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FI0006988Photo: FortepanIowa · CC BY-SA 4.0
Town Hall · Woden

How is Woden run?

Woden’s city government spent $184,000 on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $902 per resident. Water and other utilities ($19,000) are counted separately.

Election Day

Today

General election in Iowa.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$184,000
year to June 30, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$902
In 2022: $902, more than 50% of 802 similar cities
Long-term debt
$1.5M
end of FY2022, reported
City staff, 2022
0
full-time · 16 part-time · March payroll $4,376
Typical tax bill
$686
0.90% of home value · IA 1.39%

What stands out about how Woden is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

Runs its own water & sewer27% of day-to-day spending goes to water, sewer and trash (2022).A shared school districtShares Forest City Community School District with 4 other towns.Lower tax billsThe typical bill is $686 a year: 0.90% of the home’s value, vs 1.39% across Iowa.
★ What stands out · Your share of the 2022 budget

About $902 per resident a year, or $2.47 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 27%.

Where the money comes from
Fees & charges 28%Property taxes 20%Interest, fines & other 14%Utility sales 10%Sales taxes 9%From the state 7%From other local governments 6%From the federal government 5%Other taxes & licenses <1%
Not in the receipt.Interest on debt $30,000; payments to other governments $11,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $245,000.
Compared with similar places

$902 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities

Woden’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($902 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. Woden spent more than 50% of them.

Middle half of the group, $632–$1,190Median $900Woden

Includes sewer and trash ($37,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →

The group
802

Iowa cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Woden itself left out).

Over the years

No trend yet

Woden reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $686 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.90% of the home’s value, vs 1.39% across Iowa.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Iowa$2,897
Woden$686
$686
typical bill a year
0.90%
effective rate
$76,000
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Woden’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 Woden’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Woden →

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Woden

Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.

Check Woden’s own website for current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Woden yet.
The school district

Forest City Community School District

Woden’s K–12 school district, shared with Crystal Lake, Fertile, Forest City, Leland. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Woden →
$13,341
per pupil · IA $13,713
1,114
students
$103,000
long-term debt

Of the $13,341 per pupil, $8,057 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.

The district: schools, scores and graduation →

Where the district’s money comes from
Local 45%State 50%Federal 5%

Iowa districts overall: 43% local, 49% state, 8% federal.

School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.

Elections · 2024 general election

Woden’s votes are counted by county

Iowa reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Woden alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Hancock County’s results.

President · Hancock County’s results5,933 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican73.1%4,336 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat25.7%1,523 votes

Others: 1.2% (74 votes).

Most votes in Hancock County: Donald J Trump

Iowa: Trump 55.7%, Harris 42.5%

The county’s page

100% of Woden lies in Hancock County. Every 2024 race in Hancock County is on the county’s page.

Hancock County’s 2024 results →
DemocratRepublicanLibertarianIndependent / other

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.

Who represents Woden

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Woden.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Local officials aren’t on record yet.
  2. 2
    Iowa HouseState representatives
    Mark Thompson
  3. 3
    Iowa SenateState senator
    Dennis Guth
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
    Kim Reynolds
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
    Randy Feenstra
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Iowa
    Chuck GrassleyJoni Ernst

Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.

Reach Woden’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Woden’s government

How much does Woden spend per resident?

About $902 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $902 was more than 50% of 802 Iowa cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Woden?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $686 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.90% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.39% across Iowa. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the city’s assessor.

Who runs Woden’s government?

We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Woden yet.

How did Woden vote in 2024?

Iowa counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Woden alone. Hancock County, where 100% of Woden lies, voted Trump 73.1%, Harris 25.7% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Woden?

0 full-time and 16 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $4,376 (about $52,512 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Woden in the state legislature?

State Senate District 28 (Dennis Guth) and State House District 56 (Mark Thompson). The House district also covers 25 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Woden’s government

Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.

Town Square →
Ask neighbors

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 →