Photo: Jon Roanhaus · CC BY-SA 4.0Fruitdale spent less per resident in 2022 than 95% of similar cities
Fruitdale’s town government spent $6,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $88 per resident.
What stands out about how Fruitdale is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$88 per resident in 2022: less than 95% of them
Fruitdale’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($88 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. Fruitdale spent less than 95% 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; Fruitdale itself left out).
About $88 per resident a year, or $0.24 a day
Day-to-day services only.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Fruitdale reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $896 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.55% of the home’s value, vs 1.06% across South Dakota.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Fruitdale’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 Fruitdale’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Fruitdale →
Who’s in charge in Fruitdale
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Belle Fourche School District 09-1
Fruitdale’s K–12 school district, shared with Belle Fourche, St. Onge Township. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $11,481 per pupil, $6,775 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.
Fruitdale’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 Fruitdale alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Butte County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican79.2%4,024 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat18.5%942 votesOthers: 2.3% (116 votes).
Most votes in Butte County: Donald J Trump
South Dakota: Trump 63.4%, Harris 34.2%
100% of Fruitdale lies in Butte County. Every 2024 race in Butte County is on the county’s page.
Butte 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 Fruitdale.
- 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 Fruitdale’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Fruitdale’s government
How much does Fruitdale spend per resident?
About $88 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 $88 was less than 95% of 124 South Dakota cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Fruitdale?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $896 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.55% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.06% across South Dakota. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the town’s assessor.
Who runs Fruitdale’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Fruitdale yet.
How did Fruitdale vote in 2024?
South Dakota counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Fruitdale alone. Butte County, where 100% of Fruitdale lies, voted Trump 79.2%, Harris 18.5% for president; its page has every race.
Who represents Fruitdale in the state legislature?
State Senate District 28 (Sam Marty) and State House District 28B (Travis Ismay). The House district also covers 24 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Fruitdale’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 →