Long Lake spent less per resident in 2022 than 72% of similar cities
Long Lake’s town government spent $17,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2023, about $708 per resident. Water and other utilities ($8,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Long Lake is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$419 per resident in 2022: less than 72% of them
Long Lake’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($419 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 $370–$1,182. Long Lake spent less than 72% 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; Long Lake itself left out).
About $708 per resident a year, or $1.94 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 59%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 31% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Long Lake 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: $419 · 2023: $708. Per resident it went from $419 to $708 (up 69%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 31 to 24.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
Who’s in charge in Long Lake
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Leola School District 44-2
Long Lake’s K–12 school district, shared with Carl Township, Hoffman Township, Leola, Wachter Township, Wacker Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $17,833 per pupil, $10,190 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.
Long Lake’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 Long Lake alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are McPherson County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican83.7%1,087 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat14.5%188 votesOthers: 1.8% (24 votes).
Most votes in McPherson County: Donald J Trump
South Dakota: Trump 63.4%, Harris 34.2%
100% of Long Lake lies in McPherson County. Every 2024 race in McPherson County is on the county’s page.
McPherson 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 Long Lake.
- 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 Long Lake’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Long Lake’s government
How much does Long Lake spend per resident?
About $708 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 $419 was less than 72% of 124 South Dakota cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
Who runs Long Lake’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Long Lake yet.
How did Long Lake vote in 2024?
South Dakota counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Long Lake alone. McPherson County, where 100% of Long Lake lies, voted Trump 83.7%, Harris 14.5% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Long Lake?
0 full-time and 8 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $1,218 (about $14,616 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Long Lake in the state legislature?
State Senate District 23 (Mark Lapka) and State House District 23 (Scott Moore and Spencer Gosch). The House district also covers 131 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Long Lake’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 →