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Litchfield Avenue at 4th Street, Willmar, MN-03Photo: Myotus · CC BY 4.0
Town Hall · Willmar

Willmar runs its own hospital

Willmar’s city government spent $29 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, about $1,361 per resident. These are Census Bureau estimates: Willmar didn’t report its figures, so this page shows them without comparisons.

Town website
Election Day

Tomorrow

General election in Minnesota.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2024
$29.0M
year to December 31, 2024 · Census estimate
Per resident, 2024
$1,361
Census estimate · not compared
Long-term debt
$43.9M
end of 2024 · Census estimate
City staff, 2025
112
full-time, hospital & welfare staff apart (112 in all) · March payroll $948,630 · Census estimate
Typical tax bill
$2,031
1.02% of home value · MN 1.02%

What stands out about how Willmar is run

Read from the city’s budget, meetings and official records.

Runs a hospital$118.7 million for a hospital the city runs in 2024, shown apart from day-to-day spending.Agendas posted online4 upcoming meetings posted, with agendas.Runs its own water & sewer33% of day-to-day spending goes to water, sewer and trash (a Census estimate).A shared school districtShares Willmar Public School District with 6+ other towns.
★ What stands out · Your share of the 2024 budget

About $1,361 per resident a year, or $3.73 a day

Day-to-day services only (a Census Bureau estimate). The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 26%.

Where the money comes from
Fees & charges 61%Utility sales 27%Interest, fines & other 4%From the state 3%Property taxes 3%Sales taxes 1%From other local governments 1%From the federal government <1%Other taxes & licenses <1%
An estimate

Willmar didn’t report all of its 2024 figures to the Census Bureau, so most of these numbers are the Bureau’s estimates.

Not in the receipt.Building projects $45.8 million; interest on debt $5.5 million; payments to other governments $2.1 million. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $263.7 million.
Why the hospital is apart.The Census Bureau counts the hospital it runs in the city’s books ($118.7 million, 56% of all operations). Only 135 of the 11,301 towns and cities of 2,500+ run one (Census finance files), so it is shown here and left out of every per-resident comparison.
Compared with similar places · Over the years

No comparison or trend for Willmar yet

Every year of Willmar’s figures is a Census Bureau estimate: the city reported none of its dollars for 2022–2024. Estimates are shown above, labeled, but never ranked against places that reported or drawn as a trend.

How Town Hall compares budgets →
City staff
112

full-time in March 2025 (hospital, health & welfare left out), up from 108 in 2022. Both are Census estimates.

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $2,031 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.02% of the home’s value, vs 1.02% across Minnesota.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Dovre Township$3,402
Minnesota$3,357
Willmar Township$2,788
St. Johns Township$2,306
Willmar$2,031
$2,031
typical bill a year
1.02%
effective rate
$198,400
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Willmar’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 Willmar’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Willmar →

Meetings

4 upcoming meetings at town hall

From Willmar’s own agenda portal, checked daily. Agendas can change up to the meeting, so check before you go.

Recent meetings

  • Nov2
    City CouncilMonday · 6:30 pm · BOARD ROOM HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES BUILDING, 2200 - 23rd STREET NECity Council MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
  • Nov2
    GeneralMonday · 4:30 pm · BOARD ROOM HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES BUILDING, 2200 - 23rd STREET NECity Council / Planning Commission Joint MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
  • Oct27
    Human Rights CommissionTuesday · 5:00 pm · CITY HALL, CONFERENCE ROOM 1, 333 6th St SWHuman Rights Commission MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
  • Oct19
    City CouncilMonday · 6:30 pm · BOARD ROOM HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES BUILDING, 2200 - 23rd STREET NECity Council MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
  • Oct12
    City CouncilMonday · 5:00 pm · RICE HOME MEDICAL BUILDING, 1033 19TH AVE SWCity Council Work SessionAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
Go in person

Most meetings are open to the public, and many have a public comment period at the start.

Agenda portal ↗
Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Willmar

Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.

See willmarmn.gov for Willmar’s current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Willmar yet.willmarmn.gov ↗
Who works for Willmar

One full-time city employee for every 190 residents, not counting hospital, health & welfare staff

On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (21,282).

