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Town Hall · Hector

Hector spent more per resident in 2022 than 82% of similar cities

Hector’s city government spent $1.7 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $1,674 per resident. Water and other utilities ($639,000) and the airport ($85,000) are counted separately.

Town website
Election Day

Today

General election in Minnesota.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$1.7M
year to December 31, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$1,674
In 2022: $1,674, more than 82% of 619 similar cities
Long-term debt
$7.8M
end of 2022, reported
City staff, 2022
5
full-time · 5 part-time · March payroll $33,510
Typical tax bill
$1,789
1.36% of home value · MN 1.02%

What stands out about how Hector is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

Compared with similar places

$1,674 per resident in 2022: more than 82% of them

Hector’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,674 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–$1,504. Hector spent more than 82% of them.

Middle half of the group, $740–$1,504Median $1,111Hector

Includes sewer and trash ($679,000), 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; Hector itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $1,674 per resident a year, or $4.59 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 39%.

Where the money comes from
Property taxes 36%Fees & charges 22%From the state 20%From the federal government 9%Utility sales 8%Interest, fines & other 5%Other taxes & licenses <1%From other local governments <1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $336,000; interest on debt $318,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $3.1 million.
Over the years

No trend yet

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

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $1,789 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.36% of the home’s value, vs 1.02% across Minnesota.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Minnesota$3,357
Hector$1,789
$1,789
typical bill a year
1.36%
effective rate
$132,000
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Hector

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

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

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

Who works for Hector

One full-time city employee for every 208 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 (1,041).

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

Roads & transportation3 + 2 pt
Police1 + 3 pt
Administration & buildings1
5
full-time
5
part-time
$33,510
payroll for March 2022
$402,120
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$71,800
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
1
sworn police officers
Compared, 2022.Hector had 4.8 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 3.8: Hector had more than 58% 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

Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart Public Schools

Hector’s K–12 school district, shared with Brookfield Township, Buffalo Lake, Hector Township, Martinsburg Township, Preston Lake Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Hector →
$16,933
per pupil · MN $17,091
446
students
$2 million
long-term debt

Of the $16,933 per pupil, $9,682 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 23%State 68%Federal 9%

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

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Hector’s votes are counted by county

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

President · Renville County’s results8,058 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican69.6%5,610 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat28.3%2,280 votes

Others: 2.1% (168 votes).

Most votes in Renville County: Donald J Trump

Minnesota: Harris 50.9%, Trump 46.7%

The county’s page

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

Renville 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 Hector

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Hector.

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.

Reach Hector’s government

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

The Handbook →

Questions about Hector’s government

How much does Hector spend per resident?

About $1,674 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 $1,674 was more than 82% of 619 Minnesota cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Hector?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,789 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.36% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.02% across Minnesota. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see hector.govoffice.com.

Who runs Hector’s government?

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

How did Hector vote in 2024?

Minnesota counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Hector alone. Renville County, where 100% of Hector lies, voted Trump 69.6%, Harris 28.3% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Hector?

5 full-time and 5 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $33,510 (about $402,120 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Hector in the state legislature?

State Senate District 16 (Andrew Lang) and State House District 16A (Scott Van Binsbergen). The House district also covers 80 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Hector’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 →