McGregor House · Photo: Ammodramus · CC0Aberdeen spent more per resident in 2022 than 82% of similar cities
Aberdeen’s city government spent $45.9 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, about $1,626 per resident. Water and other utilities ($6.2 million) and the airport ($7.7 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Aberdeen is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,481 per resident in 2022: more than 82% of them
Aberdeen’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,481 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 150 South Dakota cities that don’t run their own schools: the median was $826, and the middle half spent $429–$1,290. Aberdeen spent more than 82% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($4.2 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 →
South Dakota cities that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Aberdeen itself left out).
About $1,626 per resident a year, or $4.45 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 26%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 10% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Aberdeen 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: $1,481 · 2023: $1,338 · 2024: $1,626.
full-time in March 2025, up from 268 in 2022. Both are Census estimates.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $2,719 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.25% of the home’s value, vs 1.06% across South Dakota.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Aberdeen’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 Aberdeen’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Aberdeen →
Who’s in charge in Aberdeen
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Aberdeen’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on aberdeen.sd.us ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 104 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (28,210).
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.
Aberdeen School District 06-1
Aberdeen’s K–12 school district, shared with Aberdeen Township, Mercier Township, Prairiewood Township, Ravinia Township, Lincoln Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $11,519 per pupil, $7,006 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.
South Dakota districts overall: 50% local, 31% state, 19% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Aberdeen’s votes are counted by county
South Dakota reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Aberdeen alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Brown County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican62.5%10,645 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat35.6%6,075 votesOthers: 1.9% (323 votes).
Most votes in Brown County: Donald J Trump
South Dakota: Trump 63.4%, Harris 34.2%
100% of Aberdeen lies in Brown County. Every 2024 race in Brown County is on the county’s page.
Brown 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
Aberdeen sends 4 representatives to the South Dakota House alone.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: aberdeen.sd.us ↗
- 2South Dakota HouseAberdeen is split between 2 districts
- 3South Dakota SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of South Dakota
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Aberdeen compares with the towns next door
Aberdeen spent $1,481 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Aberdeen Township | $108 | $3,406 |
| Bath Township | $118 | $1,512 |
| Aberdeen | $1,481 | $2,719 |
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 Aberdeen’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Aberdeen’s government
How much does Aberdeen spend per resident?
About $1,626 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 $1,481 was more than 82% of 150 South Dakota cities that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Aberdeen?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,719 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.25% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.06% across South Dakota. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see aberdeen.sd.us.
Who runs Aberdeen’s government?
See aberdeen.sd.us for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Aberdeen yet.
How did Aberdeen vote in 2024?
South Dakota counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Aberdeen alone. Brown County, where 100% of Aberdeen lies, voted Trump 62.5%, Harris 35.6% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Aberdeen?
272 full-time and 119 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $1.8M (about $21.2M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Aberdeen in the state legislature?
Aberdeen is split among 2 State House districts and 2 State Senate districts, so your address decides. The South Dakota Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Aberdeen’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 →