Photo: Thrive Allen County · CC BY-SA 4.0Iola spent more per resident in 2022 than 87% of similar cities
Iola’s city government spent $0 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, about $0 per resident.
What stands out about how Iola is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,543 per resident in 2022: more than 87% of them
Iola’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,543 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 30 Kansas cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $949, and the middle half spent $786–$1,327. Iola spent more than 87% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($551,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Kansas cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Iola itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is down 100% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Iola 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: $1,543 · 2023: $1,696 · 2024: $0.
full-time in March 2025, up from 105 in 2022.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $1,477 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.89% of the home’s value, vs 1.29% across Kansas.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Iola’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 Iola’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Iola →
Who’s in charge in Iola
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Iola’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on cityofiola.com ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 48 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (5,401).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Iola Unified School District 257
Iola’s K–12 school district, shared with Bassett, Gas, La Harpe, Iola Township, Geneva Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $14,661 per pupil, $9,258 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.
Kansas districts overall: 28% local, 61% state, 11% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Iola’s votes are counted by county
Kansas reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Iola alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Allen County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican71.9%4,029 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat25.8%1,445 votesOthers: 2.2% (126 votes).
Most votes in Allen County: Donald J Trump
Kansas: Trump 57.2%, Harris 41.0%
100% of Iola lies in Allen County. Every 2024 race in Allen County is on the county’s page.
Allen 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 Iola.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: cityofiola.com ↗
- 2Kansas HouseState representatives
- 3Kansas SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Kansas
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Iola compares with the towns next door
Iola spent $1,543 per resident in 2022; the neighbor that reported 2022 spent $43. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Bassett | $43 | — |
| Iola Township | estimate | $2,760 |
| Iola | $1,543 | $1,477 |
Day-to-day spending in 2022, the last year every government was counted, for governments that reported it; hospital and utilities left out. Tax bill: the typical homeowner’s bill (Census ACS, 2020–24).
Reach Iola’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Iola’s government
How much does Iola spend per resident?
About $0 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,543 was more than 87% of 30 Kansas cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Iola?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,477 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.89% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.29% across Kansas. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cityofiola.com.
Who runs Iola’s government?
See cityofiola.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Iola yet.
How did Iola vote in 2024?
Kansas counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Iola alone. Allen County, where 100% of Iola lies, voted Trump 71.9%, Harris 25.8% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Iola?
112 full-time and 12 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $662,750 (about $8.0M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Iola in the state legislature?
State Senate District 12 (Caryn Tyson) and State House District 9 (Fred Gardner). The House district also covers 45 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Iola’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 →