Emmanuel Lutheran Church · Photo: Ammodramus · CC0Dakota City spent less per resident in 2022 than 94% of similar cities
Dakota City’s city government spent $879,000 on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2022, about $472 per resident.
What stands out about how Dakota City is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$472 per resident in 2022: less than 94% of them
Dakota City’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($472 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 472 Nebraska cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,038, and the middle half spent $776–$1,452. Dakota City spent less than 94% of them.
Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Nebraska cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Dakota City itself left out).
About $472 per resident a year, or $1.29 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 38%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Dakota City reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $2,688 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.51% of the home’s value, vs 1.49% across Nebraska.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Dakota City’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 Dakota City’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Dakota City →
Who’s in charge in Dakota City
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Dakota City’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on dakotacity.net ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 266 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (1,863).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
South Sioux City Community Schools
Dakota City’s K–12 school district, shared with South Sioux City. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $15,387 per pupil, $10,520 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.
Nebraska districts overall: 56% local, 34% state, 10% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Dakota City’s votes are counted by county
Nebraska reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Dakota City alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Dakota County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican64.3%3,934 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat34.5%2,109 votesOthers: 1.3% (77 votes).
Most votes in Dakota County: Donald J Trump
Nebraska: Trump 59.3%, Harris 38.9%
100% of Dakota City lies in Dakota County. Every 2024 race in Dakota County is on the county’s page.
Dakota 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 Dakota City.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: dakotacity.net ↗
- 2Nebraska SenateState senator
- 3GovernorStatewide
- 4U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 5U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Nebraska
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Dakota City compares with the towns next door
Dakota City spent $472 per resident in 2022; the neighbor that reported 2022 spent $1,392. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| South Sioux City | $1,392 | $3,085 |
| Dakota City | $472 | $2,688 |
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 Dakota City’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Dakota City’s government
How much does Dakota City spend per resident?
About $472 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $472 was less than 94% of 472 Nebraska cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Dakota City?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,688 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.51% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.49% across Nebraska. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see dakotacity.net.
Who runs Dakota City’s government?
See dakotacity.net for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Dakota City yet.
How did Dakota City vote in 2024?
Nebraska counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Dakota City alone. Dakota County, where 100% of Dakota City lies, voted Trump 64.3%, Harris 34.5% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Dakota City?
7 full-time and 3 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $30,360 (about $364,320 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Dakota City in the state legislature?
State Senate District 17 (Glen Meyer). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Dakota City’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 →