Photo: DanNowicki · CC BY-SA 4.0How is West St. Paul run?
West St. Paul’s city government spent $25.2 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, about $1,156 per resident.
What stands out about how West St. Paul is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
About $1,156 per resident a year, or $3.17 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 27%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$971 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
West St. Paul’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($971 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 51 Minnesota cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $995, and the middle half spent $700–$1,242. West St. Paul spent less than 51% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($3.9 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 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; West St. Paul itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is up 31% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years West St. Paul 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: $971 · 2023: $1,016 · 2024: $1,156. Per resident it went from $971 to $1,156 (up 19%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 19,813 to 21,794.
full-time in March 2025, up from 89 in 2022.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $3,142 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.04% 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 West St. Paul’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 West St. Paul’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in West St. Paul →
Who’s in charge in West St. Paul
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
West St. Paul’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on cityofwsp.org ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 216 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (21,794).
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.
West St. Paul-Mendota Heights-Eagan
West St. Paul’s K–12 school district, shared with Lilydale, Mendota, Mendota Heights, Sunfish Lake, Eagan. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $17,619 per pupil, $11,349 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.
West St. Paul’s votes are counted by county
Minnesota reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for West St. Paul alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Dakota County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat55.1%143,267 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican42.3%109,995 votesOthers: 2.5% (6,543 votes).
Most votes in Dakota County: Kamala D Harris
Minnesota: Harris 50.9%, Trump 46.7%
100% of West St. Paul lies in Dakota County. Every 2024 race in Dakota County is on the county’s page.
Dakota 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 West St. Paul.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: cityofwsp.org ↗
- 2Minnesota HouseWest St. Paul is split between 2 districts
- 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 West St. Paul compares with the towns next door
West St. Paul spent $971 per resident in 2022; the 4 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $742 to $2,078. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Sunfish Lake | $742 | $10,000+ |
| Inver Grove Heights | $1,000 | $3,464 |
| South St. Paul | $1,061 | $3,347 |
| St. Paul | $2,078 | $3,822 |
| West St. Paul | $971 | $3,142 |
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 West St. Paul’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about West St. Paul’s government
How much does West St. Paul spend per resident?
About $1,156 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 $971 was less than 51% of 51 Minnesota cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in West St. Paul?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,142 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.04% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.02% across Minnesota. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cityofwsp.org.
Who runs West St. Paul’s government?
See cityofwsp.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for West St. Paul yet.
How did West St. Paul vote in 2024?
Minnesota counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for West St. Paul alone. Dakota County, where 100% of West St. Paul lies, voted Harris 55.1%, Trump 42.3% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for West St. Paul?
101 full-time and 18 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $890,895 (about $10.7M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents West St. Paul in the state legislature?
West St. Paul is split among 2 State House districts and 2 State Senate districts, so your address decides. The Minnesota Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about West St. Paul’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 →