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Alpena Bathhouse and Swimming PoolAlpena Bathhouse and Swimming Pool · Photo: Ammodramus · CC0
Town Hall · Alpena

How is Alpena run?

Alpena’s city government spent $444,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $1,597 per resident. These are Census Bureau estimates: Alpena didn’t report its figures, so this page shows them without comparisons.

Town website
Election Day

Today

General election in South Dakota.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$444,000
year to December 31, 2022 · Census estimate
Per resident, 2022
$1,597
Census estimate · not compared
Long-term debt
$274,000
end of 2022 · Census estimate
City staff, 2022
0
full-time · 7 part-time · March payroll $7,809 · Census estimate
Typical tax bill
$611
1.18% of home value · SD 1.06%

What stands out about how Alpena is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

Runs its own water & sewer53% of day-to-day spending goes to water, sewer and trash (a Census estimate).A shared school districtShares Huron School District 02-2 with 6+ other towns.Low bills, a higher rateThe typical bill is $611 a year: 1.18% of the home’s value, vs 1.06% across South Dakota.
★ What stands out · Your share of the 2022 budget

About $1,597 per resident a year, or $4.38 a day

Day-to-day services only (a Census Bureau estimate). The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 18%.

Where the money comes from
Utility sales 37%Interest, fines & other 24%From the federal government 13%Sales taxes 10%Fees & charges 7%Property taxes 6%From the state 2%From other local governments 1%Other taxes & licenses <1%
An estimate

Alpena didn’t report all of its 2022 figures to the Census Bureau, so most of these numbers are the Bureau’s estimates.

Not in the receipt.Building projects $31,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $826,000.
About “Other”.26% of Alpena’s day-to-day spending ($114,000) is filed by the Census Bureau outside the named functions above, so the receipt can’t say what it buys.
Compared with similar places · Over the years

No comparison or trend for Alpena yet

Every year of Alpena’s figures is a Census Bureau estimate: the city reported none of its dollars for 2022. Estimates are shown above, labeled, but never ranked against places that reported or drawn as a trend.

How Town Hall compares budgets →
Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $611 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.18% of the home’s value, vs 1.06% across South Dakota.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

South Dakota$2,724
Alpena$611
$611
typical bill a year
1.18%
effective rate
$51,800
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Alpena’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 Alpena’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Alpena →

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Alpena

Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.

See alpenasd.com for Alpena’s current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Alpena yet.alpenasd.com ↗
Agendas

Alpena’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on alpenasd.com ↗.

The school district

Huron School District 02-2

Alpena’s K–12 school district, shared with Clifton Township, Clyde Township, Custer Township, Grant Township, Huron and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Alpena →
$13,191
per pupil · SD $13,040
2,935
students
$24.4 million
long-term debt

Of the $13,191 per pupil, $7,588 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.

The district: schools, scores and graduation →

Where the district’s money comes from
Local 36%State 48%Federal 17%

South Dakota districts overall: 50% local, 31% state, 19% federal.

Also serving Alpena

Wessington Springs School District 36-2 · $12,273 per pupil

School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.

Elections · 2024 general election

Alpena’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 Alpena alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Jerauld County’s results.

President · Jerauld County’s results999 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican70.9%708 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat27.6%276 votes

Others: 1.5% (15 votes).

Most votes in Jerauld County: Donald J Trump

South Dakota: Trump 63.4%, Harris 34.2%

The county’s page

100% of Alpena lies in Jerauld County. Every 2024 race in Jerauld County is on the county’s page.

Jerauld County’s 2024 results →
DemocratRepublicanLibertarianIndependent / other

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.

Who represents Alpena

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Alpena.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Officials: alpenasd.com ↗
  2. 2
    South Dakota HouseState representatives
    Jeff BathkeKaley Nolz
  3. 3
    South Dakota SenateState senator
    Paul Miskimins
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
    Larry Rhoden
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
    Dusty Johnson
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of South Dakota
    John ThuneMike Rounds

Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.

Reach Alpena’s government

The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.

The Handbook →
Official websitealpenasd.com ↗

Questions about Alpena’s government

How much does Alpena spend per resident?

About $1,597 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, a Census Bureau estimate (Alpena didn’t report its figures). With building projects and interest, the whole budget was about $826,000.

What is the property tax rate in Alpena?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $611 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.18% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.06% across South Dakota. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see alpenasd.com.

Who runs Alpena’s government?

See alpenasd.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Alpena yet.

How did Alpena vote in 2024?

South Dakota counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Alpena alone. Jerauld County, where 100% of Alpena lies, voted Trump 70.9%, Harris 27.6% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Alpena?

0 full-time and 7 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $7,809 (about $93,708 a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.

Who represents Alpena in the state legislature?

State Senate District 20 (Paul Miskimins) and State House District 20 (Jeff Bathke and Kaley Nolz). The House district also covers 51 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Alpena’s government

Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.

Town Square →
Ask neighbors

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 (for Alpena, the Bureau’s estimates); 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 →