Photo: Jon Roanhaus · CC BY-SA 4.0Farmer spent less per resident in 2022 than 94% of similar cities
Farmer’s town government spent $1,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $91 per resident.
What stands out about how Farmer is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$91 per resident in 2022: less than 94% of them
Farmer’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($91 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 $770, and the middle half spent $378–$1,182. Farmer spent less than 94% of 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; Farmer itself left out).
About $91 per resident a year, or $0.25 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 100%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Farmer reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $900 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 Farmer’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 Farmer’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Farmer →
Who’s in charge in Farmer
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Hanson School District 30-1
Farmer’s K–12 school district, shared with Alexandria, Fulton, Jasper Township, Edgerton Township, Wayne Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $10,699 per pupil, $6,198 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.
Farmer’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 Farmer alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Hanson County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican78.7%1,611 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat19.5%399 votesOthers: 1.8% (36 votes).
Most votes in Hanson County: Donald J Trump
South Dakota: Trump 63.4%, Harris 34.2%
100% of Farmer lies in Hanson County. Every 2024 race in Hanson County is on the county’s page.
Hanson 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 Farmer.
- 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 Farmer’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Farmer’s government
How much does Farmer spend per resident?
About $91 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $91 was less than 94% of 124 South Dakota cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
Who runs Farmer’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Farmer yet.
How did Farmer vote in 2024?
South Dakota counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Farmer alone. Hanson County, where 100% of Farmer lies, voted Trump 78.7%, Harris 19.5% for president; its page has every race.
Who represents Farmer in the state legislature?
State Senate District 19 (Kyle Schoenfish) and State House District 19 (Drew Peterson and Jessica Bahmuller). The House district also covers 73 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Farmer’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 →