Photo: Andrew Filer from Seattle (ex-Minneapolis) · CC BY-SA 2.0Devils Lake spent more per resident in 2022 than 86% of similar cities
Devils Lake’s city government spent $9.2 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $1,271 per resident. That is its newest year reported to the Census Bureau. Water and other utilities ($753,000) and the airport ($852,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Devils Lake is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,271 per resident in 2022: more than 86% of them
Devils Lake’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,271 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 171 North Dakota cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $756, and the middle half spent $502–$1,014. Devils Lake spent more than 86% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($2.1 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 →
North Dakota cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Devils Lake itself left out).
About $1,271 per resident a year, or $3.48 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 23%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Devils Lake reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau (2023, 2024 are estimates), so there is no trend yet.
full-time in March 2025, up from 66 in 2022. Both are Census estimates.
The typical homeowner pays $1,851 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.12% 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 Devils 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.
Tax bills are one input to Devils Lake’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Devils Lake →
Who’s in charge in Devils Lake
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Devils Lake’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on ci.devils-lake.nd.us ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 108 residents
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 2022 finance file (7,229).
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.
Devils Lake Public School District 1
Devils Lake’s K–12 school district, shared with Crary, Creel Township, Dry Lake Township, Grand Harbor Township, Minnewaukan Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $15,334 per pupil, $8,648 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.
Devils Lake’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 Devils Lake alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Ramsey County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican68.9%3,609 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat28.9%1,513 votesOthers: 2.2% (117 votes).
Most votes in Ramsey County: Donald J Trump
North Dakota: Trump 67.0%, Harris 30.5%
100% of Devils Lake lies in Ramsey County. Every 2024 race in Ramsey County is on the county’s page.
Ramsey 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 Devils Lake.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: ci.devils-lake.nd.us ↗
- 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 Devils Lake compares with the towns next door
Devils Lake spent $1,271 per resident in 2022. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Creel Township | estimate | $2,767 |
| North Creel Township | estimate | $2,568 |
| Devils Lake | $1,271 | $1,851 |
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 Devils Lake’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Devils Lake’s government
How much does Devils Lake spend per resident?
About $1,271 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 $1,271 was more than 86% of 171 North Dakota cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Devils Lake?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,851 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.12% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.99% across North Dakota. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see ci.devils-lake.nd.us.
Who runs Devils Lake’s government?
See ci.devils-lake.nd.us for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Devils Lake yet.
How did Devils Lake vote in 2024?
North Dakota counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Devils Lake alone. Ramsey County, where 100% of Devils Lake lies, voted Trump 68.9%, Harris 28.9% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Devils Lake?
67 full-time and 12 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $419,267 (about $5.0M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Devils Lake in the state legislature?
State Senate District 15 (Kent Weston) and State House District 15 (Donna Henderson and Kathy Frelich). The House district also covers 116 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Devils 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 →