Brandon spent less per resident in 2022 than 78% of similar cities
Brandon’s city government spent $12.8 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, about $1,154 per resident. Water and other utilities ($1.7 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Brandon is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$822 per resident in 2022: less than 78% of them
Brandon’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($822 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 23 South Dakota cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,291, and the middle half spent $900–$1,647. Brandon spent less than 78% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($1.9 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 →
South Dakota cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Brandon itself left out).
About $1,154 per resident a year, or $3.16 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 33%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 53% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Brandon 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: $822 · 2023: $1,074 · 2024: $1,154. Per resident it went from $822 to $1,154 (up 40%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 10,168 to 11,110.
full-time in March 2025, up from 39 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 $3,886 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.15% 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 Brandon’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 Brandon’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Brandon →
Who’s in charge in Brandon
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Brandon’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on brandonsd.com ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 247 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 (11,110).
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.
Brandon Valley School District 49-2
Brandon’s K–12 school district, shared with Valley Springs, Valley Springs Township, Split Rock Township, Brandon Township, Red Rock Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $10,720 per pupil, $6,597 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.
Brandon’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 Brandon alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Minnehaha County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican55.2%51,842 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat42.5%39,923 votesOthers: 2.4% (2,221 votes).
Most votes in Minnehaha County: Donald J Trump
South Dakota: Trump 63.4%, Harris 34.2%
100% of Brandon lies in Minnehaha County. Every 2024 race in Minnehaha County is on the county’s page.
Minnehaha 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 Brandon.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: brandonsd.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 Brandon compares with the towns next door
Brandon spent $822 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Brandon Township | $217 | $3,429 |
| Split Rock Township | $237 | $4,741 |
| Brandon | $822 | $3,886 |
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 Brandon’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Brandon’s government
How much does Brandon spend per resident?
About $1,154 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 $822 was less than 78% of 23 South Dakota cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Brandon?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,886 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.15% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.06% across South Dakota. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see brandonsd.com.
Who runs Brandon’s government?
See brandonsd.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Brandon yet.
How did Brandon vote in 2024?
South Dakota counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Brandon alone. Minnehaha County, where 100% of Brandon lies, voted Trump 55.2%, Harris 42.5% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Brandon?
45 full-time and 40 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $295,092 (about $3.5M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Brandon in the state legislature?
State Senate District 2 (Steve Kolbeck) and State House District 2 (David Kull and John Sjaarda). The House district also covers six other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Brandon’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 →