Photo: Tony Webster from Minneapolis, Minnesota · CC BY-SA 2.0Center City spent less per resident in 2022 than 70% of similar cities
Center City’s city government spent $564,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $849 per resident. Water and other utilities ($72,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Center City is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$849 per resident in 2022: less than 70% of them
Center City’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($849 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. Center City spent less than 70% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($151,000), 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; Center City itself left out).
About $849 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
Center City reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $3,793 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.05% 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 Center City’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 Center City’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Center City →
Who’s in charge in Center City
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Center City’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on centercitymn.us ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 332 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (664).
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.
Chisago Lakes School District
Center City’s K–12 school district, shared with Lindstrom, Shafer, Shafer Township, Taylors Falls, Chisago City and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $13,786 per pupil, $8,880 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.
Center City’s votes are counted by county
Minnesota reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Center City alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Chisago County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican64.7%23,047 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat33.4%11,894 votesOthers: 1.9% (660 votes).
Most votes in Chisago County: Donald J Trump
Minnesota: Harris 50.9%, Trump 46.7%
100% of Center City lies in Chisago County. Every 2024 race in Chisago County is on the county’s page.
Chisago 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 Center City.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: centercitymn.us ↗
- 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 Center City compares with the towns next door
Center City spent $849 per resident in 2022; the 2 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $143 to $832. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Chisago Lake Township | $143 | $4,196 |
| Lindstrom | $832 | $4,246 |
| Center City | $849 | $3,793 |
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 Center City’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Center City’s government
How much does Center City spend per resident?
About $849 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 $849 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 Center City?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,793 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.05% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.02% across Minnesota. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see centercitymn.us.
Who runs Center City’s government?
See centercitymn.us for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Center City yet.
How did Center City vote in 2024?
Minnesota counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Center City alone. Chisago County, where 100% of Center City lies, voted Trump 64.7%, Harris 33.4% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Center City?
2 full-time and 1 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $11,131 (about $133,572 a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Center City in the state legislature?
State Senate District 28 (Mark Koran) and State House District 28B (Max Rymer). The House district also covers 12 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Center City’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 →