How is Petersburg run?
Petersburg’s city government spent $110,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $655 per resident.
What stands out about how Petersburg is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
Dakota Prairie Public School District 1
Petersburg’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.
About $655 per resident a year, or $1.79 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 53%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$655 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
Petersburg’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($655 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. Petersburg spent less than 57% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($8,000), 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; Petersburg itself left out).
No trend yet
Petersburg reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $933 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.83% 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 Petersburg’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 Petersburg’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Petersburg →
Who’s in charge in Petersburg
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Petersburg’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on petersburgnd.com ↗.
Petersburg’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 Petersburg alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Nelson County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican64.8%1,141 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat32.9%580 votesOthers: 2.3% (40 votes).
Most votes in Nelson County: Donald J Trump
North Dakota: Trump 67.0%, Harris 30.5%
100% of Petersburg lies in Nelson County. Every 2024 race in Nelson County is on the county’s page.
Nelson 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 Petersburg.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: petersburgnd.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 Petersburg compares with the towns next door
Petersburg spent $655 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Petersburg Township | estimate | — |
| Petersburg | $655 | $933 |
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 Petersburg’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Petersburg’s government
How much does Petersburg spend per resident?
About $655 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 $655 was less than 57% of 157 North Dakota cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Petersburg?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $933 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.83% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.99% across North Dakota. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see petersburgnd.com.
Who runs Petersburg’s government?
See petersburgnd.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Petersburg yet.
How did Petersburg vote in 2024?
North Dakota counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Petersburg alone. Nelson County, where 100% of Petersburg lies, voted Trump 64.8%, Harris 32.9% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Petersburg?
0 full-time and 3 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $982 (about $11,784 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Petersburg 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 Petersburg’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 →