Photo: Andrew Filer from Seattle (ex-Minneapolis) · CC BY-SA 2.0How is Niagara run?
Niagara’s city government spent $40,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $784 per resident.
What stands out about how Niagara is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
About $784 per resident a year, or $2.15 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 35%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$784 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
Niagara’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($784 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–$1,012. Niagara spent more than 55% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($14,000), 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; Niagara itself left out).
No trend yet
Niagara reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $488 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.49% 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 Niagara’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 Niagara’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Niagara →
Who’s in charge in Niagara
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Dakota Prairie Public School District 1
Niagara’s K–12 school district, shared with Aneta, Dayton Township, Field Township, Forde Township, Hamlin Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $20,837 per pupil, $10,674 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.
Niagara’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 Niagara alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Grand Forks County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican57.7%18,123 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat39.7%12,469 votesOthers: 2.6% (819 votes).
Most votes in Grand Forks County: Donald J Trump
North Dakota: Trump 67.0%, Harris 30.5%
100% of Niagara lies in Grand Forks County. Every 2024 race in Grand Forks County is on the county’s page.
Grand Forks 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 Niagara.
- 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 Niagara compares with the towns next door
Niagara spent $784 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Niagara Township | $536 | — |
| Niagara | $784 | $488 |
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 Niagara’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Niagara’s government
How much does Niagara spend per resident?
About $784 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 $784 was more than 55% of 157 North Dakota cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Niagara?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $488 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.49% 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 Niagara’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Niagara yet.
How did Niagara vote in 2024?
North Dakota counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Niagara alone. Grand Forks County, where 100% of Niagara lies, voted Trump 57.7%, Harris 39.7% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Niagara?
0 full-time and 5 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $919 (about $11,028 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Niagara in the state legislature?
State Senate District 20 (Randy Lemm) and State House District 20 (Dave Rustebakke and Mike Beltz). The House district also covers 84 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Niagara’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 →