George H. Haven House · Photo: Jonathunder · CC BY-SA 3.0Chatfield spent more per resident in 2022 than 77% of similar cities
Chatfield’s city government spent $4.3 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $1,533 per resident. Water and other utilities ($368,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Chatfield is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,533 per resident in 2022: more than 77% of them
Chatfield’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,533 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 133 Minnesota cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,074, and the middle half spent $815–$1,375. Chatfield spent more than 77% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($917,000), 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 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Chatfield itself left out).
About $1,533 per resident a year, or $4.20 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 21%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Chatfield reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $3,564 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.48% 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 Chatfield’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 Chatfield’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Chatfield →
Who’s in charge in Chatfield
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Chatfield’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on ci.chatfield.mn.us ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 166 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 (2,826).
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.
Chatfield Public Schools
Chatfield’s K–12 school district, shared with Chatfield Township, Orion Township, Jordan Township, Elmira Township, Pilot Mound Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $13,544 per pupil, $8,049 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.
Chatfield’s votes are counted by county
Minnesota reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Chatfield alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Fillmore County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican61.7%7,638 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat36.3%4,491 votesOthers: 2.1% (256 votes).
Most votes in Fillmore County: Donald J Trump
Minnesota: Harris 50.9%, Trump 46.7%
62% of Chatfield lies in Fillmore County; the rest in Olmsted County. Every 2024 race in Fillmore County is on the county’s page.
Fillmore 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 Chatfield.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: ci.chatfield.mn.us ↗
- 2Minnesota HouseChatfield is split between 2 districts
- 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 Chatfield compares with the towns next door
Chatfield spent $1,533 per resident in 2022. Most of its neighbors are townships, a different kind of government, so the like-for-like comparison is with similar cities, above. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Orion Township | $162 | $3,490 |
| Chatfield Township | $293 | $2,849 |
| Elmira Township | $408 | $3,841 |
| Chatfield | $1,533 | $3,564 |
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 Chatfield’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Chatfield’s government
How much does Chatfield spend per resident?
About $1,533 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 $1,533 was more than 77% of 133 Minnesota cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Chatfield?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,564 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.48% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.02% across Minnesota. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see ci.chatfield.mn.us.
Who runs Chatfield’s government?
See ci.chatfield.mn.us for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Chatfield yet.
How did Chatfield vote in 2024?
Minnesota counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Chatfield alone. Fillmore County, where 62% of Chatfield lies, voted Trump 61.7%, Harris 36.3% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Chatfield?
17 full-time and 64 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $121,006 (about $1.5M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Chatfield in the state legislature?
Chatfield is split among 2 State House districts and 2 State Senate districts, so your address decides. The Minnesota Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Chatfield’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 →