Empire spent more per resident in 2022 than 84% of similar towns
Empire’s city government spent $1 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $339 per resident. Water and other utilities ($480,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Empire is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$339 per resident in 2022: more than 84% of them
Empire’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($339 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 37 Minnesota towns and townships of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $227, and the middle half spent $155–$283. Empire spent more than 84% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($1,000), 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 towns and townships of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Empire itself left out).
About $339 per resident a year, or $0.93 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 39%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Revenue is well above spending. That usually means Empire collects property taxes for the school district and county and passes them on, so only its own spending is counted.
No trend yet
Empire reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $4,505 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.96% 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 Empire’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 Empire’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Empire →
Who’s in charge in Empire
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time city employee for every 768 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 (3,071).
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.
Farmington Public School District
Empire’s K–12 school district, shared with Farmington, Castle Rock Township, Eureka Township. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $13,987 per pupil, $9,331 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.
Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan · $16,224 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
How Empire compares with the towns next door
Empire spent $339 per resident in 2022. Most of its neighbors are cities, a different kind of government, so the like-for-like comparison is with similar towns, above. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Castle Rock Township | $308 | $3,674 |
| Coates | $348 | $2,167 |
| Vermillion Township | $371 | $3,482 |
| Lakeville | $524 | $4,498 |
| Farmington | $840 | $4,240 |
| Rosemount | $1,007 | $3,932 |
| Empire | $339 | $4,505 |
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 Empire’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Empire’s government
How much does Empire spend per resident?
About $339 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 $339 was more than 84% of 37 Minnesota towns and townships of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Empire?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $4,505 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.96% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.02% across Minnesota. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the city’s assessor.
Who runs Empire’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Empire yet.
How many people work for Empire?
4 full-time and 4 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $26,015 (about $312,180 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Empire’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 →