Kiester spent less per resident in 2022 than 68% of similar cities
Kiester’s city government spent $408,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $895 per resident. Water and other utilities ($276,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Kiester is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$895 per resident in 2022: less than 68% of them
Kiester’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($895 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. Kiester spent less than 68% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($42,000), 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; Kiester itself left out).
About $895 per resident a year, or $2.45 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 22%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Kiester reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $1,026 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.74% 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 Kiester’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 Kiester’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Kiester →
Who’s in charge in Kiester
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Kiester’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on cityofkiester.com ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 152 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 (456).
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.
United South Central School District
Kiester’s K–12 school district, shared with Bricelyn, Clark Township, Easton, Freeborn, Kiester Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $14,853 per pupil, $9,364 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.
Kiester’s votes are counted by county
Minnesota reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Kiester alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Faribault County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican67.6%5,247 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat30.3%2,352 votesOthers: 2.1% (162 votes).
Most votes in Faribault County: Donald J Trump
Minnesota: Harris 50.9%, Trump 46.7%
100% of Kiester lies in Faribault County. Every 2024 race in Faribault County is on the county’s page.
Faribault 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 Kiester.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: cityofkiester.com ↗
- 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.
Reach Kiester’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Kiester’s government
How much does Kiester spend per resident?
About $895 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 $895 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 Kiester?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,026 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.74% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.02% across Minnesota. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cityofkiester.com.
Who runs Kiester’s government?
See cityofkiester.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Kiester yet.
How did Kiester vote in 2024?
Minnesota counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Kiester alone. Faribault County, where 100% of Kiester lies, voted Trump 67.6%, Harris 30.3% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Kiester?
3 full-time and 10 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $9,694 (about $116,328 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Kiester in the state legislature?
State Senate District 23 (Gene Dornink) and State House District 23A (Peggy Bennett). The House district also covers 60 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Kiester’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 →