Cobden spent less per resident in 2022 than 92% of similar cities
Cobden’s city government spent $13,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $371 per resident. Water and other utilities ($15,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Cobden is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$371 per resident in 2022: less than 92% of them
Cobden’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($371 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 $743–$1,505. Cobden spent less than 92% of 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; Cobden itself left out).
About $371 per resident a year, or $1.02 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 23%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Cobden reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
Who’s in charge in Cobden
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Springfield Public School District
Cobden’s K–12 school district, shared with Burnstown Township, Clements, Springfield, North Star Township, Sundown Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $14,519 per pupil, $8,224 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.
Cobden’s votes are counted by county
Minnesota reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Cobden alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Brown County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican66.4%9,692 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat31.3%4,576 votesOthers: 2.3% (330 votes).
Most votes in Brown County: Donald J Trump
Minnesota: Harris 50.9%, Trump 46.7%
100% of Cobden lies in Brown County. Every 2024 race in Brown County is on the county’s page.
Brown 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 Cobden.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 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 Cobden compares with the towns next door
Cobden spent $371 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Leavenworth Township | $381 | $1,716 |
| Prairieville Township | $514 | $1,306 |
| Cobden | $371 | — |
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 Cobden’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Cobden’s government
How much does Cobden spend per resident?
About $371 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 $371 was less than 92% of 619 Minnesota cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
Who runs Cobden’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Cobden yet.
How did Cobden vote in 2024?
Minnesota counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Cobden alone. Brown County, where 100% of Cobden lies, voted Trump 66.4%, Harris 31.3% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Cobden?
0 full-time and 4 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $3,026 (about $36,312 a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Cobden in the state legislature?
State Senate District 15 (Gary Dahms) and State House District 15B (Paul Torkelson). The House district also covers 65 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Cobden’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 →