Photo: Dick Woodard · CC BY-SA 3.0West Union spent more per resident in 2022 than 65% of similar cities
West Union’s city government spent $3.3 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2023, about $1,368 per resident. Water and other utilities ($315,000) and the airport ($78,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how West Union is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,057 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
West Union’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,057 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 802 Iowa cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $900, and the middle half spent $632–$1,190. West Union spent more than 65% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($510,000), 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 under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; West Union itself left out).
About $1,368 per resident a year, or $3.75 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 39%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 39% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years West Union 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: $1,057 · 2023: $1,368. Per resident it went from $1,057 to $1,368 (up 29%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 2,270 to 2,442.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $1,726 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.43% 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 Union’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. In a town this small the estimate has a wide margin.
Tax bills are one input to West Union’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in West Union →
Who’s in charge in West Union
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
West Union’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on westunion.com ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 144 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 (2,442).
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.
North Fayette Valley Community School District
West Union’s K–12 school district, shared with Clermont, Elgin, Fayette, Hawkeye, Wadena. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $13,984 per pupil, $8,820 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.
How West Union voted in 2024
Official results for West Union’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Donald J TrumpRepublican62.3%723 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat35.8%416 votesOthers: 1.9% (22 votes).
Most votes in West Union: Donald J Trump
Fayette County: Trump 64.4%, Harris 34.0% · Iowa: Trump 55.7%, Harris 42.5%
of West Union’s 1,752 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Iowa: 70%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in the district: Ashley Hinson
Whole-district result
President, 2024: West Union, its county and the state
| Trump | Harris | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Union | 62.3% | 35.8% | 1.9% | 1,161 |
| Fayette County | 64.4% | 34.0% | 1.6% | 9,817 |
| Iowa | 55.7% | 42.5% | 1.8% | 1,663,506 |
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 Union.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: westunion.com ↗
- 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 Union’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about West Union’s government
How much does West Union spend per resident?
About $1,368 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 $1,057 was more than 65% of 802 Iowa cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in West Union?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,726 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.43% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.39% across Iowa. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see westunion.com.
Who runs West Union’s government?
See westunion.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for West Union yet.
How did West Union vote in 2024?
For president, Donald J Trump 62.3%, Kamala D Harris 35.8% (1,161 votes, official results). Fayette County: Trump 64.4%, Harris 34.0%. Iowa: Trump 55.7%, Harris 42.5%.
How many people work for West Union?
17 full-time and 15 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $67,299 (about $807,588 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents West Union in the state legislature?
State Senate District 34 (Dan Zumbach) and State House District 68 (Chad Ingels). The House district also covers 17 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about West Union’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 →