Fairmont, MN · Updated Oct 2026

What a Fairmont home costs each year

Property tax, water, trash and energy from public rates. Look up your address to make it yours, and see how to pay less.

Suggestions as you type come from Google; the lookup uses free public map services to find who serves it. Not stored unless you save your house.

Example · a Fairmont house

$7,888a year · $657 a month

Starts at the typical market value, $169,900; your assessed value is often lower. Typical use.

Property tax$2,089
1.798% of $169,900, less $31,259 homestead market value exclusion and less $500,000 for class 1a residential homestead property, the 1.25% class rate applies only to market value above $500,000
Electricity and gas$1,899
712 kWh a month $1,137 · 61.79 therms $761
Water and sewer$2,126
7,000 gallons a month on Fairmont Public Utilities: water $111, sewer $60, lake restoration charge $4, city-wide cleanup, leaf pickup and tree dump charge $3 a month
TrashNot included
Garbage service is through a licensed hauler; no hauler price is included in the totals
Home insurance$1,774
Typical premium $1,774

A Fairmont house at the typical market value ($169,900) costs about $7,900 a year: $2,090 property tax and charges, $2,130 water and sewer, $1,900 electricity and gas, $1,770 home insurance; trash is billed separately. Estimated from public rates, not anyone's actual bill.

Rates checked Oct 22, 2026. Insurance: what you enter, or a typical premium until you do. Sources are listed at the bottom.

Ways to pay less

Nothing here applies to every house automatically. These are worth checking:

Moved in this year? Apply for homestead by Dec. 31
Homestead lowers the taxable value of a home you own and live in. The homestead market value exclusion is 40% of value for homesteads valued at $95,000 or less (a maximum of $38,000), is reduced as values rise, and phases out at $517,200 or more.
How: Move in and file a homestead application with the Martin County Assessor (507-238-3210) by December 31.
Claim the Minnesota property tax refund
Minnesota homeowners may get a Property Tax Refund based on their income and property taxes.
How: File with the Minnesota Department of Revenue by August 15 (you may file up to one year late).
Seniors 65+: defer part of your property tax
With the Senior Citizens Property Tax Deferral, the tax you pay is 3% of household income and the state pays the rest as a loan, repaid with interest when you sell or cancel.
How: You must be 65 or older (if married, the other spouse at least 62) with household income of $96,000 or less; apply by November 1.
Veterans with a 70%+ disability rating: market value exclusion$150,000 or $300,000 off market value
Honorably discharged veterans with a service-connected disability rating of 70% or higher can exclude $150,000 of market value; a 100% permanent and total disability rating qualifies for $300,000.
How: Own and occupy a homesteaded property on December 31; the program is administered by the counties, and Dec. 31 is the last day to file.
LIHEAP households: Minnesota Energy Resources Gas Affordability Program
Residential customers who qualify for and receive LIHEAP energy assistance can get an affordability bill credit and arrearage forgiveness on their Minnesota Energy Resources gas bill.
How: The program is available to MERC residential customers who have been qualified and receive LIHEAP assistance.
Yard waste drop-off site for city utility customers
City utility customers can drop off brush, leaves, grass clippings and personal yard waste at the City's Yard Waste Recycling Site.
How: 1880 100th Street (west on Lair Road past County Road 39, 1 mile); open April to November.
A late utility payment can be forgiven once a year
The City adds a 10% penalty to utility bills paid after the due date, but waives it one time in a twelve-month period for customers who paid promptly over the previous twelve months.
How: For billing questions, call Fairmont Public Utilities at 507-238-9461.

Money dates

Oct 26 – Nov 13, 2026in 2 daysCurbside leaf pick-up, one pass through the City by section; have leaves in a windrow on the boulevard by 7 a.m. on the Monday of your week
Nov 1in 8 daysSeniors: last day to file for the property tax deferral for next year's tax
Dec 31in 68 daysLast day to move into your home and file a homestead application with the assessor; also the last day for disabled veterans to apply for the value exclusion
May 15First half of real property taxes due

