Elm Springs Township spent more per resident in 2022 than 92% of similar towns
Elm Springs Township’s town government spent $26,000 on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $929 per resident.
What stands out about how Elm Springs Township is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$929 per resident in 2022: more than 92% of them
Elm Springs Township’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($929 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 $292, and the middle half spent $142–$513. Elm Springs Township spent more than 92% 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; Elm Springs Township itself left out).
About $929 per resident a year, or $2.55 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 96%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Elm Springs Township reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
Who’s in charge in Elm Springs Township
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Meade School District 46-1
Elm Springs Township’s K–12 school district, shared with Piedmont, Sturgis, Upper Red Owl Township, Viewfield Township, Smithville Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $10,735 per pupil, $6,068 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.
Elm Springs 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 Elm Springs Township alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Meade County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican74.2%10,887 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat23.3%3,421 votesOthers: 2.5% (364 votes).
Most votes in Meade County: Donald J Trump
South Dakota: Trump 63.4%, Harris 34.2%
100% of Elm Springs Township lies in Meade County. Every 2024 race in Meade County is on the county’s page.
Meade 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 Elm Springs 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 Elm Springs Township compares with the towns next door
Elm Springs Township spent $929 per resident in 2022; the neighbor that reported 2022 spent $200. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Smithville Township | $200 | — |
| Elm Springs Township | $929 | — |
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 Elm Springs Township’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Elm Springs Township’s government
How much does Elm Springs Township spend per resident?
About $929 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $929 was more than 92% of 395 South Dakota towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
Who runs Elm Springs Township’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Elm Springs Township yet.
How did Elm Springs Township vote in 2024?
South Dakota counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Elm Springs Township alone. Meade County, where 100% of Elm Springs Township lies, voted Trump 74.2%, Harris 23.3% for president; its page has every race.
Who represents Elm Springs Township in the state legislature?
State Senate District 29 (John Carley) and State House District 29 (Kathy Rice and Terri Jorgenson). The House district also covers 12 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Elm Springs 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 →