Photo: Leonard J. DeFrancisci · CC BY-SA 4.0Plainview spent more per resident in 2022 than 65% of similar cities
Plainview’s city government spent $4.2 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $1,289 per resident. Water and other utilities ($353,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Plainview is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,289 per resident in 2022: more than 65% of them
Plainview’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,289 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 $1,074, and the middle half spent $815–$1,405. Plainview spent more than 65% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($992,000), 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 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Plainview itself left out).
About $1,289 per resident a year, or $3.53 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 25%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Plainview reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $2,882 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.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Plainview’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 Plainview’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Plainview →
Who’s in charge in Plainview
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Plainview’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on plainviewmn.com ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 165 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 (3,292).
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.
Plainview-Elgin-Millville
Plainview’s K–12 school district, shared with Elgin, Elgin Township, Millville, Plainview Township, Oakwood Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $11,726 per pupil, $7,643 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.
Plainview’s votes are counted by county
Minnesota reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Plainview alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Wabasha County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican63.1%8,523 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat34.9%4,721 votesOthers: 2.0% (265 votes).
Most votes in Wabasha County: Donald J Trump
Minnesota: Harris 50.9%, Trump 46.7%
100% of Plainview lies in Wabasha County. Every 2024 race in Wabasha County is on the county’s page.
Wabasha 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 Plainview.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: plainviewmn.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 Plainview’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Plainview’s government
How much does Plainview spend per resident?
About $1,289 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 $1,289 was more than 65% of 133 Minnesota cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Plainview?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,882 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 plainviewmn.com.
Who runs Plainview’s government?
See plainviewmn.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Plainview yet.
How did Plainview vote in 2024?
Minnesota counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Plainview alone. Wabasha County, where 100% of Plainview lies, voted Trump 63.1%, Harris 34.9% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Plainview?
20 full-time and 33 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $125,928 (about $1.5M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Plainview in the state legislature?
State Senate District 20 (Steve Drazkowski) and State House District 20B (Steve Jacob). The House district also covers 46 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Plainview’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 →