Photo: Andrew Filer from Seattle (ex-Minneapolis) · CC BY-SA 2.0Williston spent more per resident in 2022 than 93% of similar cities
Williston’s city government spent $69.8 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, about $2,582 per resident. Water and other utilities ($9.9 million) and the airport ($6.2 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Williston is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,699 per resident in 2022: more than 93% of them
Williston’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,699 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 177 North Dakota cities that don’t run their own schools: the median was $774, and the middle half spent $510–$1,045. Williston spent more than 93% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($6.6 million), 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 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Williston itself left out).
About $2,582 per resident a year, or $7.07 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 16%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 38% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Williston 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: $1,699 · 2023: $2,513 · 2024: $2,582. Per resident it went from $1,699 to $2,582 (up 52%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 29,749 to 27,029.
full-time in March 2025, down from 355 in 2022.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $1,974 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.69% 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 Williston’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.
Tax bills are one input to Williston’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Williston →
Who’s in charge in Williston
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Williston’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on cityofwilliston.com ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 81 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (27,029).
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.
Williston Basin Public School District 7
Williston’s K–12 school district, shared with Dublin Township, East Fork Township, Hebron Township, Missouri Ridge Township, Mont Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $14,990 per pupil, $8,730 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.
Williston’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 Williston 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 Williston 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
Williston sends 4 representatives to the North Dakota House alone.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: cityofwilliston.com ↗
- 2North Dakota HouseWilliston is split between 2 districts
- 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 Williston compares with the towns next door
Williston spent $1,699 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Mont Township | $344 | — |
| Pherrin Township | $401 | $2,361 |
| Stony Creek Township | $416 | $3,272 |
| Missouri Ridge Township | $564 | $1,625 |
| Williston Township | $605 | $3,294 |
| Williston | $1,699 | $1,974 |
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 Williston’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Williston’s government
How much does Williston spend per resident?
About $2,582 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,699 was more than 93% of 177 North Dakota cities that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Williston?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,974 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.69% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.99% across North Dakota. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cityofwilliston.com.
Who runs Williston’s government?
See cityofwilliston.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Williston yet.
How did Williston vote in 2024?
North Dakota counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Williston alone. Williams County, where 100% of Williston lies, voted Trump 82.7%, Harris 15.1% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Williston?
332 full-time and 37 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $2.3M (about $27.1M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Williston in the state legislature?
Williston is split among 2 State House districts and 2 State Senate districts, so your address decides. The North Dakota Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Williston’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 →