Photo: McGhiever · CC BY-SA 4.0St. Cloud spent more per resident in 2022 than 80% of similar cities
St. Cloud’s city government spent $92.7 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, about $1,333 per resident. Water and other utilities ($8.8 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how St. Cloud is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$987 per resident in 2022: more than 80% of them
St. Cloud’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($987 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 15 Minnesota cities of 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $858, and the middle half spent $769–$968. St. Cloud spent more than 80% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($10.8 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 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; St. Cloud itself left out).
About $1,333 per resident a year, or $3.65 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 25%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 37% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years St. Cloud 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: $987 · 2023: $1,103 · 2024: $1,333.
full-time in March 2025, up from 471 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 $2,320 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.03% 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 St. Cloud’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 St. Cloud’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in St. Cloud →
Who’s in charge in St. Cloud
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
St. Cloud’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on ci.stcloud.mn.us ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 147 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 (69,568).
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.
St. Cloud Public School District
St. Cloud’s K–12 school district, shared with Clearwater, Haven Township, St. Joseph, Waite Park, Clear Lake and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $17,140 per pupil, $10,881 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.
Sauk Rapids-Rice Public Schools · $14,571 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
St. Cloud’s votes are counted by county
Minnesota reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for St. Cloud 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%
79% of St. Cloud lies in Stearns County; the rest in Sherburne County, 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 St. Cloud.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: ci.stcloud.mn.us ↗
- 2Minnesota HouseSt. Cloud is split between 2 districts
- 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 St. Cloud compares with the towns next door
St. Cloud spent $987 per resident in 2022; the 9 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $137 to $1,371. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Minden Township | $137 | $2,347 |
| Le Sauk Township | $154 | $2,808 |
| Haven Township | $166 | $2,752 |
| Clear Lake Township | $171 | $3,374 |
| Lynden Township | $264 | $2,820 |
| St. Augusta | $380 | $2,936 |
| Sartell | $636 | $3,507 |
| Sauk Rapids | $682 | $2,778 |
| Waite Park | $1,371 | $2,757 |
| Sauk Rapids Township | estimate | $3,145 |
| St. Cloud | $987 | $2,320 |
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 St. Cloud’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about St. Cloud’s government
How much does St. Cloud spend per resident?
About $1,333 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 $987 was more than 80% of 15 Minnesota cities of 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in St. Cloud?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,320 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.03% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.02% across Minnesota. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see ci.stcloud.mn.us.
Who runs St. Cloud’s government?
See ci.stcloud.mn.us for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for St. Cloud yet.
How did St. Cloud vote in 2024?
Minnesota counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for St. Cloud alone. Stearns County, where 79% of St. Cloud lies, voted Trump 62.3%, Harris 35.6% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for St. Cloud?
474 full-time and 108 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $3.6M (about $43.8M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents St. Cloud in the state legislature?
St. Cloud is split among 2 State House districts, so your address decides. The Minnesota Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Its State Senate district is District 14 (Aric Putnam). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about St. Cloud’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 →