Photo: Schwerdf · CC BY 4.0New Ulm spent more per resident in 2022 than 100% of similar cities
New Ulm’s city government spent $25.5 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, about $1,814 per resident. Water and other utilities ($33.9 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how New Ulm is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,711 per resident in 2022: more than 100% of them
New Ulm’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,711 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 51 Minnesota cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $971, and the middle half spent $700–$1,214. New Ulm spent more than 100% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($2.5 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 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; New Ulm itself left out).
About $1,814 per resident a year, or $4.97 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 28%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 13% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years New Ulm 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: $1,711 · 2023: $1,712 · 2024: $1,814. Per resident it went from $1,711 to $1,814 (up 6%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 13,141 to 14,035.
full-time in March 2025, down from 158 in 2022.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $2,333 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.14% 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 New Ulm’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 New Ulm’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in New Ulm →
Who’s in charge in New Ulm
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
New Ulm’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on ci.new-ulm.mn.us ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 89 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (14,035).
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.
New Ulm Public School District
New Ulm’s K–12 school district, shared with Cottonwood Township, Hanska, Lafayette, Courtland, Milford Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $15,582 per pupil, $9,592 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.
New Ulm’s votes are counted by county
Minnesota reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for New Ulm alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Brown County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican66.4%9,692 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat31.3%4,576 votesOthers: 2.3% (330 votes).
Most votes in Brown County: Donald J Trump
Minnesota: Harris 50.9%, Trump 46.7%
100% of New Ulm lies in Brown County. Every 2024 race in Brown County is on the county’s page.
Brown 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 New Ulm.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: ci.new-ulm.mn.us ↗
- 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 New Ulm compares with the towns next door
New Ulm spent $1,711 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Cottonwood Township | $180 | $2,135 |
| Courtland Township | $253 | $2,641 |
| Lafayette Township | $271 | $3,217 |
| Milford Township | $358 | $2,558 |
| New Ulm | $1,711 | $2,333 |
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 New Ulm’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about New Ulm’s government
How much does New Ulm spend per resident?
About $1,814 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 $1,711 was more than 100% of 51 Minnesota cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in New Ulm?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,333 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.14% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.02% across Minnesota. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see ci.new-ulm.mn.us.
Who runs New Ulm’s government?
See ci.new-ulm.mn.us for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for New Ulm yet.
How did New Ulm vote in 2024?
Minnesota counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for New Ulm alone. Brown County, where 100% of New Ulm lies, voted Trump 66.4%, Harris 31.3% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for New Ulm?
157 full-time and 109 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $1.4M (about $16.3M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents New Ulm in the state legislature?
State Senate District 15 (Gary Dahms) and State House District 15B (Paul Torkelson). The House district also covers 65 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about New Ulm’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 →