Photo: McGhiever · CC BY-SA 3.0Cottage Grove spent less per resident in 2022 than 68% of similar cities
Cottage Grove’s city government spent $41.4 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, about $1,009 per resident. Water and other utilities ($5.7 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Cottage Grove is run
Read from the city’s budget, meetings and official records.
6 upcoming meetings at town hall
From Cottage Grove’s own agenda portal, checked daily. Agendas can change up to the meeting, so check before you go.
- Nov9City CouncilMonday · 9:00 am · Council Chambers, 12800 Ravine Parkway SouthCity Council Meeting (Special Open Meeting - Canvassing the Election Results)Meeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov9City CouncilMonday · 9:00 am · Council Chambers, 12800 Ravine Parkway SouthCity Council Meeting (Special Open Meeting - Canvas the Election Results)Meeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov9Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources CommissionMonday · 7:00 pm · City Hall - St Croix Room, 12800 Ravine Parkway SouthParks, Recreation and Natural Resources Commission MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov10Economic Development AuthorityTuesday · 7:30 am · Council Chambers, 12800 Ravine Parkway SouthEconomic Development Authority MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov10Economic Development AuthorityTuesday · 12:30 pm · Council Chambers, 12800 Ravine Parkway SouthEconomic Development Authority Special MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov16Public Services CommissionMonday · 7:00 pm · City Hall - St Croix Room, 12800 Ravine Parkway SouthPublic Services Commission MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
Recent meetings
- Nov4City CouncilWednesday · 7:00 pm · Council Chambers - 7 PM, 12800 Ravine Parkway SouthCity Council Meeting Regular MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Nov4GeneralWednesday · 6:00 pm · 12800 Ravine ParkwayCity Council Special Meeting (Mayor for a Day)Agenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Oct26Planning CommissionMonday · 7:00 pm · Council Chambers, 12800 Ravine Parkway SouthOne Time EventAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Oct21City CouncilWednesday · 7:00 pm · Council Chambers, 12800 Ravine Parkway SouthCity Council Meeting Regular MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Oct13Advisory Committee on Historic PreservationTuesday · 6:00 pm · Training Room, 12800 Ravine Parkway SouthAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
Most meetings are open to the public, and many have a public comment period at the start.
Agenda portal ↗About $1,009 per resident a year, or $2.76 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 29%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$878 per resident in 2022: less than 68% of them
Cottage Grove’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($878 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 25 Minnesota cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,016, and the middle half spent $786–$1,129. Cottage Grove spent less than 68% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($869,000), 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 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Cottage Grove itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is up 24% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Cottage Grove 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: $878 · 2023: $939 · 2024: $1,009. Per resident it went from $878 to $1,009 (up 15%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 38,170 to 41,033.
full-time in March 2025, up from 138 in 2022. Both are Census estimates.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $3,994 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 Cottage Grove’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 Cottage Grove’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Cottage Grove →
Who’s in charge in Cottage Grove
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time city employee for every 283 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (41,033).
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.
South Washington County School District
Cottage Grove’s K–12 school district, shared with Grey Cloud Island Township, Newport, St. Paul Park, Woodbury. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $15,266 per pupil, $10,087 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.
Hastings Public School District · $15,341 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Cottage Grove’s votes are counted by county
Minnesota reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Cottage Grove alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Washington County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat53.3%90,324 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican44.4%75,271 votesOthers: 2.3% (3,941 votes).
Most votes in Washington County: Kamala D Harris
Minnesota: Harris 50.9%, Trump 46.7%
100% of Cottage Grove lies in Washington County. Every 2024 race in Washington County is on the county’s page.
Washington 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 Cottage Grove.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: cottage-grove.org ↗
- 2Minnesota HouseCottage Grove is split between 3 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 Cottage Grove compares with the towns next door
Cottage Grove spent $878 per resident in 2022; the 7 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $207 to $1,007. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Denmark Township | $207 | $4,546 |
| Nininger Township | $269 | $2,966 |
| St. Paul Park | $685 | $3,102 |
| Grey Cloud Island Township | $712 | $4,286 |
| Woodbury | $800 | $4,688 |
| Inver Grove Heights | $1,000 | $3,464 |
| Rosemount | $1,007 | $3,932 |
| Cottage Grove | $878 | $3,994 |
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 Cottage Grove’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Cottage Grove’s government
How much does Cottage Grove spend per resident?
About $1,009 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 $878 was less than 68% of 25 Minnesota cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Cottage Grove?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,994 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 cottage-grove.org.
Who runs Cottage Grove’s government?
See cottage-grove.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Cottage Grove yet.
How did Cottage Grove vote in 2024?
Minnesota counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Cottage Grove alone. Washington County, where 100% of Cottage Grove lies, voted Harris 53.3%, Trump 44.4% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Cottage Grove?
145 full-time and 161 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $1.6M (about $19.3M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Cottage Grove in the state legislature?
Cottage Grove is split among 3 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.
When is the next public meeting in Cottage Grove?
The next posted meeting is City Council on Monday, November 9, at 9:00 am in Council Chambers, 12800 Ravine Parkway South, from the city’s own agenda portal.
Ask neighbors about Cottage Grove’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 →