Aurora Township spent less per resident in 2022 than 80% of similar towns
Aurora Township’s town government spent $34,000 on day-to-day services in the year to February 28, 2022, about $114 per resident.
What stands out about how Aurora Township is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$114 per resident in 2022: less than 80% of them
Aurora Township’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($114 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 395 South Dakota towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $293, and the middle half spent $144–$516. Aurora Township spent less than 80% of them.
Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
South Dakota towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Aurora Township itself left out).
About $114 per resident a year, or $0.31 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 65%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Aurora Township reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $3,773 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.32% 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 Aurora 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 Aurora Township’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Aurora Township →
Who’s in charge in Aurora Township
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Aurora Township’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on aurorasd.govoffice3.com ↗.
Brookings School District 05-1
Aurora Township’s K–12 school district, shared with Aurora, Bushnell, Brookings, Medary Township, Trenton Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $12,882 per pupil, $7,730 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.
Aurora Township’s votes are counted by county
South Dakota reports official results by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Aurora Township alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Brookings County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican57.4%8,575 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat40.0%5,978 votesOthers: 2.6% (386 votes).
Most votes in Brookings County: Donald J Trump
South Dakota: Trump 63.4%, Harris 34.2%
100% of Aurora Township lies in Brookings County. Every 2024 race in Brookings County is on the county’s page.
Brookings 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 Aurora Township.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: aurorasd.govoffice3.com ↗
- 2South Dakota HouseState representatives
- 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 Aurora Township compares with the towns next door
Aurora Township spent $114 per resident in 2022; the 2 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $11 to $950. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Brookings Township | $11 | $3,471 |
| Brookings | $950 | $3,097 |
| Aurora | estimate | $2,951 |
| Trenton Township | estimate | $5,515 |
| Afton Township | estimate | $3,571 |
| Bushnell | estimate | $1,222 |
| Alton Township | estimate | $3,467 |
| Aurora Township | $114 | $3,773 |
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 Aurora Township’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Aurora Township’s government
How much does Aurora Township spend per resident?
About $114 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to February 28, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $114 was less than 80% of 395 South Dakota towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Aurora Township?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,773 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.32% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.06% across South Dakota. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see aurorasd.govoffice3.com.
Who runs Aurora Township’s government?
See aurorasd.govoffice3.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Aurora Township yet.
How did Aurora Township vote in 2024?
South Dakota counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Aurora Township alone. Brookings County, where 100% of Aurora Township lies, voted Trump 57.4%, Harris 40.0% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Aurora Township?
0 full-time and 5 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $218 (about $2,616 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Aurora Township in the state legislature?
State Senate District 7 (Tim Reed) and State House District 7 (Mellissa Heermann and Roger DeGroot). The House district also covers four other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Aurora 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 →