Photo: McGhiever · CC BY-SA 3.0Sandstone spent less per resident in 2022 than 76% of similar cities
Sandstone’s city government spent $2.1 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $806 per resident. Water and other utilities ($275,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Sandstone is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$806 per resident in 2022: less than 76% of them
Sandstone’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($806 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 $827–$1,405. Sandstone spent less than 76% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($422,000), 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; Sandstone itself left out).
About $806 per resident a year, or $2.21 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 21%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Sandstone reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $1,771 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.06% 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 Sandstone’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 Sandstone’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Sandstone →
Who’s in charge in Sandstone
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Sandstone’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on sandstone.govoffice.com ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 365 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 (2,554).
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.
East Central School District
Sandstone’s K–12 school district, shared with Arna Township, Askov, Kerrick, New Dosey Township, Partridge Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $14,614 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.
Minnesota districts overall: 30% local, 62% state, 8% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Sandstone’s votes are counted by county
Minnesota reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Sandstone alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Pine County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican66.7%11,274 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat31.6%5,339 votesOthers: 1.8% (298 votes).
Most votes in Pine County: Donald J Trump
Minnesota: Harris 50.9%, Trump 46.7%
100% of Sandstone lies in Pine County. Every 2024 race in Pine County is on the county’s page.
Pine 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 Sandstone.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: sandstone.govoffice.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.
How Sandstone compares with the towns next door
Sandstone spent $806 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Sandstone Township | $206 | $1,917 |
| Sandstone | $806 | $1,771 |
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 Sandstone’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Sandstone’s government
How much does Sandstone spend per resident?
About $806 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 $806 was less than 76% of 133 Minnesota cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Sandstone?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,771 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.06% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.02% across Minnesota. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see sandstone.govoffice.com.
Who runs Sandstone’s government?
See sandstone.govoffice.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Sandstone yet.
How did Sandstone vote in 2024?
Minnesota counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Sandstone alone. Pine County, where 100% of Sandstone lies, voted Trump 66.7%, Harris 31.6% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Sandstone?
7 full-time and 37 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $49,484 (about $593,808 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Sandstone in the state legislature?
State Senate District 11 (Jason Rarick) and State House District 11B (Nathan Nelson). The House district also covers 48 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Sandstone’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 →