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Town Hall · Elgin

Elgin spent more per resident in 2022 than 69% of similar cities

Elgin’s city government spent $1.5 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $1,375 per resident. Water and other utilities ($248,000) are counted separately.

Town website
Election Day

Tomorrow

General election in Minnesota.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$1.5M
year to December 31, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$1,375
In 2022: $1,375, more than 69% of 619 similar cities
Long-term debt
$819,000
end of 2022, reported
City staff, 2022
3
full-time · 3 part-time · March payroll $21,627
Typical tax bill
$2,722
1.17% of home value · MN 1.02%

What stands out about how Elgin is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

Spends more than most similar citiesIn 2022: $1,375 per resident, more than 69% of 619 similar cities.Runs its own water & sewer23% of day-to-day spending goes to water, sewer and trash (2022).A shared school districtShares Plainview-Elgin-Millville with 6+ other towns.
Compared with similar places

$1,375 per resident in 2022: more than 69% of them

Elgin’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,375 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–$1,505. Elgin spent more than 69% of them.

Middle half of the group, $740–$1,505Median $1,111Elgin

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 →

The group
619

Minnesota cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Elgin itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $1,375 per resident a year, or $3.77 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: health & welfare, at 15%.

Where the money comes from
From the state 25%Property taxes 21%Fees & charges 19%Utility sales 13%From the federal government 10%Interest, fines & other 8%From other local governments 2%Sales taxes 1%Other taxes & licenses <1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $384,000; interest on debt $47,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $2.2 million.
About “Other”.37% of Elgin’s day-to-day spending ($555,000) is filed by the Census Bureau outside the named functions above, so the receipt can’t say what it buys.
Over the years

No trend yet

Elgin reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $2,722 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.17% of the home’s value, vs 1.02% across Minnesota.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Minnesota$3,357
Elgin$2,722
$2,722
typical bill a year
1.17%
effective rate
$232,200
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Elgin’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 Elgin’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Elgin →

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Elgin

Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.

See elginmn.com for Elgin’s current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Elgin yet.elginmn.com ↗
Agendas

Elgin’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on elginmn.com ↗.

Who works for Elgin

One full-time city employee for every 360 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 (1,080).

By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022

Health & welfare1 + 2 pt
Administration & buildings1
Parks & libraries0 + 1 pt
Other1
3
full-time
3
part-time
$21,627
payroll for March 2022
$259,524
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$63,900
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
Compared, 2022.Elgin had 2.8 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 457 of the 619 Minnesota cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 3.9: Elgin had fewer than 56% of them. Same group and year as the budget comparison.

The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.

The school district

Plainview-Elgin-Millville

Elgin’s K–12 school district, shared with Elgin Township, Millville, Plainview, Plainview Township, Oakwood Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Elgin →
$11,726
per pupil · MN $17,091
1,466
students
$17.6 million
long-term debt

Of the $11,726 per pupil, $7,643 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.

The district: schools, scores and graduation →

Where the district’s money comes from
Local 21%State 75%Federal 4%

Minnesota districts overall: 30% local, 62% state, 8% federal.

School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.

Elections · 2024 general election

Elgin’s votes are counted by county

Minnesota reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Elgin alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Wabasha County’s results.

President · Wabasha County’s results13,509 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican63.1%8,523 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat34.9%4,721 votes

Others: 2.0% (265 votes).

Most votes in Wabasha County: Donald J Trump

Minnesota: Harris 50.9%, Trump 46.7%

The county’s page

100% of Elgin lies in Wabasha County. Every 2024 race in Wabasha County is on the county’s page.

Wabasha County’s 2024 results →
DemocratRepublicanLibertarianIndependent / other

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.

Who represents Elgin

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Elgin.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Officials: elginmn.com ↗
  2. 2
    Minnesota HouseState representatives
    Steve Jacob
  3. 3
    Minnesota SenateState senator
    Steve Drazkowski
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
    Tim Walz
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
    Brad Finstad
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Minnesota
    Amy KlobucharTina Smith

Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.

Reach Elgin’s government

The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.

The Handbook →
Official websiteelginmn.com ↗

Questions about Elgin’s government

How much does Elgin spend per resident?

About $1,375 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 $1,375 was more than 69% of 619 Minnesota cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Elgin?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,722 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.17% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.02% across Minnesota. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see elginmn.com.

Who runs Elgin’s government?

See elginmn.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Elgin yet.

How did Elgin vote in 2024?

Minnesota counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Elgin alone. Wabasha County, where 100% of Elgin lies, voted Trump 63.1%, Harris 34.9% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Elgin?

3 full-time and 3 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $21,627 (about $259,524 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Elgin in the state legislature?

State Senate District 20 (Steve Drazkowski) and State House District 20B (Steve Jacob). The House district also covers 46 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Elgin’s government

Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.

Town Square →
Ask neighbors

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 →