Photo: McGhiever · CC BY-SA 3.0St. Paul spent more per resident in 2022 than 94% of similar cities
St. Paul’s city government spent $724.9 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, about $2,391 per resident. Water and other utilities ($73.6 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how St. Paul is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
Who’s in charge in St. Paul
From public records with a current term; a name is hidden the day its term ends.
Council members and agencies: stpaul.gov ↗
St. Paul’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on stpaul.gov ↗.
About $2,391 per resident a year, or $6.55 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 22%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$2,078 per resident in 2022: more than 94% of them
St. Paul’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($2,078 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 850 Minnesota cities that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,082, and the middle half spent $755–$1,464. St. Paul spent more than 94% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($63.9 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 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; St. Paul itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is up 14% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years St. Paul 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: $2,078 · 2023: $2,248 · 2024: $2,391.
full-time in March 2025, up from 3,087 in 2022. Both are Census estimates.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $3,822 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.30% 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. Paul’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. Paul’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in St. Paul →
One full-time city employee for every 95 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 (303,176).
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. Paul Public School District
St. Paul’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $23,301 per pupil, $14,459 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.
St. Paul’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. Paul alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Ramsey County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat70.2%195,168 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican27.1%75,284 votesOthers: 2.7% (7,573 votes).
Most votes in Ramsey County: Kamala D Harris
Minnesota: Harris 50.9%, Trump 46.7%
100% of St. Paul lies in Ramsey County. Every 2024 race in Ramsey County is on the county’s page.
Ramsey 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
St. Paul sends 8 representatives to the Minnesota House alone.
- 1Your cityMayorKaohly Heras listed by Open States, October 9, 2026
- 2Minnesota HouseSt. Paul is split between 8 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. Paul compares with the towns next door
St. Paul spent $2,078 per resident in 2022; the 9 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $550 to $2,067. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Falcon Heights | $550 | $4,691 |
| Maplewood | $903 | $3,929 |
| West St. Paul | $971 | $3,142 |
| South St. Paul | $1,061 | $3,347 |
| Mendota Heights | $1,134 | $4,491 |
| Roseville | $1,173 | $4,355 |
| Mendota | $1,264 | $2,385 |
| Lilydale | $1,504 | $3,522 |
| Minneapolis | $2,067 | $4,339 |
| St. Paul | $2,078 | $3,822 |
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. Paul’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about St. Paul’s government
How much does St. Paul spend per resident?
About $2,391 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 $2,078 was more than 94% of 850 Minnesota cities that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in St. Paul?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,822 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.30% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.02% across Minnesota. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see stpaul.gov.
Who is the mayor of St. Paul?
Kaohly Her, as listed by Open States (checked October 9, 2026). The council and agencies are listed on stpaul.gov.
How did St. Paul vote in 2024?
Minnesota counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for St. Paul alone. Ramsey County, where 100% of St. Paul lies, voted Harris 70.2%, Trump 27.1% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for St. Paul?
3,198 full-time and 648 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $27.4M (about $329.0M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents St. Paul in the state legislature?
St. Paul is split among 8 State House districts and 4 State Senate districts, so your address decides. The Minnesota Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about St. Paul’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 →