Photo: TheCatalyst31 · CC BY 4.0How is Lake Wilson run?
Lake Wilson’s city government spent $293,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $1,308 per resident. Water and other utilities ($78,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Lake Wilson is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
About $1,308 per resident a year, or $3.58 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 36%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$1,308 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
Lake Wilson’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,308 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. Lake Wilson spent more than 64% of 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 Wilson itself left out).
No trend yet
Lake Wilson reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $573 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.58% 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 Wilson’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 Wilson’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Lake Wilson →
Who’s in charge in Lake Wilson
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time city employee for every 112 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 (224).
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.
Murray County Central School District
Lake Wilson’s K–12 school district, shared with Avoca, Chandler, Hadley, Iona, Leeds Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $15,459 per pupil, $9,508 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 Wilson’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 Wilson alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Murray County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican70.2%3,346 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat27.9%1,329 votesOthers: 2.0% (94 votes).
Most votes in Murray County: Donald J Trump
Minnesota: Harris 50.9%, Trump 46.7%
100% of Lake Wilson lies in Murray County. Every 2024 race in Murray County is on the county’s page.
Murray 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 Wilson.
- 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 Wilson compares with the towns next door
Lake Wilson spent $1,308 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Chanarambie Township | $423 | $775 |
| Leeds Township | $623 | $900 |
| Lake Wilson | $1,308 | $573 |
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 Wilson’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Lake Wilson’s government
How much does Lake Wilson spend per resident?
About $1,308 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 $1,308 was more than 64% of 619 Minnesota cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Lake Wilson?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $573 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.58% 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 Wilson’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Lake Wilson yet.
How did Lake Wilson vote in 2024?
Minnesota counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Lake Wilson alone. Murray County, where 100% of Lake Wilson lies, voted Trump 70.2%, Harris 27.9% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Lake Wilson?
2 full-time and 8 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $16,075 (about $192,900 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Lake Wilson 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 Wilson’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 →