Howard Lake City Hall · Photo: William Wesen Appraiser · CC BY-SA 3.0Howard Lake spent more per resident in 2022 than 87% of similar cities
Howard Lake’s city government spent $3.9 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $1,809 per resident. Water and other utilities ($1.4 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Howard Lake is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,809 per resident in 2022: more than 87% of them
Howard Lake’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,809 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. Howard Lake spent more than 87% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($1.2 million), 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; Howard Lake itself left out).
About $1,809 per resident a year, or $4.96 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 32%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Howard Lake reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $3,484 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.27% 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 Howard 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 Howard Lake’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Howard Lake →
Who’s in charge in Howard Lake
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Howard Lake’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on howard-lake.mn.us ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 197 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 (2,162).
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.
Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted
Howard Lake’s K–12 school district, shared with Waverly, Winsted, Victor Township, Middleville Township, Woodland Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $13,387 per pupil, $7,973 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.
Howard 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 Howard Lake alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Wright County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican63.5%57,211 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat34.3%30,883 votesOthers: 2.2% (1,947 votes).
Most votes in Wright County: Donald J Trump
Minnesota: Harris 50.9%, Trump 46.7%
100% of Howard Lake lies in Wright County. Every 2024 race in Wright County is on the county’s page.
Wright 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 Howard Lake.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: howard-lake.mn.us ↗
- 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 Howard Lake compares with the towns next door
Howard Lake spent $1,809 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.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Middleville Township | $373 | $3,323 |
| Victor Township | $422 | $3,051 |
| Howard Lake | $1,809 | $3,484 |
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 Howard Lake’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Howard Lake’s government
How much does Howard Lake spend per resident?
About $1,809 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 $1,809 was more than 87% of 619 Minnesota cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Howard Lake?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,484 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.27% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.02% across Minnesota. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see howard-lake.mn.us.
Who runs Howard Lake’s government?
See howard-lake.mn.us for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Howard Lake yet.
How did Howard Lake vote in 2024?
Minnesota counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Howard Lake alone. Wright County, where 100% of Howard Lake lies, voted Trump 63.5%, Harris 34.3% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Howard Lake?
11 full-time and 11 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $77,084 (about $925,008 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Howard Lake in the state legislature?
State Senate District 29 (Mike Holmstrom) and State House District 29A (Joe McDonald). The House district also covers 21 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Howard 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 →