Waite Park spent more per resident in 2022 than 73% of similar cities
Waite Park’s city government spent $11.9 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, about $1,424 per resident. Water and other utilities ($1.5 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Waite Park is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,371 per resident in 2022: more than 73% of them
Waite Park’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,371 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–$1,405. Waite Park spent more than 73% 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; Waite Park itself left out).
About $1,424 per resident a year, or $3.90 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 32%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 11% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Waite Park 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: $1,371 · 2024: $1,424. Per resident it went from $1,371 to $1,424 (up 4%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 7,796 to 8,366.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $2,757 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.26% 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 Waite Park’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 Waite Park’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Waite Park →
Who’s in charge in Waite Park
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Waite Park’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on ci.waitepark.mn.us ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 182 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (8,366).
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.
St. Cloud Public School District
Waite Park’s K–12 school district, shared with Clearwater, Haven Township, St. Joseph, St. Cloud, 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.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Waite Park’s votes are counted by county
Minnesota reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Waite Park 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 Waite Park 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 Waite Park.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: ci.waitepark.mn.us ↗
- 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 Waite Park compares with the towns next door
Waite Park spent $1,371 per resident in 2022; the 3 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $300 to $987. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| St. Joseph Township | $300 | $3,533 |
| St. Joseph | $746 | $2,242 |
| St. Cloud | $987 | $2,320 |
| Waite Park | $1,371 | $2,757 |
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 Waite Park’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Waite Park’s government
How much does Waite Park spend per resident?
About $1,424 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 $1,371 was more than 73% of 133 Minnesota cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Waite Park?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,757 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.26% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.02% across Minnesota. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see ci.waitepark.mn.us.
Who runs Waite Park’s government?
See ci.waitepark.mn.us for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Waite Park yet.
How did Waite Park vote in 2024?
Minnesota counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Waite Park alone. Stearns County, where 100% of Waite Park lies, voted Trump 62.3%, Harris 35.6% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Waite Park?
46 full-time and 36 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $323,327 (about $3.9M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Waite Park in the state legislature?
State Senate District 14 (Aric Putnam) and State House District 14A (Bernie Perryman). The House district also covers four other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Waite Park’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 →