Photo: Billybob2002 · CC BY 4.0Moorhead spent more per resident in 2022 than 72% of similar cities
Moorhead’s city government spent $58.2 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, about $1,298 per resident. Water and other utilities ($39.2 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Moorhead is run
Read from the city’s budget, meetings and official records.
6 upcoming meetings at town hall
From Moorhead’s own agenda portal, checked daily. Agendas can change up to the meeting, so check before you go.
- Nov4Airport CommitteeWednesday · 4:00 pm · 202 1st Avenue NorthAirport Committee MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov9City CouncilMonday · 5:30 pm · 202 1st. Ave. NCity Council MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov10GeneralTuesday · 5:30 pmLibrary Board MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov10Library BoardTuesday · 5:30 pmLibrary Board MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov12Park Advisory BoardThursday · 4:00 pm · 202 1st Ave NPark Advisory Board MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov16Art & Culture CommissionMonday · 4:30 pm · 202 1st Avenue NorthArt & Culture Commission MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
Recent meetings
- Nov2Planning Commission/Board of AdjustmentMonday · 5:30 pmPlanning Commission/Board of Adjustment MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Nov2Economic Development AuthorityMonday · 11:45 am · 202 1st Ave NEconomic Development Authority Meeting - Cancellation NoticeAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Nov2Economic Development AuthorityMonday · 11:45 am · 202 1st Ave NPublic Meeting Notice - EDA WorkshopAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Oct27Public Housing AgencyTuesday · 11:30 am · 1828 34th Ave S- Fieldcrest Townhomes, Community RoomPublic Housing Agency MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Oct26City CouncilMonday · 5:30 pm · 202 1st Ave. NCity Council MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
Most meetings are open to the public, and many have a public comment period at the start.
Agenda portal ↗About $1,298 per resident a year, or $3.56 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 20%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$1,120 per resident in 2022: more than 72% of them
Moorhead’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,120 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 25 Minnesota cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,007, and the middle half spent $786–$1,129. Moorhead spent more than 72% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($10.6 million), 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 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Moorhead itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is up 18% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Moorhead reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.
Day-to-day spending by fiscal year
Per resident: 2022: $1,120 · 2023: $1,173 · 2024: $1,298.
full-time in March 2025, up from 338 in 2022. Both are Census estimates.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $3,104 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.25% 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 Moorhead’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 Moorhead’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Moorhead →
Who’s in charge in Moorhead
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time city employee for every 127 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (44,861).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Moorhead Public School District
Moorhead’s K–12 school district, shared with Georgetown, Kurtz Township, Oakport Township, Sabin, Moorhead Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $14,971 per pupil, $9,772 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.
Moorhead’s votes are counted by county
Minnesota reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Moorhead alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Clay County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat49.0%16,121 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican48.6%15,965 votesOthers: 2.4% (788 votes).
Most votes in Clay County: Kamala D Harris
Minnesota: Harris 50.9%, Trump 46.7%
100% of Moorhead lies in Clay County. Every 2024 race in Clay County is on the county’s page.
Clay 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 Moorhead.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: cityofmoorhead.com ↗
- 2Minnesota HouseMoorhead is split between 2 districts
- 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 Moorhead compares with the towns next door
Moorhead spent $1,120 per resident in 2022; the 3 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $228 to $923. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Moorhead Township | $228 | $3,500 |
| Glyndon Township | $236 | $2,324 |
| Dilworth | $923 | $3,238 |
| Oakport Township | estimate | $3,400 |
| Moorhead | $1,120 | $3,104 |
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 Moorhead’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Moorhead’s government
How much does Moorhead spend per resident?
About $1,298 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,120 was more than 72% of 25 Minnesota cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Moorhead?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,104 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.25% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.02% across Minnesota. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cityofmoorhead.com.
Who runs Moorhead’s government?
See cityofmoorhead.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Moorhead yet.
How did Moorhead vote in 2024?
Minnesota counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Moorhead alone. Clay County, where 100% of Moorhead lies, voted Harris 49.0%, Trump 48.6% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Moorhead?
354 full-time and 65 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $2.9M (about $34.6M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Moorhead in the state legislature?
Moorhead is split among 2 State House districts, so your address decides. The Minnesota Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Its State Senate district is District 4 (Rob Kupec). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
When is the next public meeting in Moorhead?
The next posted meeting is Airport Committee on Wednesday, November 4, at 4:00 pm in 202 1st Avenue North, from the city’s own agenda portal.
Ask neighbors about Moorhead’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 →