How is Erwin run?
Erwin’s town government spent $38,000 on day-to-day services in the year to October 31, 2022, about $844 per resident.
What stands out about how Erwin is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
Lake Preston School District 38-3
Erwin’s K–12 school district, shared with Lake Preston, Baker Township, Hetland, Hartland Township, Whitewood Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $18,122 per pupil, $9,755 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 $844 per resident a year, or $2.31 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 63%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$844 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
Erwin’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($844 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 124 South Dakota cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $747, and the middle half spent $370–$1,182. Erwin spent more than 59% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($2,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
South Dakota cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Erwin itself left out).
No trend yet
Erwin reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $560 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Erwin’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 Erwin’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Erwin →
Who’s in charge in Erwin
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Erwin’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 Erwin alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Kingsbury County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican71.0%1,989 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat27.1%760 votesOthers: 1.9% (52 votes).
Most votes in Kingsbury County: Donald J Trump
South Dakota: Trump 63.4%, Harris 34.2%
100% of Erwin lies in Kingsbury County. Every 2024 race in Kingsbury County is on the county’s page.
Kingsbury 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 Erwin.
- 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 Erwin’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Erwin’s government
How much does Erwin spend per resident?
About $844 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to October 31, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $844 was more than 59% of 124 South Dakota cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
Who runs Erwin’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Erwin yet.
How did Erwin vote in 2024?
South Dakota counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Erwin alone. Kingsbury County, where 100% of Erwin lies, voted Trump 71.0%, Harris 27.1% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Erwin?
0 full-time and 4 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $190 (about $2,280 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Erwin in the state legislature?
State Senate District 8 (Casey Crabtree) and State House District 8 (Tim Reisch and Tim Walburg). The House district also covers 85 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Erwin’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 →