How is Columbia run?
Columbia’s city government spent $0 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $0 per resident. These are Census Bureau estimates: Columbia didn’t report its figures, so this page shows them without comparisons.
What stands out about how Columbia is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
Groton Area School District 06-6
Columbia’s K–12 school district, shared with Andover, Bates Township, Bristol, Bristol Township, Butler and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $12,329 per pupil, $7,181 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.
No comparison or trend for Columbia yet
Every year of Columbia’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 →The typical homeowner pays $1,333 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.38% 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 Columbia’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 Columbia’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Columbia →
Who’s in charge in Columbia
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Columbia’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 Columbia alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Brown County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican62.5%10,645 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat35.6%6,075 votesOthers: 1.9% (323 votes).
Most votes in Brown County: Donald J Trump
South Dakota: Trump 63.4%, Harris 34.2%
100% of Columbia lies in Brown County. Every 2024 race in Brown County is on the county’s page.
Brown 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 Columbia.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 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.
Reach Columbia’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Columbia’s government
How much does Columbia spend per resident?
About $0 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, a Census Bureau estimate (Columbia didn’t report its figures). With building projects and interest, the whole budget was about $0.
What is the property tax rate in Columbia?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,333 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.38% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.06% across South Dakota. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the city’s assessor.
Who runs Columbia’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Columbia yet.
How did Columbia vote in 2024?
South Dakota counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Columbia alone. Brown County, where 100% of Columbia lies, voted Trump 62.5%, Harris 35.6% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Columbia?
0 full-time and 3 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $1,214 (about $14,568 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Columbia in the state legislature?
State Senate District 1 (Michael Rohl) and State House District 1 (Logan Manhart and Nick Fosness). The House district also covers 150 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Columbia’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 (for Columbia, 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 →