Photo: Markrv at en.wikipedia · Public domainSartell spent less per resident in 2022 than 88% of similar cities
Sartell’s city government spent $12.1 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $636 per resident. Water and other utilities ($3.1 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Sartell is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$636 per resident in 2022: less than 88% of them
Sartell’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($636 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 $995, and the middle half spent $708–$1,242. Sartell spent less than 88% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($2.8 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; Sartell itself left out).
About $636 per resident a year, or $1.74 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 32%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Sartell reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
full-time in March 2025, up from 52 in 2022. Both are Census estimates.
The typical homeowner pays $3,507 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.18% 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 Sartell’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 Sartell’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Sartell →
Who’s in charge in Sartell
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Sartell’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on sartellmn.com ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 353 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 2022 finance file (19,079).
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.
Sartell-St. Stephen School District
Sartell’s K–12 school district, shared with St. Stephen, Le Sauk Township, St. Wendel Township, Brockway Township. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $13,911 per pupil, $9,164 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.
St. Cloud Public School District · $17,140 per pupil
Sauk Rapids-Rice Public Schools · $14,571 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Sartell’s votes are counted by county
Minnesota reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Sartell alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Stearns County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican62.3%53,932 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat35.6%30,829 votesOthers: 2.2% (1,871 votes).
Most votes in Stearns County: Donald J Trump
Minnesota: Harris 50.9%, Trump 46.7%
89% of Sartell lies in Stearns County; the rest in Benton County. Every 2024 race in Stearns County is on the county’s page.
Stearns 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 Sartell.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: sartellmn.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 Sartell compares with the towns next door
Sartell spent $636 per resident in 2022; the 4 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $154 to $987. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Le Sauk Township | $154 | $2,808 |
| St. Wendel Township | $290 | $2,833 |
| Sauk Rapids | $682 | $2,778 |
| St. Cloud | $987 | $2,320 |
| Sauk Rapids Township | estimate | $3,145 |
| Sartell | $636 | $3,507 |
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 Sartell’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Sartell’s government
How much does Sartell spend per resident?
About $636 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 $636 was less than 88% of 51 Minnesota cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Sartell?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,507 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.18% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.02% across Minnesota. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see sartellmn.com.
Who runs Sartell’s government?
See sartellmn.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Sartell yet.
How did Sartell vote in 2024?
Minnesota counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Sartell alone. Stearns County, where 89% of Sartell lies, voted Trump 62.3%, Harris 35.6% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Sartell?
54 full-time and 56 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $483,983 (about $5.8M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Sartell in the state legislature?
State Senate District 13 (Jeff Howe) and State House District 13B (Tim O'Driscoll). The House district also covers eight other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Sartell’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 →