Photo: Myotus · CC BY 4.0Menahga spent more per resident in 2022 than 99% of similar cities
Menahga’s city government spent $9.3 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $7,145 per resident. Water and other utilities ($1.3 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Menahga is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$7,145 per resident in 2022: more than 99% of them
Menahga’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($7,145 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. Menahga spent more than 99% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($318,000), 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; Menahga itself left out).
About $7,145 per resident a year, or $19.58 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: health & welfare, at 84%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Menahga reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $1,883 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.21% 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 Menahga’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 Menahga’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Menahga →
Who’s in charge in Menahga
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Menahga’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on menahga.com ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 187 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 (1,307).
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.
Menahga Public School District
Menahga’s K–12 school district, shared with Blueberry Township, Shell River Township, Huntersville Township, Runeberg Township, Wolf Lake and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $13,816 per pupil, $8,684 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.
Menahga’s votes are counted by county
Minnesota reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Menahga alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Wadena County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican74.9%6,028 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat23.6%1,898 votesOthers: 1.5% (121 votes).
Most votes in Wadena County: Donald J Trump
Minnesota: Harris 50.9%, Trump 46.7%
100% of Menahga lies in Wadena County. Every 2024 race in Wadena County is on the county’s page.
Wadena 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 Menahga.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: menahga.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 Menahga’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Menahga’s government
How much does Menahga spend per resident?
About $7,145 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 $7,145 was more than 99% of 619 Minnesota cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Menahga?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,883 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.21% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.02% across Minnesota. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see menahga.com.
Who runs Menahga’s government?
See menahga.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Menahga yet.
How did Menahga vote in 2024?
Minnesota counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Menahga alone. Wadena County, where 100% of Menahga lies, voted Trump 74.9%, Harris 23.6% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Menahga?
7 full-time and 34 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $52,769 (about $633,228 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Menahga in the state legislature?
State Senate District 5 (Paul Utke) and State House District 5A (Krista Knudsen). The House district also covers 74 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Menahga’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 →