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Kennebec SD panoramaPhoto: Royalbroil · CC BY-SA 4.0
Town Hall · Kennebec

Kennebec spent more per resident in 2022 than 67% of similar cities

Kennebec’s town government spent $249,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $1,008 per resident.

Election Day

Today

General election in South Dakota.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$249,000
year to December 31, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$1,008
In 2022: $1,008, more than 67% of 124 similar cities
Long-term debt
Not reported
end of 2022, reported
Town staff, 2022
6
full-time · 9 part-time · March payroll $18,671
Typical tax bill
$1,290
0.83% of home value · SD 1.06%

What stands out about how Kennebec is run

Read from the town’s budget and official records.

Compared with similar places

$1,008 per resident in 2022: more than 67% of them

Kennebec’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,008 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. Kennebec spent more than 67% of them.

Middle half of the group, $370–$1,182Median $747Kennebec

Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →

The group
124

South Dakota cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Kennebec itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $1,008 per resident a year, or $2.76 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: housing & development, at 100%.

Where the money comes from
Sales taxes 41%Property taxes 31%Fees & charges 11%Interest, fines & other 8%From other local governments 6%Other taxes & licenses 2%From the federal government 1%From the state <1%
Over the years

No trend yet

Kennebec reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $1,290 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.83% of the home’s value, vs 1.06% across South Dakota.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

South Dakota$2,724
Kennebec$1,290
$1,290
typical bill a year
0.83%
effective rate
$155,700
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Kennebec’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 Kennebec’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Kennebec →

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Kennebec

Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.

Check Kennebec’s own website for current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Kennebec yet.
Who works for Kennebec

One full-time town employee for every 41 residents

On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (247).

By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022

Administration & buildings1 + 5 pt
Parks & libraries1 + 2 pt
Sewer & trash2
Roads & transportation1
Housing & development0 + 2 pt
Water & other utilities1
6
full-time
9
part-time
$18,671
payroll for March 2022
$224,052
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$30,700
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
Compared, 2022.Kennebec had 24.3 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 100 of the 124 South Dakota cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 0.0: Kennebec had more than 100% of them. Same group and year as the budget comparison.

The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.

The school district

Lyman School District 42-1

Kennebec’s K–12 school district, shared with Pratt Township, Presho, Reliance, Vivian Township, Rex Township. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Kennebec →
$16,050
per pupil · SD $13,040
360
students
None
long-term debt

Of the $16,050 per pupil, $8,175 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.

The district: schools, scores and graduation →

Where the district’s money comes from
Local 44%State 19%Federal 37%

South Dakota districts overall: 50% local, 31% state, 19% federal.

School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.

Elections · 2024 general election

Kennebec’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 Kennebec alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Lyman County’s results.

President · Lyman County’s results1,447 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican68.6%993 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat29.2%422 votes

Others: 2.2% (32 votes).

Most votes in Lyman County: Donald J Trump

South Dakota: Trump 63.4%, Harris 34.2%

The county’s page

100% of Kennebec lies in Lyman County. Every 2024 race in Lyman County is on the county’s page.

Lyman County’s 2024 results →
DemocratRepublicanLibertarianIndependent / other

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.

Who represents Kennebec

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Kennebec.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your townTown government
    Local officials aren’t on record yet.
  2. 2
    South Dakota HouseState representatives
  3. 3
    South Dakota SenateState senator
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of South Dakota

Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.

Reach Kennebec’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Kennebec’s government

How much does Kennebec spend per resident?

About $1,008 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 $1,008 was more than 67% of 124 South Dakota cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Kennebec?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,290 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.83% 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 Kennebec’s government?

We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Kennebec yet.

How did Kennebec vote in 2024?

South Dakota counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Kennebec alone. Lyman County, where 100% of Kennebec lies, voted Trump 68.6%, Harris 29.2% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Kennebec?

6 full-time and 9 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $18,671 (about $224,052 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Kennebec in the state legislature?

State Senate District 26 (Tamara Grove) and State House District 26B (Rebecca Reimer). The House district also covers 42 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Kennebec’s government

Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.

Town Square →
Ask neighbors

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 →