Who serves this house

Water: Fairmont Public Utilities; Fairmont Public Utilities, billed monthly; 2026 residential rate $10.70 per 1,000 gallons for the first 15,000 gallons a month, plus a $32.96 monthly customer charge and a $5.65 water infrastructure charge
Property tax: 1.80% of value; 2026 taxes payable, Martin County (tax district 2301, City of Fairmont, School District 2752)
Garbage: Licensed private haulers; Martin County licenses garbage haulers; Hometown Sanitation offers weekly residential garbage service in Fairmont with 35-, 65- and 95-gallon carts
Sewer: Fairmont Public Utilities; Activated sludge treatment plant, upgraded in 2006; 75 miles of sewer lines and 30 lift stations
Electricity: Fairmont Public Utilities; The City's municipal utility provides electric service to customers within city limits
Gas: Minnesota Energy Resources; Natural gas; bills in Fairmont carry a City franchise fee of $2.50 a month plus $0.015 per therm

Pay or manage your bills

Your water

Source: Surface water drawn from Budd Lake
Hardness: Total tap water hardness: 85 ppm
Service lines: 287 lead, 234 galvanized requiring replacement and 877 of unknown material, against 3,252 non-lead lines (Nov. 7, 2025)

Other MN cities

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How these numbers are made

Water: Fairmont Public Utilities' 2026 residential rate (January 1, 2026): the $32.96 monthly customer charge plus the $5.65 water infrastructure charge ($38.61), then $10.70 per 1,000 gallons up to 15,000 gallons a month and $11.83 above. The $16.59 monthly minimum usage charge matters only below about 1,550 gallons and is not modeled. The utility publishes no typical household use, so the page starts at 9 CCF (about 6,700 gallons) a month.,Sewer: $21.10 a month (5/8" x 3/4" meter) covers the first 1,000 gallons, plus $3.77 per 1,000 gallons above that and the $16.82 monthly infrastructure charge ($37.92 fixed). We charge sewer on the water use you enter. The same bill carries a $4.00 Lake Restoration Charge and a $3.00 charge for city-wide cleanup, leaf pickup and tree dump maintenance, shown as separate monthly fees; the 2026 rate sheet lists no separate storm sewer fee.,Garbage: Fairmont Public Utilities does not bill for garbage; homes hire one of the haulers licensed by Martin County, and no hauler publishes a Fairmont price, so no trash cost is included.,Property tax: Martin County's 2026 (pay 2026) rates for tax district 2301, City of Fairmont and School District 2752, which covers the city apart from its rural service district (2302): tax-capacity rates after disparity reduction of 39.057561% (county), 65.166647% (city) and 24.593037% (school), which the county totals as 128.817245%; the same district listing also shows the Fairmont HRA (1.886045%) and the county-wide regional development commission (0.142362%), which we add. The homestead market value exclusion comes off the tax-capacity parts, the school referendum rate of 0.162018% applies to market value, and a further 0.25% class rate applies above $500,000. The starting value is the Census median value of owner-occupied homes ($169,900, 2020–2024), not an assessor figure; enter the estimated market value from your notice.,Electricity: Fairmont Public Utilities' 2026 Residential Service rate, $7.50 a month plus 12.26 cents per kWh year-round, with a $0 Energy Cost Adjustment in 2026; homes on the Residential Heat rate pay slightly less per kWh. Typical use is 712 kWh a month (EIA 2024 Minnesota residential average). Sales tax is not included.,Gas: we assume Fairmont homes are on Minnesota Energy Resources' GS-NNG rate (customers supplied by Northern Natural Gas; the GS-Consolidated rate for northern pipelines has a lower base cost of gas). Fixed: the $9.50 customer charge plus the City of Fairmont franchise fee of $2.50 a month ($12.00); per therm, the $0.32919 distribution charge, the $0.65533 base cost of gas, the 2026 conservation adjustment ($0.00638), GUIC surcharge ($0.01620), revenue decoupling adjustment ($0.01313) and the $0.015 franchise fee, less the Purchase Gas Adjustment credit of $0.20277 per therm in effect from October 1, 2026 ($0.83246 in all). The adjustment changes monthly, so later bills may differ. Typical use is about 62 therms a month (EIA 2024 Minnesota residential gas use per customer). Insurance: the 2022 NAIC statewide average premium for Minnesota (HO-3), the newest figure on the Insurance Information Institute page; it is four years old and other, differently measured 2024 quotes run higher, so it may be low. Enter your own. Gas rate per therm = distribution + base cost + conservation + infrastructure + revenue true-up + franchise fee - $0.20277 PGA credit (credit is included in the per-therm rate used here). Electric rate applies year-round (ECA applied monthly through the calendar year).
Nothing here is legal, tax or insurance advice.

