How is Dempster Township run?
Dempster Township’s town government spent $72,000 on day-to-day services in the year to March 31, 2022, about $266 per resident. These are Census Bureau estimates: Dempster Township didn’t report its figures, so this page shows them without comparisons.
What stands out about how Dempster Township is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
Castlewood School District 28-1
Dempster Township’s K–12 school district, shared with Castlewood, Castlewood Township, Hamlin Township, Florence Township. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $12,299 per pupil, $6,648 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.
Estelline School District 28-2 · $15,611 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
About $266 per resident a year, or $0.73 a day
Day-to-day services only (a Census Bureau estimate). The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 86%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Dempster Township 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 Dempster Township yet
Every year of Dempster Township’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 Dempster Township
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Dempster 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 Dempster Township alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Hamlin County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican79.4%2,560 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat18.9%610 votesOthers: 1.7% (56 votes).
Most votes in Hamlin County: Donald J Trump
South Dakota: Trump 63.4%, Harris 34.2%
100% of Dempster Township lies in Hamlin County. Every 2024 race in Hamlin County is on the county’s page.
Hamlin 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 Dempster Township.
- 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.
How Dempster Township compares with the towns next door
Dempster Township’s own figures are Census estimates, so it isn’t placed among its neighbors. 2 of the 3 towns next door reported 2022 figures, from $12 to $169 per resident. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Hamlin Township | $12 | $2,462 |
| Florence Township | $169 | $2,955 |
| Hidewood Township | estimate | $1,600 |
| Dempster Township | estimate | — |
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 Dempster Township’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Dempster Township’s government
How much does Dempster Township spend per resident?
About $266 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to March 31, 2022, a Census Bureau estimate (Dempster Township didn’t report its figures). With building projects and interest, the whole budget was about $72,000.
Who runs Dempster Township’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Dempster Township yet.
How did Dempster Township vote in 2024?
South Dakota counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Dempster Township alone. Hamlin County, where 100% of Dempster Township lies, voted Trump 79.4%, Harris 18.9% for president; its page has every race.
Who represents Dempster Township 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 Dempster 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 (for Dempster Township, 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 →