Photo: Andrew Filer from Seattle (ex-Minneapolis) · CC BY-SA 2.0How is Ludden run?
Ludden’s city government spent $14,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $583 per resident. Water and other utilities ($3,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Ludden is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
About $583 per resident a year, or $1.60 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 29%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$583 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
Ludden’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($583 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. Ludden spent less than 64% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($4,000), 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; Ludden itself left out).
No trend yet
Ludden reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $1,050 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.95% 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 Ludden’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 Ludden’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Ludden →
Who’s in charge in Ludden
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Oakes Public School District 41
Ludden’s K–12 school district, shared with Bear Creek Township, Clement Township, Denver Township, Divide Township, Hudson Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $12,585 per pupil, $5,907 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.
Ludden’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 Ludden alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Dickey County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican74.6%1,829 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat22.7%557 votesOthers: 2.7% (67 votes).
Most votes in Dickey County: Donald J Trump
North Dakota: Trump 67.0%, Harris 30.5%
100% of Ludden lies in Dickey County. Every 2024 race in Dickey County is on the county’s page.
Dickey 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 Ludden.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 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 Ludden compares with the towns next door
Ludden spent $583 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Lovell Township | estimate | — |
| Ludden | $583 | $1,050 |
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 Ludden’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Ludden’s government
How much does Ludden spend per resident?
About $583 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 $583 was less than 64% of 157 North Dakota cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Ludden?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,050 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.95% 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 Ludden’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Ludden yet.
How did Ludden vote in 2024?
North Dakota counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Ludden alone. Dickey County, where 100% of Ludden lies, voted Trump 74.6%, Harris 22.7% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Ludden?
0 full-time and 5 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $982 (about $11,784 a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Ludden in the state legislature?
State Senate District 28 (Robert Erbele) and State House District 28 (Jim Grueneich and Mike Brandenburg). The House district also covers 122 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Ludden’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 →