By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025

Police40 + 8 pt
Fire4 + 58 pt
Parks & libraries7 + 47 pt
Roads & transportation26
Administration & buildings16 + 14 pt
Sewer & trash15
Housing & development1 + 1 pt
Other3 + 2 pt
112
full-time
130
part-time
$948,630
payroll for March 2025
$11.4M
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$92,500
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
36
sworn police officers
3
full-time firefighters
Estimates.Willmar didn’t report its staff figures; these are the Census Bureau’s estimates, so they aren’t compared with other towns.

The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.

The school district

Willmar Public School District

Willmar’s K–12 school district, shared with Blomkest, Kandiyohi, Pennock, Kandiyohi Township, Willmar Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Willmar →
$16,523
per pupil · MN $17,091
4,220
students
$36.1 million
long-term debt

Of the $16,523 per pupil, $10,303 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.

The district: schools, scores and graduation →

Where the district’s money comes from
Local 15%State 75%Federal 11%

Minnesota districts overall: 30% local, 62% state, 8% federal.

School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.

Elections · 2024 general election

Willmar’s votes are counted by county

Minnesota reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Willmar alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Kandiyohi County’s results.

President · Kandiyohi County’s results23,283 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican64.5%15,014 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat33.6%7,814 votes

Others: 2.0% (455 votes).

Most votes in Kandiyohi County: Donald J Trump

Minnesota: Harris 50.9%, Trump 46.7%

The county’s page

100% of Willmar lies in Kandiyohi County. Every 2024 race in Kandiyohi County is on the county’s page.

Kandiyohi County’s 2024 results →
DemocratRepublicanLibertarianIndependent / other

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.

Who represents Willmar

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Willmar.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Officials: willmarmn.gov ↗
  2. 2
    Minnesota HouseState representatives
    Dave Baker
  3. 3
    Minnesota SenateState senator
    Andrew Lang
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
    Tim Walz
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
    Michelle Fischbach
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Minnesota
    Amy KlobucharTina Smith

Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.

Next door

How Willmar compares with the towns next door

Willmar’s own figures are Census estimates, so it isn’t placed among its neighbors. 3 of the 3 towns next door reported 2022 figures, from $186 to $403 per resident. Tap a town to see its page.

Willmar Township: $403 per resident (2022)St. Johns Township: $301 per resident (2022)Dovre Township: $186 per resident (2022)Willmar TownshipSt. Johns TownshipDovre TownshipWillmar
Spends the leastSpends the mostEstimate or no figures
TownDay-to-day, per resident (2022)Tax bill
Dovre Township$186$3,402
St. Johns Township$301$2,306
Willmar Township$403$2,788
Willmarestimate$2,031

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 Willmar’s government

The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.

The Handbook →
Official websitewillmarmn.gov ↗

Questions about Willmar’s government

How much does Willmar spend per resident?

About $1,361 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, a Census Bureau estimate (Willmar didn’t report its figures). With building projects and interest, the whole budget was about $263.7 million.

What is the property tax rate in Willmar?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,031 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.02% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.02% across Minnesota. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see willmarmn.gov.

Who runs Willmar’s government?

See willmarmn.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Willmar yet.

How did Willmar vote in 2024?

Minnesota counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Willmar alone. Kandiyohi County, where 100% of Willmar lies, voted Trump 64.5%, Harris 33.6% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Willmar?

112 full-time and 130 part-time employees in March 2025 (plus 0 full-time hospital, health & welfare staff), with a March payroll of $948,630 (about $11.4M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.

Who represents Willmar in the state legislature?

State Senate District 16 (Andrew Lang) and State House District 16B (Dave Baker). The House district also covers 30 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

When is the next public meeting in Willmar?

The next posted meeting is City Council on Monday, November 16, at 6:30 pm in BOARD ROOM HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES BUILDING, 2200 - 23rd STREET NE, from the city’s own agenda portal.

Ask neighbors about Willmar’s government

Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.

Town Square →
Ask neighbors

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 (for Willmar, the Bureau’s estimates); 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 →