South Cottonwood Township spent less per resident in 2022 than 97% of similar towns
South Cottonwood Township’s town government spent $3,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $77 per resident.
What stands out about how South Cottonwood Township is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$77 per resident in 2022: less than 97% of them
South Cottonwood Township’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($77 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 806 North Dakota towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $536, and the middle half spent $304–$1,000. South Cottonwood Township spent less than 97% of them.
Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
North Dakota towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; South Cottonwood Township itself left out).
About $77 per resident a year, or $0.21 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 67%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
South Cottonwood Township reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $1,162 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at South Cottonwood Township’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 South Cottonwood Township’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in South Cottonwood Township →
Who’s in charge in South Cottonwood Township
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Fessenden-Bowdon Public School District 25
South Cottonwood Township’s K–12 school district, shared with Bowdon, Fessenden, Germantown Township, Haaland Township, Hamberg and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $16,533 per pupil, $8,636 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.
South Cottonwood Township’s votes are counted by county
North Dakota reports official results by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for South Cottonwood Township alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Wells County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican80.6%1,815 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat18.0%405 votesOthers: 1.5% (33 votes).
Most votes in Wells County: Donald J Trump
North Dakota: Trump 67.0%, Harris 30.5%
100% of South Cottonwood Township lies in Wells County. Every 2024 race in Wells County is on the county’s page.
Wells 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 South Cottonwood Township.
- 1Your townTown governmentLocal 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 South Cottonwood Township compares with the towns next door
South Cottonwood Township spent $77 per resident in 2022; the 4 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $250 to $917. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Cathay Township | $250 | — |
| Speedwell Township | $560 | $199 |
| West Ontario Township | $679 | — |
| Oshkosh Township | $917 | $1,306 |
| South Cottonwood Township | $77 | $1,162 |
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 South Cottonwood Township’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about South Cottonwood Township’s government
How much does South Cottonwood Township spend per resident?
About $77 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 $77 was less than 97% of 806 North Dakota towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
Who runs South Cottonwood Township’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for South Cottonwood Township yet.
How did South Cottonwood Township vote in 2024?
North Dakota counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for South Cottonwood Township alone. Wells County, where 100% of South Cottonwood Township lies, voted Trump 80.6%, Harris 18.0% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for South Cottonwood Township?
0 full-time and 3 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $913 (about $10,956 a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents South Cottonwood Township in the state legislature?
State Senate District 14 (Jerry Klein) and State House District 14 (Jon Nelson and Robin Weisz). The House district also covers 181 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about South Cottonwood Township’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 →