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Town Hall · Hayward

Hayward spent less per resident in 2022 than 68% of similar cities

Hayward’s city government spent $218,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $897 per resident. Water and other utilities ($54,000) are counted separately.

Election Day

Today

General election in Minnesota.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$218,000
year to December 31, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$897
In 2022: $897, less than 68% of 619 similar cities
Long-term debt
$74,000
end of 2022, reported
City staff, 2022
1
full-time · 6 part-time · March payroll $8,105
Typical tax bill
$1,648
1.45% of home value · MN 1.02%

What stands out about how Hayward is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

Spends less than most similar citiesIn 2022: $897 per resident, less than 68% of 619 similar cities.Runs its own water & sewer37% of day-to-day spending goes to water, sewer and trash (2022).A shared school districtShares Albert Lea Public School District with 6+ other towns.Low bills, a higher rateThe typical bill is $1,648 a year: 1.45% of the home’s value, vs 1.02% across Minnesota.
Compared with similar places

$897 per resident in 2022: less than 68% of them

Hayward’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($897 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. Hayward spent less than 68% of them.

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

Includes sewer and trash ($46,000), 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; Hayward itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $897 per resident a year, or $2.46 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 21%.

Where the money comes from
Property taxes 37%Fees & charges 22%From the state 15%Utility sales 14%Interest, fines & other 9%From the federal government 2%Sales taxes 1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $152,000; interest on debt $7,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $431,000.
About “Other”.48% of Hayward’s day-to-day spending ($104,000) 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

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

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $1,648 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.45% of the home’s value, vs 1.02% across Minnesota.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Minnesota$3,357
Hayward$1,648
$1,648
typical bill a year
1.45%
effective rate
$114,000
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Hayward

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

Check Hayward’s own website for current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Hayward yet.
Who works for Hayward

One full-time city employee for every 243 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 (243).

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

Administration & buildings1 + 6 pt
1
full-time
6
part-time
$8,105
payroll for March 2022
$97,260
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$78,400
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
Compared, 2022.Hayward had 4.1 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 3.8: Hayward had more than 52% 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

Albert Lea Public School District

Hayward’s K–12 school district, shared with Albert Lea, Bancroft Township, Clarks Grove, Hollandale, Manchester and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Hayward →
$17,748
per pupil · MN $17,091
3,338
students
$34 million
long-term debt

Of the $17,748 per pupil, $12,007 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 19%State 73%Federal 8%

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

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Hayward’s votes are counted by county

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

President · Freeborn County’s results16,704 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican59.9%10,003 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat38.6%6,448 votes

Others: 1.5% (253 votes).

Most votes in Freeborn County: Donald J Trump

Minnesota: Harris 50.9%, Trump 46.7%

The county’s page

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

Freeborn 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 Hayward

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Hayward.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Local officials aren’t on record yet.
  2. 2
    Minnesota HouseState representatives
    Patty Mueller
  3. 3
    Minnesota SenateState senator
    Gene Dornink
  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 Hayward’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Hayward’s government

How much does Hayward spend per resident?

About $897 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 $897 was less than 68% of 619 Minnesota cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Hayward?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,648 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.45% 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 Hayward’s government?

We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Hayward yet.

How did Hayward vote in 2024?

Minnesota counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Hayward alone. Freeborn County, where 100% of Hayward lies, voted Trump 59.9%, Harris 38.6% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Hayward?

1 full-time and 6 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $8,105 (about $97,260 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Hayward in the state legislature?

State Senate District 23 (Gene Dornink) and State House District 23B (Patty Mueller). The House district also covers 37 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Hayward’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 →