Photo: ShakataGaNai · CC BY-SA 3.0Ely spent more per resident in 2022 than 96% of similar cities
Ely’s city government spent $8 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, about $2,487 per resident. Water and other utilities ($4.5 million) and the airport ($352,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Ely is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$2,409 per resident in 2022: more than 96% of them
Ely’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($2,409 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. Ely spent more than 96% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($1.1 million), 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; Ely itself left out).
About $2,487 per resident a year, or $6.81 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 19%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending has held about steady since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Ely 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: $2,409 · 2023: $2,889 · 2024: $2,487.
full-time in March 2025, the same as 35 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 $1,331 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.85% 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 Ely’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 Ely’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Ely →
Who’s in charge in Ely
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Ely’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on ely.mn.us ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 92 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 (3,237).
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.
Ely Public School District
Ely’s K–12 school district, shared with Morse Township, Winton. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $17,119 per pupil, $10,194 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.
Ely’s votes are counted by county
Minnesota reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Ely alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are St. Louis County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat55.7%66,335 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican42.1%50,065 votesOthers: 2.2% (2,609 votes).
Most votes in St. Louis County: Kamala D Harris
Minnesota: Harris 50.9%, Trump 46.7%
100% of Ely lies in St. Louis County. Every 2024 race in St. Louis County is on the county’s page.
St. Louis 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 Ely.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: ely.mn.us ↗
- 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.
Reach Ely’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Ely’s government
How much does Ely spend per resident?
About $2,487 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 $2,409 was more than 96% of 133 Minnesota cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Ely?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,331 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.85% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.02% across Minnesota. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see ely.mn.us.
Who runs Ely’s government?
See ely.mn.us for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Ely yet.
How did Ely vote in 2024?
Minnesota counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Ely alone. St. Louis County, where 100% of Ely lies, voted Harris 55.7%, Trump 42.1% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Ely?
35 full-time and 58 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $267,451 (about $3.2M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Ely in the state legislature?
State Senate District 3 (Grant Hauschild) and State House District 3A (Roger Skraba). The House district also covers 56 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Ely’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 →