Armstrong, W. J., Company Wholesale Grocers · Photo: Jatakuck · CC BY-SA 3.0How is Waseca run?
Waseca’s city government spent $8.5 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $962 per resident.
What stands out about how Waseca is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
Waseca Public School District
Waseca’s K–12 school district, shared with Woodville Township, St. Mary Township, Blooming Grove Township, Iosco Township, Wilton Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $15,143 per pupil, $9,196 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.
About $962 per resident a year, or $2.64 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 35%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$962 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
Waseca’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($962 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 $1,081, and the middle half spent $815–$1,405. Waseca spent less than 60% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($46,000), 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 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Waseca itself left out).
No trend yet
Waseca reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
full-time in March 2025, down from 64 in 2022.
The typical homeowner pays $2,644 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 Waseca’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 Waseca’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Waseca →
Who’s in charge in Waseca
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Waseca’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on ci.waseca.mn.us ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 145 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (8,835).
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.
Waseca’s votes are counted by county
Minnesota reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Waseca alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Waseca County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican65.2%6,770 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat32.8%3,402 votesOthers: 2.1% (215 votes).
Most votes in Waseca County: Donald J Trump
Minnesota: Harris 50.9%, Trump 46.7%
100% of Waseca lies in Waseca County. Every 2024 race in Waseca County is on the county’s page.
Waseca 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 Waseca.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: ci.waseca.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 Waseca compares with the towns next door
Waseca spent $962 per resident in 2022; the neighbor that reported 2022 spent $138. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Woodville Township | $138 | $3,227 |
| St. Mary Township | estimate | $2,579 |
| Waseca | $962 | $2,644 |
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 Waseca’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Waseca’s government
How much does Waseca spend per resident?
About $962 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 $962 was less than 60% of 133 Minnesota cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Waseca?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,644 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 ci.waseca.mn.us.
Who runs Waseca’s government?
See ci.waseca.mn.us for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Waseca yet.
How did Waseca vote in 2024?
Minnesota counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Waseca alone. Waseca County, where 100% of Waseca lies, voted Trump 65.2%, Harris 32.8% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Waseca?
61 full-time and 40 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $525,800 (about $6.3M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Waseca in the state legislature?
State Senate District 19 (John Jasinski) and State House District 19B (Tom Sexton). The House district also covers 11 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Waseca’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 →