Photo: Andrew Filer from Seattle (ex-Minneapolis) · CC BY-SA 2.0Bowbells spent more per resident in 2022 than 83% of similar cities
Bowbells’ city government spent $389,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $1,151 per resident. Water and other utilities ($81,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Bowbells is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,151 per resident in 2022: more than 83% of them
Bowbells’ day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,151 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 157 North Dakota cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $730, and the middle half spent $500–$1,006. Bowbells spent more than 83% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($100,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
North Dakota cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Bowbells itself left out).
About $1,151 per resident a year, or $3.15 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 32%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Bowbells reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $793 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.76% of the home’s value, vs 0.99% across North Dakota.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Bowbells’ 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 Bowbells’ Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Bowbells →
Who’s in charge in Bowbells
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Bowbells’ meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on bowbellsnd.com ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 169 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (338).
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.
Bowbells Public School District 14
Bowbells’ K–12 school district, shared with Bowbells Township, Minnesota Township, North Star Township, Ward Township, Clayton Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $23,856 per pupil, $13,907 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.
North Dakota districts overall: 40% local, 46% state, 14% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Bowbells’ votes are counted by county
North Dakota reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Bowbells alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Burke County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican86.1%909 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat12.3%130 votesOthers: 1.6% (17 votes).
Most votes in Burke County: Donald J Trump
North Dakota: Trump 67.0%, Harris 30.5%
100% of Bowbells lies in Burke County. Every 2024 race in Burke County is on the county’s page.
Burke 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 Bowbells.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: bowbellsnd.com ↗
- 2North Dakota HouseState representatives
- 3North Dakota SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of North Dakota
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Bowbells compares with the towns next door
Bowbells spent $1,151 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Bowbells Township | $227 | $867 |
| Minnesota Township | $1,652 | — |
| Bowbells | $1,151 | $793 |
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 Bowbells’ government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Bowbells’ government
How much does Bowbells spend per resident?
About $1,151 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 $1,151 was more than 83% of 157 North Dakota cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Bowbells?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $793 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.76% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.99% across North Dakota. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see bowbellsnd.com.
Who runs Bowbells’ government?
See bowbellsnd.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Bowbells yet.
How did Bowbells vote in 2024?
North Dakota counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Bowbells alone. Burke County, where 100% of Bowbells lies, voted Trump 86.1%, Harris 12.3% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Bowbells?
2 full-time and 1 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $6,945 (about $83,340 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Bowbells in the state legislature?
State Senate District 2 (Mark Enget) and State House District 2 (Bert Anderson and Donald Longmuir). The House district also covers 139 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Bowbells’ 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 →