Wolf Lake spent more per resident in 2022 than 98% of similar cities
Wolf Lake’s city government spent $222,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $4,036 per resident. Water and other utilities ($242,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Wolf Lake is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$4,036 per resident in 2022: more than 98% of them
Wolf Lake’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($4,036 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 619 Minnesota cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,111, and the middle half spent $740–$1,504. Wolf Lake spent more than 98% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($86,000), 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 under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Wolf Lake itself left out).
About $4,036 per resident a year, or $11.06 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 39%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Wolf Lake reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $2,143 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.56% 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 Wolf Lake’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. In a town this small the estimate has a wide margin.
Tax bills are one input to Wolf Lake’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Wolf Lake →
Who’s in charge in Wolf Lake
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Menahga Public School District
Wolf Lake’s K–12 school district, shared with Blueberry Township, Menahga, Shell River Township, Huntersville Township, Runeberg Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $13,816 per pupil, $8,684 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.
Frazee-Vergas Public School District · $15,793 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Wolf Lake’s votes are counted by county
Minnesota reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Wolf Lake alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Becker County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican65.7%12,961 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat32.6%6,435 votesOthers: 1.7% (343 votes).
Most votes in Becker County: Donald J Trump
Minnesota: Harris 50.9%, Trump 46.7%
100% of Wolf Lake lies in Becker County. Every 2024 race in Becker County is on the county’s page.
Becker 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 Wolf Lake.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 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 Wolf Lake compares with the towns next door
Wolf Lake spent $4,036 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Spruce Grove Township | $188 | $1,362 |
| Wolf Lake Township | $444 | $1,389 |
| Wolf Lake | $4,036 | $2,143 |
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 Wolf Lake’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Wolf Lake’s government
How much does Wolf Lake spend per resident?
About $4,036 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 $4,036 was more than 98% of 619 Minnesota cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Wolf Lake?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,143 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.56% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.02% across Minnesota. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the city’s assessor.
Who runs Wolf Lake’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Wolf Lake yet.
How did Wolf Lake vote in 2024?
Minnesota counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Wolf Lake alone. Becker County, where 100% of Wolf Lake lies, voted Trump 65.7%, Harris 32.6% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Wolf Lake?
0 full-time and 10 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $6,070 (about $72,840 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Wolf Lake in the state legislature?
State Senate District 5 (Paul Utke) and State House District 5A (Krista Knudsen). The House district also covers 74 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Wolf Lake’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 →