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Kensal, North Dakota 6-9-2008Photo: Andrew Filer from Seattle (ex-Minneapolis) · CC BY-SA 2.0
Town Hall · Kensal

Kensal spent less per resident in 2022 than 89% of similar cities

Kensal’s city government spent $53,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $346 per resident. Water and other utilities ($111,000) are counted separately.

Election Day

Tomorrow

General election in North Dakota.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$53,000
year to December 31, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$346
In 2022: $346, less than 89% of 157 similar cities
Long-term debt
Not reported
end of 2022, reported
City staff, 2022
0
full-time · 4 part-time · March payroll $2,583
Typical tax bill
$613
0.52% of home value · ND 0.99%

What stands out about how Kensal is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

Compared with similar places

$346 per resident in 2022: less than 89% of them

Kensal’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($346 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. Kensal spent less than 89% of them.

Middle half of the group, $500–$1,012Median $736Kensal

Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →

The group
157

North Dakota cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Kensal itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $346 per resident a year, or $0.95 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 51%.

Where the money comes from
Utility sales 51%Property taxes 22%From the state 20%Interest, fines & other 6%Fees & charges 2%
Not in the receipt.With the enterprises, the whole budget was $164,000.
About “Other”.38% of Kensal’s day-to-day spending ($20,000) is filed by the Census Bureau outside the named functions above, so the receipt can’t say what it buys.
Over the years

No trend yet

Kensal reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $613 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.52% of the home’s value, vs 0.99% across North Dakota.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

North Dakota$2,468
Kensal$613
$613
typical bill a year
0.52%
effective rate
$118,800
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Kensal

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

Check Kensal’s own website for current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Kensal yet.
The school district

Kensal Public School District 19

Kensal’s K–12 school district, shared with Kensal Township, McKinnon Township, Nogosek Township, Lyon Township, Bucephalia Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Kensal →
$28,034
per pupil · ND $16,642
29
students
None
long-term debt

Of the $28,034 per pupil, $11,828 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 62%State 31%Federal 7%

North Dakota districts overall: 40% local, 46% state, 14% federal.

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Kensal’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 Kensal alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Stutsman County’s results.

President · Stutsman County’s results10,134 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican70.9%7,185 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat26.6%2,692 votes

Others: 2.5% (257 votes).

Most votes in Stutsman County: Donald J Trump

North Dakota: Trump 67.0%, Harris 30.5%

The county’s page

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

Stutsman 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 Kensal

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Kensal.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Local officials aren’t on record yet.
  2. 2
    North Dakota HouseState representatives
  3. 3
    North Dakota SenateState senator
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of North Dakota

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

Next door

How Kensal compares with the towns next door

Kensal spent $346 per resident in 2022. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.

Spends the leastSpends the mostEstimate or no figures
TownDay-to-day, per resident (2022)Tax bill
Kensal Townshipestimate—
Kensal$346$613

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 Kensal’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Kensal’s government

How much does Kensal spend per resident?

About $346 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 $346 was less than 89% of 157 North Dakota cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Kensal?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $613 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.52% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.99% across North Dakota. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the city’s assessor.

Who runs Kensal’s government?

We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Kensal yet.

How did Kensal vote in 2024?

North Dakota counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Kensal alone. Stutsman County, where 100% of Kensal lies, voted Trump 70.9%, Harris 26.6% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Kensal?

0 full-time and 4 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $2,583 (about $30,996 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Kensal in the state legislature?

State Senate District 29 (Terry Wanzek) and State House District 29 (Craig Headland and Don Vigesaa). The House district also covers 162 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Kensal’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; 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 →