Jefferson Township spent less per resident in 2022 than 97% of similar towns
Jefferson Township’s town government spent $166,000 on day-to-day services in the year to February 28, 2023, about $147 per resident.
What stands out about how Jefferson Township is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$24 per resident in 2022: less than 97% of them
Jefferson Township’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($24 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 $293, and the middle half spent $144–$516. Jefferson Township spent less than 97% 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; Jefferson Township itself left out).
About $147 per resident a year, or $0.40 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 75%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 493% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Jefferson Township 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: $24 · 2023: $147. Per resident it went from $24 to $147 (up 512%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 1,159 to 1,126.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $3,522 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.88% 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 Jefferson Township’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 Jefferson Township’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Jefferson Township →
Who’s in charge in Jefferson Township
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Elk Point-Jefferson School District 61-7
Jefferson Township’s K–12 school district, shared with Elk Point, Elk Point Township, Jefferson, Civil Bend Township, Sioux Valley Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $11,861 per pupil, $6,965 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.
Dakota Valley School District 61-8 · $11,808 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Jefferson 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 Jefferson Township alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Union County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican69.4%6,160 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat28.7%2,548 votesOthers: 1.9% (168 votes).
Most votes in Union County: Donald J Trump
South Dakota: Trump 63.4%, Harris 34.2%
100% of Jefferson Township lies in Union County. Every 2024 race in Union County is on the county’s page.
Union 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 Jefferson 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 Jefferson Township compares with the towns next door
Jefferson Township spent $24 per resident in 2022; the neighbor that reported 2022 spent $634. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Elk Point Township | $634 | $3,481 |
| Big Sioux Township | estimate | $5,567 |
| Civil Bend Township | estimate | $2,676 |
| Jefferson Township | $24 | $3,522 |
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 Jefferson Township’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Jefferson Township’s government
How much does Jefferson Township spend per resident?
About $147 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to February 28, 2023, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $24 was less than 97% of 395 South Dakota towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Jefferson Township?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,522 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.88% 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 Jefferson Township’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Jefferson Township yet.
How did Jefferson Township vote in 2024?
South Dakota counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Jefferson Township alone. Union County, where 100% of Jefferson Township lies, voted Trump 69.4%, Harris 28.7% for president; its page has every race.
Who represents Jefferson Township in the state legislature?
State Senate District 17 (Sydney Davis) and State House District 17 (Chris Kassin and William Shorma). The House district also covers 17 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Jefferson 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 →