Lake Benton spent more per resident in 2022 than 80% of similar cities
Lake Benton’s city government spent $996,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $1,594 per resident. Water and other utilities ($246,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Lake Benton is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,594 per resident in 2022: more than 80% of them
Lake Benton’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,594 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. Lake Benton spent more than 80% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($202,000), 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; Lake Benton itself left out).
About $1,594 per resident a year, or $4.37 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 24%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Lake Benton reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $1,120 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.12% 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 Lake Benton’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 Lake Benton’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Lake Benton →
Who’s in charge in Lake Benton
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
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 (625).
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.
Lake Benton Public School District
Lake Benton’s K–12 school district, shared with Verdi Township, Drammen Township, Lake Benton Township, Diamond Lake Township. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $25,770 per pupil, $15,496 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.
Lake Benton’s votes are counted by county
Minnesota reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Lake Benton alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Lincoln County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican67.7%2,190 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat30.0%972 votesOthers: 2.3% (73 votes).
Most votes in Lincoln County: Donald J Trump
Minnesota: Harris 50.9%, Trump 46.7%
100% of Lake Benton lies in Lincoln County. Every 2024 race in Lincoln County is on the county’s page.
Lincoln 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 Lake Benton.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 2Minnesota HouseState representativesDistrict 21A
- 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 Lake Benton compares with the towns next door
Lake Benton spent $1,594 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Lake Benton Township | $513 | $2,604 |
| Lake Benton | $1,594 | $1,120 |
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 Lake Benton’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Lake Benton’s government
How much does Lake Benton spend per resident?
About $1,594 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 $1,594 was more than 80% of 619 Minnesota cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Lake Benton?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,120 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.12% 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 Lake Benton’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Lake Benton yet.
How did Lake Benton vote in 2024?
Minnesota counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Lake Benton alone. Lincoln County, where 100% of Lake Benton lies, voted Trump 67.7%, Harris 30.0% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Lake Benton?
3 full-time and 2 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $19,979 (about $239,748 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Lake Benton in the state legislature?
State Senate District 21 (Bill Weber) and State House District 21A. The House district also covers 119 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Lake Benton’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 →