Ray Opera House · Photo: Andrew Filer (afiler) · CC BY-SA 2.0Ray spent more per resident in 2022 than 69% of similar cities
Ray’s city government spent $1.4 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2023, about $1,925 per resident. Water and other utilities ($253,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Ray is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$920 per resident in 2022: more than 69% of them
Ray’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($920 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. Ray spent more than 69% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($199,000), 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; Ray itself left out).
About $1,925 per resident a year, or $5.27 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 37%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 57% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Ray reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.
Day-to-day spending by fiscal year
Per resident: 2022: $920 · 2023: $1,925. Per resident it went from $920 to $1,925 (up 109%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 943 to 706.
full-time in March 2025, the same as 4 in 2022. Both are Census estimates.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $1,779 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.78% 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 Ray’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 Ray’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Ray →
Who’s in charge in Ray
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time city employee for every 177 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 2023 finance file (706).
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.
Nesson Public School District 2
Ray’s K–12 school district, shared with Brooklyn Township, Champion Township, Epping, Equality Township, Oliver Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $15,942 per pupil, $9,281 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.
Ray’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 Ray alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Williams County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican82.7%12,501 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat15.1%2,276 votesOthers: 2.3% (345 votes).
Most votes in Williams County: Donald J Trump
North Dakota: Trump 67.0%, Harris 30.5%
100% of Ray lies in Williams County. Every 2024 race in Williams County is on the county’s page.
Williams 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 Ray.
- 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.
Reach Ray’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Ray’s government
How much does Ray spend per resident?
About $1,925 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2023, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $920 was more than 69% of 157 North Dakota cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Ray?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,779 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.78% 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 Ray’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Ray yet.
How did Ray vote in 2024?
North Dakota counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Ray alone. Williams County, where 100% of Ray lies, voted Trump 82.7%, Harris 15.1% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Ray?
4 full-time and 4 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $34,990 (about $419,880 a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Ray in the state legislature?
State Senate District 2 (Mark Enget) and State House District 2 (Bert Anderson and Donald Longmuir). The House district also covers 139 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Ray’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 →