Photo: Myotus · CC BY 4.0Deer River spent more per resident in 2022 than 88% of similar cities
Deer River’s city government spent $1.7 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $1,881 per resident. Water and other utilities ($340,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Deer River is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,881 per resident in 2022: more than 88% of them
Deer River’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,881 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 $1,111, and the middle half spent $740–$1,504. Deer River spent more than 88% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($295,000), 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; Deer River itself left out).
About $1,881 per resident a year, or $5.15 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 31%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Deer River reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $967 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.87% 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 Deer River’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 Deer River’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Deer River →
Who’s in charge in Deer River
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Deer River’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on deerriver.org ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 78 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 (930).
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.
Deer River Public School District
Deer River’s K–12 school district, shared with Bowstring Township, Deer River Township, Lake Jessie Township, Morse Township, Oteneagen Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $21,331 per pupil, $12,459 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.
Deer River’s votes are counted by county
Minnesota reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Deer River alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Itasca County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican59.1%15,863 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat39.0%10,467 votesOthers: 1.9% (510 votes).
Most votes in Itasca County: Donald J Trump
Minnesota: Harris 50.9%, Trump 46.7%
100% of Deer River lies in Itasca County. Every 2024 race in Itasca County is on the county’s page.
Itasca 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 Deer River.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: deerriver.org ↗
- 2Minnesota HouseDeer River 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 Deer River compares with the towns next door
Deer River spent $1,881 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Morse Township | $169 | $1,333 |
| Deer River Township | $173 | $1,139 |
| Zemple | $289 | $199 |
| Deer River | $1,881 | $967 |
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 Deer River’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Deer River’s government
How much does Deer River spend per resident?
About $1,881 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 $1,881 was more than 88% of 619 Minnesota cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Deer River?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $967 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.87% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.02% across Minnesota. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see deerriver.org.
Who runs Deer River’s government?
See deerriver.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Deer River yet.
How did Deer River vote in 2024?
Minnesota counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Deer River alone. Itasca County, where 100% of Deer River lies, voted Trump 59.1%, Harris 39.0% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Deer River?
12 full-time and 3 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $65,598 (about $787,176 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Deer River in the state legislature?
Deer River 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 Deer River’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 →