Lake City spent less per resident in 2022 than 94% of similar cities
Lake City’s city government spent $419,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2023, about $9,523 per resident. Water and other utilities ($10,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Lake City is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$98 per resident in 2022: less than 94% of them
Lake City’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($98 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. Lake City 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; Lake City itself left out).
About $9,523 per resident a year, or $26.09 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 5%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 8280% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Lake City 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: $98 · 2023: $9,523. Per resident it went from $98 to $9,523 (up 9617%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 51 to 44.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $975 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.89% 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 Lake City’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 Lake City’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Lake City →
Who’s in charge in Lake City
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time city employee for every 44 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2023 finance file (44).
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.
Britton-Hecla School District 45-4
Lake City’s K–12 school district, shared with Britton, Dayton Township, Hamilton Township, Hecla, Hecla Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $11,802 per pupil, $6,644 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.
Lake City’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 Lake City alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Marshall County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican61.1%1,288 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat37.1%782 votesOthers: 1.8% (39 votes).
Most votes in Marshall County: Donald J Trump
South Dakota: Trump 63.4%, Harris 34.2%
100% of Lake City lies in Marshall County. Every 2024 race in Marshall County is on the county’s page.
Marshall 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 Lake City.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilLocal 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 Lake City’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Lake City’s government
How much does Lake City spend per resident?
About $9,523 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2023, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $98 was less than 94% of 124 South Dakota cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Lake City?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $975 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.89% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.06% across South Dakota. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the city’s assessor.
Who runs Lake City’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Lake City yet.
How did Lake City vote in 2024?
South Dakota counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Lake City alone. Marshall County, where 100% of Lake City lies, voted Trump 61.1%, Harris 37.1% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Lake City?
1 full-time and 10 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $9,730 (about $116,760 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Lake City in the state legislature?
State Senate District 1 (Michael Rohl) and State House District 1 (Logan Manhart and Nick Fosness). The House district also covers 150 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Lake City’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 →