Photo: Jared Winkler · CC BY-SA 4.0How is Heron Lake run?
Heron Lake’s city government spent $797,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $1,240 per resident. Water and other utilities ($647,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Heron Lake is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
About $1,240 per resident a year, or $3.40 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 17%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$1,240 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
Heron Lake’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,240 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–$1,505. Heron Lake spent more than 59% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($135,000), 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 cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Heron Lake itself left out).
No trend yet
Heron Lake reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $1,193 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.35% 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 Heron Lake’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 Heron Lake’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Heron Lake →
Who’s in charge in Heron Lake
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Heron Lake’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on heronlakecity.org ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 214 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 (643).
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.
Heron Lake-Okabena School District
Heron Lake’s K–12 school district, shared with Okabena, La Crosse Township, West Heron Lake Township, Weimer Township, Ewington Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $17,300 per pupil, $10,972 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.
Heron Lake’s votes are counted by county
Minnesota reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Heron Lake alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Jackson County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican70.0%3,949 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat28.0%1,581 votesOthers: 2.0% (114 votes).
Most votes in Jackson County: Donald J Trump
Minnesota: Harris 50.9%, Trump 46.7%
100% of Heron Lake lies in Jackson County. Every 2024 race in Jackson County is on the county’s page.
Jackson 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 Heron Lake.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: heronlakecity.org ↗
- 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.
How Heron Lake compares with the towns next door
Heron Lake spent $1,240 per resident in 2022. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Weimer Township | estimate | $2,556 |
| Heron Lake | $1,240 | $1,193 |
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 Heron Lake’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Heron Lake’s government
How much does Heron Lake spend per resident?
About $1,240 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 $1,240 was more than 59% of 619 Minnesota cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Heron Lake?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,193 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.35% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.02% across Minnesota. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see heronlakecity.org.
Who runs Heron Lake’s government?
See heronlakecity.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Heron Lake yet.
How did Heron Lake vote in 2024?
Minnesota counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Heron Lake alone. Jackson County, where 100% of Heron Lake lies, voted Trump 70.0%, Harris 28.0% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Heron Lake?
3 full-time and 45 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $30,786 (about $369,432 a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Heron Lake in the state legislature?
State Senate District 21 (Bill Weber) and State House District 21B (Marj Fogelman). The House district also covers 67 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Heron Lake’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 →