Thief River Falls Public Library · Photo: Andrew Filer · Public domainThief River Falls spent more per resident in 2022 than 76% of similar cities
Thief River Falls’ city government spent $9.3 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2023, about $1,074 per resident. Water and other utilities ($20.9 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Thief River Falls is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,487 per resident in 2022: more than 76% of them
Thief River Falls’ day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,487 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 133 Minnesota cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,074, and the middle half spent $815–$1,375. Thief River Falls spent more than 76% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($2.3 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 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Thief River Falls itself left out).
About $1,074 per resident a year, or $2.94 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 28%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is down 28% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Thief River Falls 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: $1,487 · 2023: $1,074.
full-time in March 2025, down from 87 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 $2,456 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.40% 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 Thief River Falls’ 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 Thief River Falls’ Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Thief River Falls →
Who’s in charge in Thief River Falls
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Thief River Falls’ meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on citytrf.net ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 106 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2023 finance file (8,674).
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.
Thief River Falls School District
Thief River Falls’ K–12 school district, shared with Agder Township, Bray Township, Norden Township, North Township, Numedal Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $13,533 per pupil, $8,299 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.
Thief River Falls’ votes are counted by county
Minnesota reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Thief River Falls alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Pennington County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican64.4%4,756 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat33.0%2,439 votesOthers: 2.5% (186 votes).
Most votes in Pennington County: Donald J Trump
Minnesota: Harris 50.9%, Trump 46.7%
100% of Thief River Falls lies in Pennington County. Every 2024 race in Pennington County is on the county’s page.
Pennington 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 Thief River Falls.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: citytrf.net ↗
- 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 Thief River Falls compares with the towns next door
Thief River Falls spent $1,487 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Rocksbury Township | $94 | $2,944 |
| North Township | $97 | $2,491 |
| Thief River Falls | $1,487 | $2,456 |
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 Thief River Falls’ government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Thief River Falls’ government
How much does Thief River Falls spend per resident?
About $1,074 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2023, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,487 was more than 76% of 133 Minnesota cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Thief River Falls?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,456 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.40% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.02% across Minnesota. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see citytrf.net.
Who runs Thief River Falls’ government?
See citytrf.net for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Thief River Falls yet.
How did Thief River Falls vote in 2024?
Minnesota counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Thief River Falls alone. Pennington County, where 100% of Thief River Falls lies, voted Trump 64.4%, Harris 33.0% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Thief River Falls?
82 full-time and 55 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $697,292 (about $8.4M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Thief River Falls in the state legislature?
State Senate District 1 (Mark Johnson) and State House District 1A (John Burkel). The House district also covers 156 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Thief River Falls’ 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 →