How is Cottonwood run?
Cottonwood’s town government spent $3,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $300 per resident. These are Census Bureau estimates: Cottonwood didn’t report its figures, so this page shows them without comparisons.
What stands out about how Cottonwood is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
Haakon School District 27-1
Cottonwood’s K–12 school district, shared with Philip, Grandview II Township. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $13,528 per pupil, $6,944 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 $300 per resident a year, or $0.82 a day
Day-to-day services only (a Census Bureau estimate). The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 100%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Cottonwood didn’t report all of its 2022 figures to the Census Bureau, so most of these numbers are the Bureau’s estimates.
No comparison or trend for Cottonwood yet
Every year of Cottonwood’s figures is a Census Bureau estimate: the town 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 →Who’s in charge in Cottonwood
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Cottonwood’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 Cottonwood alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Jackson County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican66.7%753 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat31.6%357 votesOthers: 1.7% (19 votes).
Most votes in Jackson County: Donald J Trump
South Dakota: Trump 63.4%, Harris 34.2%
100% of Cottonwood lies in Jackson County. Every 2024 race in Jackson County is on the county’s page.
Jackson 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 Cottonwood.
- 1Your townTown governmentLocal 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 Cottonwood’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Cottonwood’s government
How much does Cottonwood spend per resident?
About $300 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, a Census Bureau estimate (Cottonwood didn’t report its figures). With building projects and interest, the whole budget was about $4,000.
Who runs Cottonwood’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Cottonwood yet.
How did Cottonwood vote in 2024?
South Dakota counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Cottonwood alone. Jackson County, where 100% of Cottonwood lies, voted Trump 66.7%, Harris 31.6% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Cottonwood?
0 full-time and 2 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $416 (about $4,992 a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Cottonwood in the state legislature?
State Senate District 27 (Red Dawn Foster) and State House District 27 (Liz May and Peri Pourier). The House district also covers 35 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Cottonwood’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 Cottonwood, 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 →