Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to Milaca

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in
Milaca, Minnesota-16-Businesses at1st Street W. and Central Avenue with watertowerPhoto: Myotus · CC BY-SA 4.0
Town Hall · Milaca

Milaca spent less per resident in 2022 than 74% of similar cities

Milaca’s city government spent $2.7 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2023, about $873 per resident. Water and other utilities ($3.5 million) and the airport ($137,000) are counted separately.

Town website
Election Day

Tomorrow

General election in Minnesota.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2023
$2.7M
year to December 31, 2023
Per resident, 2023
$873
In 2022: $829, less than 74% of 133 similar cities
Long-term debt
$2.5M
end of 2023, reported
City staff, 2022
20
full-time · 18 part-time · March payroll $117,113
Typical tax bill
$2,385
1.17% of home value · MN 1.02%

What stands out about how Milaca is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

Compared with similar places

$829 per resident in 2022: less than 74% of them

Milaca’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($829 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 133 Minnesota cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,081, and the middle half spent $815–$1,405. Milaca spent less than 74% of them.

Middle half of the group, $815–$1,405Median $1,081Milaca

Includes sewer and trash ($361,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →

The group
133

Minnesota cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Milaca itself left out).

Your share of the 2023 budget

About $873 per resident a year, or $2.39 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 32%.

Where the money comes from
Utility sales 54%From the state 18%Property taxes 14%Fees & charges 7%Interest, fines & other 4%From the federal government 2%Other taxes & licenses 1%Sales taxes 1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $1.2 million; interest on debt $91,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $7.6 million.
Over the years

Day-to-day spending is up 11% since 2022

Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Milaca reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.

Day-to-day spending by fiscal year

2022$2.4 million
2023$2.7 million

Per resident: 2022: $829 · 2023: $873. Per resident it went from $829 to $873 (up 5%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 2,899 to 3,057.

Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $2,385 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.17% of the home’s value, vs 1.02% across Minnesota.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Minnesota$3,357
Borgholm Township$2,733
Milaca Township$2,667
Milaca$2,385
$2,385
typical bill a year
1.17%
effective rate
$203,400
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Milaca’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.

Tax bills are one input to Milaca’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Milaca →

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Milaca

Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.

See cityofmilaca.org for Milaca’s current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Milaca yet.cityofmilaca.org ↗
Agendas

Milaca’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on cityofmilaca.org ↗.

Who works for Milaca

One full-time city employee for every 153 residents

On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2023 finance file (3,057).

By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022

Administration & buildings7 + 18 pt
Police8
Roads & transportation5
20
full-time
18
part-time
$117,113
payroll for March 2022
$1.4M
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$62,700
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
7
sworn police officers
Compared, 2022.Milaca had 6.9 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 109 of the 133 Minnesota cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 5.3: Milaca had more than 73% of them. Same group and year as the budget comparison.

The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.

The school district

Milaca Public School District

Milaca’s K–12 school district, shared with Bock, Borgholm Township, Foreston, Milaca Township, Page Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Milaca →
$13,736
per pupil · MN $17,091
1,627
students
$19.6 million
long-term debt

Of the $13,736 per pupil, $8,752 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.

The district: schools, scores and graduation →

Where the district’s money comes from
Local 20%State 70%Federal 9%

Minnesota districts overall: 30% local, 62% state, 8% federal.

School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.

Elections · 2024 general election

Milaca’s votes are counted by county

Minnesota reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Milaca alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Mille Lacs County’s results.

President · Mille Lacs County’s results15,190 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican69.6%10,570 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat28.8%4,374 votes

Others: 1.6% (246 votes).

Most votes in Mille Lacs County: Donald J Trump

Minnesota: Harris 50.9%, Trump 46.7%

The county’s page

100% of Milaca lies in Mille Lacs County. Every 2024 race in Mille Lacs County is on the county’s page.

Mille Lacs County’s 2024 results →
DemocratRepublicanLibertarianIndependent / other

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.

Who represents Milaca

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Milaca.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
  2. 2
    Minnesota HouseState representatives
  3. 3
    Minnesota SenateState senator
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Minnesota

Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.

Next door

How Milaca compares with the towns next door

Milaca spent $829 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.

Spends the leastSpends the mostEstimate or no figures
TownDay-to-day, per resident (2022)Tax bill
Milaca Township$99$2,667
Borgholm Township$168$2,733
Milaca$829$2,385

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 Milaca’s government

The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Milaca’s government

How much does Milaca spend per resident?

About $873 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2023, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $829 was less than 74% of 133 Minnesota cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Milaca?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,385 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.17% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.02% across Minnesota. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cityofmilaca.org.

Who runs Milaca’s government?

See cityofmilaca.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Milaca yet.

How did Milaca vote in 2024?

Minnesota counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Milaca alone. Mille Lacs County, where 100% of Milaca lies, voted Trump 69.6%, Harris 28.8% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Milaca?

20 full-time and 18 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $117,113 (about $1.4M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Milaca in the state legislature?

State Senate District 10 (Nathan Wesenberg) and State House District 10B (Isaac Schultz). The House district also covers 48 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Milaca’s government

Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.

Town Square →
Ask neighbors

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 →