Stewart spent more per resident in 2022 than 78% of similar cities
Stewart’s city government spent $828,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $1,553 per resident. Water and other utilities ($192,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Stewart is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,553 per resident in 2022: more than 78% of them
Stewart’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,553 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 $1,111, and the middle half spent $740–$1,504. Stewart spent more than 78% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($158,000), 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 under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Stewart itself left out).
About $1,553 per resident a year, or $4.25 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 32%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Stewart reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $2,192 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.75% 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 Stewart’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 Stewart’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Stewart →
Who’s in charge in Stewart
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time city employee for every 178 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (533).
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.
Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart Public Schools
Stewart’s K–12 school district, shared with Brookfield Township, Buffalo Lake, Hector, Hector Township, Martinsburg Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $16,933 per pupil, $9,682 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.
Stewart’s votes are counted by county
Minnesota reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Stewart alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are McLeod County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican67.9%14,394 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat30.1%6,374 votesOthers: 2.0% (431 votes).
Most votes in McLeod County: Donald J Trump
Minnesota: Harris 50.9%, Trump 46.7%
100% of Stewart lies in McLeod County. Every 2024 race in McLeod County is on the county’s page.
McLeod 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 Stewart.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 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 Stewart compares with the towns next door
Stewart spent $1,553 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Collins Township | $216 | $3,024 |
| Round Grove Township | $453 | $2,203 |
| Preston Lake Township | $492 | $1,854 |
| Stewart | $1,553 | $2,192 |
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 Stewart’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Stewart’s government
How much does Stewart spend per resident?
About $1,553 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 $1,553 was more than 78% of 619 Minnesota cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Stewart?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,192 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.75% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.02% across Minnesota. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the city’s assessor.
Who runs Stewart’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Stewart yet.
How did Stewart vote in 2024?
Minnesota counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Stewart alone. McLeod County, where 100% of Stewart lies, voted Trump 67.9%, Harris 30.1% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Stewart?
3 full-time and 3 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $33,916 (about $406,992 a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Stewart in the state legislature?
State Senate District 17 (Glenn Gruenhagen) and State House District 17A (Dawn Gillman). The House district also covers 30 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Stewart’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 →