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DEUEL COUNTY COURTHOUSE, CLEAR LAKE, SDPhoto: JERRYE AND ROY KLOTZ MD · CC BY-SA 3.0
Town Hall · Clear Lake

Clear Lake runs its own hospital

Clear Lake’s city government spent $1.4 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $1,081 per resident. These are Census Bureau estimates: Clear Lake 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
$1.4M
year to December 31, 2022 · Census estimate
Per resident, 2022
$1,081
Census estimate · not compared
Long-term debt
$554,000
end of 2022 · Census estimate
City staff, 2022
5
full-time, hospital & welfare staff apart (5 in all) · March payroll $27,781
Typical tax bill
$1,902
1.17% of home value · SD 1.06%

What stands out about how Clear Lake is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

Runs a hospital$366,000 for a hospital the city runs in 2022, shown apart from day-to-day spending.Runs its own water & sewer39% of day-to-day spending goes to water, sewer and trash (a Census estimate).A shared school districtShares Deuel School District 19-4 with 6+ other towns.Low bills, a higher rateThe typical bill is $1,902 a year: 1.17% of the home’s value, vs 1.06% across South Dakota.
★ What stands out · Your share of the 2022 budget

About $1,081 per resident a year, or $2.96 a day

Day-to-day services only (a Census Bureau estimate). The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 36%.

Where the money comes from
Sales taxes 33%Property taxes 26%Fees & charges 21%Utility sales 15%Interest, fines & other 3%From the state 2%Other taxes & licenses 1%
An estimate

Clear Lake 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.Interest on debt $55,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $2.1 million.
Why the hospital is apart.The Census Bureau counts the hospital it runs in the city’s books ($366,000, 18% of all operations). Only 135 of the 11,301 towns and cities of 2,500+ run one (Census finance files), so it is shown here and left out of every per-resident comparison.
Compared with similar places · Over the years

No comparison or trend for Clear Lake yet

Every year of Clear Lake’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 $1,902 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.17% 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
Clear Lake$1,902
$1,902
typical bill a year
1.17%
effective rate
$162,500
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Clear Lake

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

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

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

Who works for Clear Lake

One full-time city employee for every 252 residents, not counting hospital, health & welfare staff

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 (1,260).

By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022

Administration & buildings1 + 7 pt
Roads & transportation4
Parks & libraries0 + 2 pt
Sewer & trash0 + 2 pt
5
full-time
11
part-time
$27,781
payroll for March 2022
$333,372
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$47,600
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
Not compared.Staff are compared with the same group as the budget, and Clear Lake’s 2022 budget was a Census estimate, so there is no group to compare with.

The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.

The school district

Deuel School District 19-4

Clear Lake’s K–12 school district, shared with Altamont, Altamont Township, Antelope Valley Township, Brandt, Clear Lake Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Clear Lake →
$13,257
per pupil · SD $13,040
544
students
$9.1 million
long-term debt

Of the $13,257 per pupil, $7,710 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 62%State 27%Federal 11%

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

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Clear Lake’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 Clear Lake alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Deuel County’s results.

President · Deuel County’s results2,298 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican74.7%1,717 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat23.0%528 votes

Others: 2.3% (53 votes).

Most votes in Deuel County: Donald J Trump

South Dakota: Trump 63.4%, Harris 34.2%

The county’s page

100% of Clear Lake lies in Deuel County. Every 2024 race in Deuel County is on the county’s page.

Deuel 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 Clear Lake

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Clear Lake.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Officials: clearlakesd.com ↗
  2. 2
    South Dakota HouseState representatives
    Dylan JordanKent Roe
  3. 3
    South Dakota SenateState senator
    Stephanie Sauder
  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 Clear Lake’s government

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

The Handbook →
Official websiteclearlakesd.com ↗

Questions about Clear Lake’s government

How much does Clear Lake spend per resident?

About $1,081 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, a Census Bureau estimate (Clear Lake didn’t report its figures). With building projects and interest, the whole budget was about $2.1 million.

What is the property tax rate in Clear Lake?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,902 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.17% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.06% across South Dakota. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see clearlakesd.com.

Who runs Clear Lake’s government?

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

How did Clear Lake vote in 2024?

South Dakota counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Clear Lake alone. Deuel County, where 100% of Clear Lake lies, voted Trump 74.7%, Harris 23.0% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Clear Lake?

5 full-time and 11 part-time employees in March 2022 (plus 0 full-time hospital, health & welfare staff), with a March payroll of $27,781 (about $333,372 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Clear Lake in the state legislature?

State Senate District 4 (Stephanie Sauder) and State House District 4 (Dylan Jordan and Kent Roe). The House district also covers 122 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Clear Lake’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 Clear Lake, 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 →