Photo: AlexiusHoratius · CC BY-SA 3.0How is Canton Township run?
Canton Township’s town government spent $177,000 on day-to-day services in the year to February 28, 2022, about $287 per resident.
What stands out about how Canton Township is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
Canton School District 41-1
Canton Township’s K–12 school district, shared with Canton, Fairview, Highland Township, Fairview Township, Dayton Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $12,233 per pupil, $7,242 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.
About $287 per resident a year, or $0.79 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 59%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$287 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar towns
Canton Township’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($287 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 $142–$516. Canton Township spent less than 51% 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; Canton Township itself left out).
No trend yet
Canton Township reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $3,377 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.66% 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 Canton 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 Canton Township’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Canton Township →
Who’s in charge in Canton Township
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Canton Township’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on cantonsd.org ↗.
One full-time town employee for every 617 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (617).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Canton 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 Canton Township alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Lincoln County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican62.2%22,621 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat35.7%12,981 votesOthers: 2.2% (791 votes).
Most votes in Lincoln County: Donald J Trump
South Dakota: Trump 63.4%, Harris 34.2%
100% of Canton Township lies in Lincoln County. Every 2024 race in Lincoln County is on the county’s page.
Lincoln 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 Canton Township.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: cantonsd.org ↗
- 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 Canton Township compares with the towns next door
Canton Township spent $287 per resident in 2022; the 3 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $15 to $405. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Highland Township | $15 | $3,833 |
| Dayton Township | $375 | $4,470 |
| Lynn Township | $405 | $2,766 |
| Canton | estimate | $2,434 |
| Canton Township | $287 | $3,377 |
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 Canton Township’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Canton Township’s government
How much does Canton Township spend per resident?
About $287 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 $287 was less than 51% 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 Canton Township?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,377 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.66% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.06% across South Dakota. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cantonsd.org.
Who runs Canton Township’s government?
See cantonsd.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Canton Township yet.
How did Canton Township vote in 2024?
South Dakota counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Canton Township alone. Lincoln County, where 100% of Canton Township lies, voted Trump 62.2%, Harris 35.7% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Canton Township?
1 full-time and 5 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $2,250 (about $27,000 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Canton Township in the state legislature?
State Senate District 16 (Kevin Jensen) and State House District 16 (John Shubeck and Karla Lems). The House district also covers 54 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Canton 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 →