How is McGrath run?
McGrath’s city government spent $76,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $1,041 per resident.
What stands out about how McGrath is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
About $1,041 per resident a year, or $2.85 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: fire, at 34%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$1,041 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
McGrath’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,041 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. McGrath spent less than 56% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($21,000), 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; McGrath itself left out).
No trend yet
McGrath reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $363 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.50% 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 McGrath’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 McGrath’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in McGrath →
Who’s in charge in McGrath
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
McGregor Public School District
McGrath’s K–12 school district, shared with Balsam Township, Beaver Township, Jevne Township, McGregor, McGregor Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $18,762 per pupil, $11,713 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.
McGrath’s votes are counted by county
Minnesota reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for McGrath alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Aitkin County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican64.5%6,741 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat33.7%3,524 votesOthers: 1.7% (181 votes).
Most votes in Aitkin County: Donald J Trump
Minnesota: Harris 50.9%, Trump 46.7%
100% of McGrath lies in Aitkin County. Every 2024 race in Aitkin County is on the county’s page.
Aitkin 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 McGrath.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 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 McGrath compares with the towns next door
McGrath spent $1,041 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Williams Township | $268 | $900 |
| McGrath | $1,041 | $363 |
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 McGrath’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about McGrath’s government
How much does McGrath spend per resident?
About $1,041 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 $1,041 was less than 56% of 619 Minnesota cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in McGrath?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $363 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.50% 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 McGrath’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for McGrath yet.
How did McGrath vote in 2024?
Minnesota counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for McGrath alone. Aitkin County, where 100% of McGrath lies, voted Trump 64.5%, Harris 33.7% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for McGrath?
0 full-time and 24 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $1,621 (about $19,452 a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents McGrath in the state legislature?
State Senate District 10 (Nathan Wesenberg) and State House District 10A (Ron Kresha). The House district also covers 68 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about McGrath’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 →