Photo: SusImposter49 · CC BY-SA 4.0South Kingstown spent less per resident in 2022 than 88% of similar towns
South Kingstown’s town government spent $103 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $3,214 per resident.
What stands out about how South Kingstown is run
Read from the town’s budget, meetings and official records.
6 upcoming meetings at town hall
From South Kingstown’s own agenda portal, checked daily. Agendas can change up to the meeting, so check before you go.
- Nov9Town CouncilMonday · 7:30 pm · 180 High StAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov10Library Board of TrusteesTuesday · 6:00 pm · 1057 Kingstown Rd, Peace Dale LibraryAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov10Planning BoardTuesday · 6:30 pm · 180 High Street, Town Council ChambersPlanning Board - Work SessionAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov12Technical Review Committee (TRC)Thursday · 9:00 am · Council Chanbers, 180 High StreetMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov12Bicycle-Pedestrian Advisory CommitteeThursday · 6:00 pm · 180 High St, 2nd Floor, Conference RoomMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov16Recreation CommissionMonday · 6:30 pm · SK Recreation Center, 30 St. Dominic RoadMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
Recent meetings
- Nov5Waterfront Advisory CommissionThursday · 7:00 pm · 325 Columbia Street, Neighborhood GuildAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Nov5Canvassing AuthorityThursday · 2:30 pm · 180 High StAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Nov5School Building CommitteeThursday · 8:00 am · 180 High St, Town Council ChambersSchool Building Committee - Regular MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Nov4Historic District CommissionWednesday · 6:30 pm · South Kingstown Town Hall, 2nd Floor Conference RoomAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Nov4Economic Development CommitteeWednesday · 6:00 pm · 180 High Street, Town Hall Council ChambersAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
Most meetings are open to the public, and many have a public comment period at the start.
Agenda portal ↗About $3,214 per resident a year, or $8.81 a day
Schools are part of the town’s budget, so they lead the receipt: 67% of day-to-day spending.
Thank you for being a neighbor
South Kingstown runs its own schools, so school spending is part of this budget. Comparisons are with Rhode Island towns and townships of 25,000–49,999 that run their own schools.
$3,306 per resident in 2022: less than 88% of them
South Kingstown’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($3,306 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 16 Rhode Island towns and townships of 25,000–49,999 that run their own schools: the median was $4,054, and the middle half spent $3,582–$4,453. South Kingstown spent less than 88% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($3.9 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 →
Rhode Island towns and townships of 25,000–49,999 that run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; South Kingstown itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is up 2% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years South Kingstown 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: $3,306 · 2024: $3,214. Per resident it went from $3,306 to $3,214 (down 3%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 30,454 to 32,056.
full-time in March 2025, up from 546 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 $5,338 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.95% of the home’s value, vs 1.21% across Rhode Island.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at South Kingstown’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 South Kingstown’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in South Kingstown →
Who’s in charge in South Kingstown
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time town employee for every 58 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 (32,056).
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.
South Kingstown School District
South Kingstown’s K–12 school district. The schools are run by South Kingstown, so this money is part of the budget above.
Of the $25,196 per pupil, $14,365 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.
Rhode Island districts overall: 48% local, 40% state, 13% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
How South Kingstown voted in 2024
Official results for South Kingstown’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat64.4%10,749 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican32.3%5,382 votesOthers: 3.3% (557 votes).
Most votes in South Kingstown: Kamala D Harris
Washington County: Harris 56.0%, Trump 41.1% · Rhode Island: Harris 55.6%, Trump 41.8%
of South Kingstown’s 26,688 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Rhode Island: 62%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in South Kingstown: Sheldon Whitehouse
Washington County: Whitehouse 58.3%, Morgan 41.6% · Rhode Island: Whitehouse 59.9%, Morgan 39.8%
Most votes in the district: Seth Magaziner
Whole-district result
President, 2024: South Kingstown, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Kingstown | 64.4% | 32.3% | 3.3% | 16,688 |
| Washington County | 56.0% | 41.1% | 2.9% | 76,036 |
| Rhode Island | 55.6% | 41.8% | 2.6% | 513,086 |
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
South Kingstown sends 4 representatives to the Rhode Island House alone.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: southkingstownri.com ↗
- 2Rhode Island HouseSouth Kingstown is split between 4 districts
- 3Rhode Island SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Rhode Island
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How South Kingstown compares with the towns next door
South Kingstown spent $3,306 per resident in 2022; the 4 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $2,542 to $4,574. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Exeter | $2,542 runs schools | $5,881 |
| Richmond | $3,357 runs schools | $6,362 |
| Charlestown | $3,359 runs schools | $3,365 |
| North Kingstown | $4,574 runs schools | $6,396 |
| Narragansett | estimate | $4,695 |
| South Kingstown | $3,306 | $5,338 |
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 Kingstown’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about South Kingstown’s government
How much does South Kingstown spend per resident?
About $3,214 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $3,306 was less than 88% of 16 Rhode Island towns and townships of 25,000–49,999 that run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in South Kingstown?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $5,338 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.95% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.21% across Rhode Island. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see southkingstownri.com.
Who runs South Kingstown’s government?
See southkingstownri.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for South Kingstown yet.
How did South Kingstown vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 64.4%, Donald J Trump 32.3% (16,688 votes, official results). Washington County: Harris 56.0%, Trump 41.1%. Rhode Island: Harris 55.6%, Trump 41.8%.
How many people work for South Kingstown?
548 full-time and 177 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $4.3M (about $52.0M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents South Kingstown in the state legislature?
South Kingstown is split among 4 State House districts and 3 State Senate districts, so your address decides. The Rhode Island Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
When is the next public meeting in South Kingstown?
The next posted meeting is Town Council on Monday, November 9, at 7:30 pm in 180 High St, from the town’s own agenda portal.
Ask neighbors about South Kingstown’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 →