Aggergaard Manor · Photo: Ammodramus · CC0Irene spent more per resident in 2022 than 68% of similar cities
Irene’s city government spent $381,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, about $890 per resident. Water and other utilities ($143,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Irene is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,012 per resident in 2022: more than 68% of them
Irene’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,012 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. Irene spent more than 68% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($116,000), 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; Irene itself left out).
About $890 per resident a year, or $2.44 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 35%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is down 7% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Irene reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.
Day-to-day spending by fiscal year
Per resident: 2022: $1,012 · 2023: $815 · 2024: $890. Per resident it went from $1,012 to $890 (down 12%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 403 to 428.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $1,395 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.60% 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 Irene’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 Irene’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Irene →
Who’s in charge in Irene
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Irene’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on irenesd.com ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 107 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (428).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Irene-Wakonda School District 13-3
Irene’s K–12 school district, shared with Wakonda, Bethel Township, Star Township, Turkey Valley Township, Marindahl Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $15,072 per pupil, $8,628 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.
Irene’s votes are counted by county
South Dakota reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Irene alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Turner County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican74.3%3,374 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat23.0%1,044 votesOthers: 2.6% (120 votes).
Most votes in Turner County: Donald J Trump
South Dakota: Trump 63.4%, Harris 34.2%
54% of Irene lies in Turner County; the rest in Clay County, Yankton County. Every 2024 race in Turner County is on the county’s page.
Turner 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
Irene sends 4 representatives to the South Dakota House alone.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: irenesd.com ↗
- 2South Dakota HouseIrene is split between 2 districts
- 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 Irene compares with the towns next door
Irene spent $1,012 per resident in 2022; the 2 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $140 to $762. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Daneville Township | $140 | $2,971 |
| Star Township | $762 | $1,929 |
| Turkey Valley Township | estimate | $4,357 |
| Marindahl Township | estimate | $1,659 |
| Irene | $1,012 | $1,395 |
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 Irene’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Irene’s government
How much does Irene spend per resident?
About $890 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,012 was more than 68% of 124 South Dakota cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Irene?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,395 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.60% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.06% across South Dakota. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see irenesd.com.
Who runs Irene’s government?
See irenesd.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Irene yet.
How did Irene vote in 2024?
South Dakota counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Irene alone. Turner County, where 54% of Irene lies, voted Trump 74.3%, Harris 23.0% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Irene?
4 full-time and 16 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $21,749 (about $260,988 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Irene in the state legislature?
Irene is split among 2 State House districts and 2 State Senate districts, so your address decides. The South Dakota Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Irene’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 →