 66% of 91 Iowa cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in West Branch?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,937 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.36% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.39% across Iowa. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see westbranchiowa.org.
Who runs West Branch’s government?
See westbranchiowa.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for West Branch yet.
How did West Branch vote in 2024?
Iowa counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for West Branch alone. Cedar County, where 96% of West Branch lies, voted Trump 60.1%, Harris 38.4% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for West Branch?
15 full-time and 2 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $75,219 (about $902,628 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents West Branch in the state legislature?
State Senate District 41 (Kerry Gruenhagen) and State House District 82 (Bobby Kaufmann). The House district also covers 15 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about West Branch’s government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →