Church of St. Stephen-Catholic · Photo: Chipcity · CC BY-SA 3.0St. Stephen spent less per resident in 2022 than 74% of similar cities
St. Stephen’s city government spent $659,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $760 per resident.
What stands out about how St. Stephen is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$760 per resident in 2022: less than 74% of them
St. Stephen’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($760 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 619 Minnesota cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,112, and the middle half spent $740–$1,505. St. Stephen spent less than 74% of them.
Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Minnesota cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; St. Stephen itself left out).
About $760 per resident a year, or $2.08 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 49%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
St. Stephen reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $2,640 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.01% 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. Stephen’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. In a town this small the estimate has a wide margin.
Tax bills are one input to St. Stephen’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in St. Stephen →
Who’s in charge in St. Stephen
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
St. Stephen’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on cityofststephen.com ↗.
Sartell-St. Stephen School District
St. Stephen’s K–12 school district, shared with Le Sauk Township, Sartell, 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.
Holdingford Public School District · $12,768 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
St. Stephen’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. Stephen 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%
100% of St. Stephen lies in Stearns 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. Stephen.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: cityofststephen.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 St. Stephen’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about St. Stephen’s government
How much does St. Stephen spend per resident?
About $760 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 $760 was less than 74% of 619 Minnesota cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in St. Stephen?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,640 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.01% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.02% across Minnesota. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cityofststephen.com.
Who runs St. Stephen’s government?
See cityofststephen.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for St. Stephen yet.
How did St. Stephen vote in 2024?
Minnesota counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for St. Stephen alone. Stearns County, where 100% of St. Stephen lies, voted Trump 62.3%, Harris 35.6% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for St. Stephen?
0 full-time and 9 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $4,243 (about $50,916 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents St. Stephen 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 St. Stephen’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 →