Sources

How Fairmont compares

A typical Fairmont house against the 58 Minnesota cities we cover, using the same default numbers as the total above.

Per year	Fairmont	Median	Where it falls
Property tax rate	1.80%	1.50%	higher than 45 of the other 55 Minnesota cities we cover
Water	$1,328	$368	higher than 57 of the other 57 Minnesota cities we cover
Sewer and utility-bill fees	$798	$637	higher than 45 of the other 57 Minnesota cities we cover
Electricity and gas	$1,899	$2,109	lower than 49 of the other 57 Minnesota cities we cover
Home insurance	$1,774	$1,774	in the middle of 57 other Minnesota cities we cover
Total	$7,888	$9,677	lower than 56 of the other 57 Minnesota cities we cover

Cities bill differently (some put trash on the tax bill, some cover more services), so a higher number isn't necessarily worse. The property tax rate is compared instead of dollars because house values differ.

Questions to ask your candidates

Each one starts from a number above. Any candidate can answer them.

1. Property tax rate

The fact: Fairmont's property tax rate is 1.80%, higher than 45 of the other 55 Minnesota cities we cover. The rate adds up every agency on the bill, not only the city.

Ask: "Property tax in Fairmont is 1.80%, higher than 45 of the other 55 Minnesota cities we cover. What should that money pay for first, and would you change anything about how it is set?"

2. Water

The fact: Water here costs about $1,328 a year at typical use, higher than 57 of the other 57 Minnesota cities we cover.

Ask: "Water here costs about $1,328 a year at typical use, higher than 57 of the other 57 Minnesota cities we cover. What drives that cost, and would you change anything?"

3. Sewer and utility-bill fees

The fact: Sewer and flat utility-bill charges here come to about $798 a year, higher than 45 of the other 57 Minnesota cities we cover. Some cities bill sewer on the property tax bill instead, which is not counted here.

Ask: "Sewer and flat utility-bill charges here cost about $798 a year, higher than 45 of the other 57 Minnesota cities we cover. What drives that cost, and would you change anything?"

4. Electricity and gas

The fact: Electricity and gas for a typical house here cost about $1,899 a year, lower than 49 of the other 57 Minnesota cities we cover. Rates are set mostly by the utility and the state.

Ask: "Electricity and gas here cost about $1,899 a year for a typical house, lower than 49 of the other 57 Minnesota cities we cover. Which parts of that can the city influence, and what would you do about them?"

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Common questions about Fairmont house costs

What is the property tax rate in Fairmont?

About 1.80% of the value before exemptions a year (2026 taxes payable, Martin County (tax district 2301, City of Fairmont, School District 2752)), plus flat charges on the same bill.

How much is property tax on a $500,000 house in Fairmont?

About $7,332 a year on $500,000 of the value before exemptions with the homestead market value exclusion.

How much is the water bill in Fairmont?

About $177 a month for water and sewer at typical use (7,000 gallons a month) on Fairmont Public Utilities.

How much does trash pickup cost in Fairmont?

Garbage service is through a licensed hauler; no hauler price is included in the totals

When is property tax due in Fairmont?

May 15: First half of real property taxes due Aug 15: Minnesota property tax refund due; you may still file up to one year late

Can seniors lower their property tax or bills in Fairmont?

Yes. Seniors 65+: defer part of your property tax: With the Senior Citizens Property Tax Deferral, the tax you pay is 3% of household income and the state pays the rest as a loan, repaid with interest when you sell or cancel.

Where can I get help paying utility bills in Fairmont?

LIHEAP households: Minnesota Energy Resources Gas Affordability Program: Residential customers who qualify for and receive LIHEAP energy assistance can get an affordability bill credit and arrearage forgiveness on their Minnesota Energy Resources gas bill. The program is available to MERC residential customers who have been qualified and receive LIHEAP assistance.

How much does a house in Fairmont cost to run each year?

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