Photo: Andrew Filer · CC BY-SA 2.0Burlington spent less per resident in 2022 than 71% of similar cities
Burlington’s city government spent $807,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2023, about $641 per resident. Water and other utilities ($231,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Burlington is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$523 per resident in 2022: less than 71% of them
Burlington’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($523 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 $736, and the middle half spent $500–$1,012. Burlington spent less than 71% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($164,000), 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; Burlington itself left out).
About $641 per resident a year, or $1.76 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 23%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 29% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Burlington 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: $523 · 2023: $641. Per resident it went from $523 to $641 (up 23%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 1,198 to 1,259.
full-time in March 2025, the same as 7 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 $2,802 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.15% 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 Burlington’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 Burlington’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Burlington →
Who’s in charge in Burlington
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Burlington’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on burlington2.govoffice.com ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 180 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2023 finance file (1,259).
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.
United Public School District 7
Burlington’s K–12 school district, shared with Des Lacs, Burlington Township, Burt Township, Rolling Green Township, Des Lacs Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $13,556 per pupil, $7,820 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.
Burlington’s votes are counted by county
North Dakota reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Burlington alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Ward County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican72.3%20,635 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat25.3%7,215 votesOthers: 2.5% (702 votes).
Most votes in Ward County: Donald J Trump
North Dakota: Trump 67.0%, Harris 30.5%
100% of Burlington lies in Ward County. Every 2024 race in Ward County is on the county’s page.
Ward 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 Burlington.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: burlington2.govoffice.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 Burlington compares with the towns next door
Burlington spent $523 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Burlington Township | $37 | $2,295 |
| Kirkelie Township | $65 | $2,483 |
| Harrison Township | $96 | $3,967 |
| Burlington | $523 | $2,802 |
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 Burlington’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Burlington’s government
How much does Burlington spend per resident?
About $641 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2023, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $523 was less than 71% of 157 North Dakota cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Burlington?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,802 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.15% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.99% across North Dakota. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see burlington2.govoffice.com.
Who runs Burlington’s government?
See burlington2.govoffice.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Burlington yet.
How did Burlington vote in 2024?
North Dakota counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Burlington alone. Ward County, where 100% of Burlington lies, voted Trump 72.3%, Harris 25.3% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Burlington?
7 full-time and 0 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $39,948 (about $479,376 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Burlington in the state legislature?
State Senate District 38 (David Hogue) and State House District 38 (Christina Wolff and Dan Ruby). The House district also covers 13 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Burlington’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 →