Photo: Runner1928 · CC BY-SA 3.0Bridgewater spent more per resident in 2022 than 97% of similar cities
Bridgewater’s city government spent $1.1 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $2,374 per resident. Water and other utilities ($135,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Bridgewater is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$2,374 per resident in 2022: more than 97% of them
Bridgewater’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($2,374 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 124 South Dakota cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $747, and the middle half spent $370–$1,166. Bridgewater spent more than 97% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($125,000), 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 under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Bridgewater itself left out).
About $2,374 per resident a year, or $6.50 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 62%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Bridgewater reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
full-time in March 2025, the same as 2 in 2022. Both are Census estimates.
The typical homeowner pays $1,625 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.40% 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 Bridgewater’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 Bridgewater’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Bridgewater →
Who’s in charge in Bridgewater
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Bridgewater’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on bridgewatersd.com ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 226 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 2022 finance file (452).
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.
Bridgewater-Emery School District 30-3
Bridgewater’s K–12 school district, shared with Bridgewater Township, Emery, Jefferson Township, Union Township, Taylor Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $13,596 per pupil, $7,246 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.
Bridgewater’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 Bridgewater alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are McCook County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican73.5%2,227 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat24.2%733 votesOthers: 2.3% (71 votes).
Most votes in McCook County: Donald J Trump
South Dakota: Trump 63.4%, Harris 34.2%
100% of Bridgewater lies in McCook County. Every 2024 race in McCook County is on the county’s page.
McCook 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 Bridgewater.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: bridgewatersd.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 Bridgewater compares with the towns next door
Bridgewater spent $2,374 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Bridgewater Township | $303 | $2,464 |
| Bridgewater | $2,374 | $1,625 |
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 Bridgewater’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Bridgewater’s government
How much does Bridgewater spend per resident?
About $2,374 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $2,374 was more than 97% of 124 South Dakota cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Bridgewater?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,625 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.40% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.06% across South Dakota. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see bridgewatersd.com.
Who runs Bridgewater’s government?
See bridgewatersd.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Bridgewater yet.
How did Bridgewater vote in 2024?
South Dakota counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Bridgewater alone. McCook County, where 100% of Bridgewater lies, voted Trump 73.5%, Harris 24.2% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Bridgewater?
2 full-time and 8 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $18,344 (about $220,128 a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Bridgewater in the state legislature?
State Senate District 19 (Kyle Schoenfish) and State House District 19 (Drew Peterson and Jessica Bahmuller). The House district also covers 73 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Bridgewater’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 →