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Water Tower with Full MoonPhoto: Anthony J. Wessel · CC BY-SA 4.0
Town Hall · Freeport

Freeport spent less per resident in 2022 than 74% of similar cities

Freeport’s city government spent $509,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $759 per resident. Water and other utilities ($131,000) are counted separately.

Town website
Election Day

Tomorrow

General election in Minnesota.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$509,000
year to December 31, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$759
In 2022: $759, less than 74% of 619 similar cities
Long-term debt
$1.6M
end of 2022, reported
City staff, 2022
2
full-time · 7 part-time · March payroll $14,730 · Census estimate
Typical tax bill
$2,462
1.10% of home value · MN 1.02%

What stands out about how Freeport is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

Compared with similar places

$759 per resident in 2022: less than 74% of them

Freeport’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($759 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 $1,112, and the middle half spent $740–$1,505. Freeport spent less than 74% of them.

Middle half of the group, $740–$1,505Median $1,112Freeport

Includes sewer and trash ($82,000), 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; Freeport itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $759 per resident a year, or $2.08 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 26%.

Where the money comes from
Property taxes 36%Fees & charges 21%Utility sales 14%From the state 13%From the federal government 11%Interest, fines & other 3%Other taxes & licenses 1%Sales taxes <1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $2.1 million; interest on debt $2,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $2.7 million.
Over the years

No trend yet

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

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $2,462 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.10% of the home’s value, vs 1.02% across Minnesota.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Minnesota$3,357
Millwood Township$3,183
Oak Township$2,756
Freeport$2,462
$2,462
typical bill a year
1.10%
effective rate
$223,200
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Freeport

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

See freeportmn.org for Freeport’s current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Freeport yet.freeportmn.org ↗
Agendas

Freeport’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on freeportmn.org ↗.

Who works for Freeport

One full-time city employee for every 336 residents

On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (671).

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

Administration & buildings1 + 5 pt
Sewer & trash1 + 2 pt
2
full-time
7
part-time
$14,730
payroll for March 2022
$176,760
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$71,900
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
Estimates.Freeport didn’t report its staff figures; these are the Census Bureau’s estimates, so they aren’t compared with other towns.

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

Melrose Public School District

Freeport’s K–12 school district, shared with Greenwald, Grove Township, Meire Grove, Melrose, New Munich and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Freeport →
$14,713
per pupil · MN $17,091
1,266
students
$3.2 million
long-term debt

Of the $14,713 per pupil, $9,657 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 20%State 75%Federal 5%

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

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Freeport’s votes are counted by county

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

President · Stearns County’s results86,632 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican62.3%53,932 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat35.6%30,829 votes

Others: 2.2% (1,871 votes).

Most votes in Stearns County: Donald J Trump

Minnesota: Harris 50.9%, Trump 46.7%

The county’s page

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

Stearns 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 Freeport

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Freeport.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
  2. 2
    Minnesota HouseState representatives
  3. 3
    Minnesota SenateState senator
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Minnesota

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

Next door

How Freeport compares with the towns next door

Freeport spent $759 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.

Spends the leastSpends the mostEstimate or no figures
TownDay-to-day, per resident (2022)Tax bill
Millwood Township$128$3,183
Oak Township$263$2,756
Freeport$759$2,462

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 Freeport’s government

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

The Handbook →

Questions about Freeport’s government

How much does Freeport spend per resident?

About $759 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 $759 was less than 74% of 619 Minnesota cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Freeport?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,462 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.10% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.02% across Minnesota. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see freeportmn.org.

Who runs Freeport’s government?

See freeportmn.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Freeport yet.

How did Freeport vote in 2024?

Minnesota counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Freeport alone. Stearns County, where 100% of Freeport lies, voted Trump 62.3%, Harris 35.6% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Freeport?

2 full-time and 7 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $14,730 (about $176,760 a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.

Who represents Freeport in the state legislature?

State Senate District 12 (Torrey Westrom) and State House District 12A (Paul Anderson). The House district also covers 116 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Freeport’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 →