Bethel spent less per resident in 2022 than 70% of similar cities
Bethel’s city government spent $428,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $851 per resident.
What stands out about how Bethel is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$851 per resident in 2022: less than 70% of them
Bethel’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($851 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 619 Minnesota cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,112, and the middle half spent $740–$1,505. Bethel spent less than 70% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($114,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Minnesota cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Bethel itself left out).
About $851 per resident a year, or $2.33 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 27%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Bethel reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $2,422 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.90% of the home’s value, vs 1.02% across Minnesota.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Bethel’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 Bethel’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Bethel →
Who’s in charge in Bethel
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Bethel’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on bethelmn.govoffice2.com ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 252 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (503).
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.
St. Francis Area Schools
Bethel’s K–12 school district, shared with St. Francis, Oak Grove, East Bethel, Stanford Township, Nowthen and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $13,837 per pupil, $8,514 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.
Minnesota districts overall: 30% local, 62% state, 8% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Bethel’s votes are counted by county
Minnesota reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Bethel alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Anoka County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican50.8%106,974 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat46.4%97,667 votesOthers: 2.8% (5,840 votes).
Most votes in Anoka County: Donald J Trump
Minnesota: Harris 50.9%, Trump 46.7%
100% of Bethel lies in Anoka County. Every 2024 race in Anoka County is on the county’s page.
Anoka 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 Bethel.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: bethelmn.govoffice2.com ↗
- 2Minnesota HouseState representatives
- 3Minnesota SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Minnesota
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Bethel compares with the towns next door
Bethel spent $851 per resident in 2022; the 2 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $396 to $877. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| East Bethel | $396 | $3,173 |
| St. Francis | $877 | $2,708 |
| Bethel | $851 | $2,422 |
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 Bethel’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Bethel’s government
How much does Bethel spend per resident?
About $851 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $851 was less than 70% of 619 Minnesota cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Bethel?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,422 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.90% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.02% across Minnesota. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see bethelmn.govoffice2.com.
Who runs Bethel’s government?
See bethelmn.govoffice2.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Bethel yet.
How did Bethel vote in 2024?
Minnesota counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Bethel alone. Anoka County, where 100% of Bethel lies, voted Trump 50.8%, Harris 46.4% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Bethel?
2 full-time and 14 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $10,584 (about $127,008 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Bethel in the state legislature?
State Senate District 27 (Andrew Mathews) and State House District 27B (Bryan Lawrence). The House district also covers nine other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Bethel’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 →