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Ogema, Minnesota-01Photo: Myotus · CC BY 4.0
Town Hall · Ogema

Ogema spent less per resident in 2022 than 87% of similar cities

Ogema’s city government spent $93,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $508 per resident. Water and other utilities ($455,000) are counted separately.

Election Day

Today

General election in Minnesota.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$93,000
year to December 31, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$508
In 2022: $508, less than 87% of 619 similar cities
Long-term debt
$209,000
end of 2022, reported
City staff, 2022
6
full-time · 17 part-time · March payroll $21,905
Typical tax bill
$725
0.99% of home value · MN 1.02%

What stands out about how Ogema is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

Compared with similar places

$508 per resident in 2022: less than 87% of them

Ogema’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($508 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 $743–$1,505. Ogema spent less than 87% of them.

Middle half of the group, $743–$1,505Median $1,112Ogema

Includes sewer and trash ($19,000), 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
619

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

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $508 per resident a year, or $1.39 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 28%.

Where the money comes from
Utility sales 78%From the state 7%Property taxes 7%Interest, fines & other 3%Fees & charges 2%From the federal government 2%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $4,000; interest on debt $14,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $566,000.
About “Other”.39% of Ogema’s day-to-day spending ($36,000) is filed by the Census Bureau outside the named functions above, so the receipt can’t say what it buys.
Over the years

No trend yet

Ogema reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $725 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.99% of the home’s value, vs 1.02% across Minnesota.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Minnesota$3,357
Spring Creek Township$1,531
White Earth Township$1,212
Ogema$725
$725
typical bill a year
0.99%
effective rate
$73,000
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Ogema’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 Ogema’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Ogema →

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Ogema

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

Check Ogema’s own website for current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Ogema yet.
Who works for Ogema

One full-time city employee for every 31 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 (183).

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

Administration & buildings6 + 16 pt
Water & other utilities0 + 1 pt
6
full-time
17
part-time
$21,905
payroll for March 2022
$262,860
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$31,400
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
Compared, 2022.Ogema had 32.8 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 457 of the 619 Minnesota cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 3.8: Ogema had more than 99% 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

Waubun-Ogema-White Earth Public Schools

Ogema’s K–12 school district, shared with Lake Grove Township, Oakland Township, Popple Grove Township, Spring Creek Township, Waubun and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Ogema →
$17,767
per pupil · MN $17,091
741
students
$11.3 million
long-term debt

Of the $17,767 per pupil, $10,726 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 10%State 63%Federal 27%

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

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Ogema’s votes are counted by county

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

President · Becker County’s results19,739 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican65.7%12,961 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat32.6%6,435 votes

Others: 1.7% (343 votes).

Most votes in Becker County: Donald J Trump

Minnesota: Harris 50.9%, Trump 46.7%

The county’s page

100% of Ogema lies in Becker County. Every 2024 race in Becker County is on the county’s page.

Becker 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 Ogema

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Ogema.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Local officials aren’t on record yet.
  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 Ogema compares with the towns next door

Ogema spent $508 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
White Earth Township$108$1,212
Spring Creek Township$603$1,531
Ogema$508$725

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 Ogema’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Ogema’s government

How much does Ogema spend per resident?

About $508 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 $508 was less than 87% of 619 Minnesota cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Ogema?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $725 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.99% 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 Ogema’s government?

We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Ogema yet.

How did Ogema vote in 2024?

Minnesota counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Ogema alone. Becker County, where 100% of Ogema lies, voted Trump 65.7%, Harris 32.6% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Ogema?

6 full-time and 17 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $21,905 (about $262,860 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Ogema in the state legislature?

State Senate District 2 (Steve Green) and State House District 2B (Matt Bliss). The House district also covers 111 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Ogema’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 →