Photo: "Tichnor Quality Views," Reg. U. S. Pat. Off. Made Only by Tichnor Bros., Inc., Boston, Mass. · Public domainMadison spent more per resident in 2022 than 92% of similar cities
Madison’s city government spent $9.6 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2023, about $1,582 per resident. That is its newest year reported to the Census Bureau. Water and other utilities ($10.9 million) and the airport ($298,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Madison is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,914 per resident in 2022: more than 92% of them
Madison’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,914 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 147 South Dakota cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $819, and the middle half spent $428–$1,288. Madison spent more than 92% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($431,000), 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 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Madison itself left out).
About $1,582 per resident a year, or $4.33 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: parks & libraries, at 26%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is down 29% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Madison 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: $1,914 · 2023: $1,582. Per resident it went from $1,914 to $1,582 (down 17%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 7,064 to 6,071.
full-time in March 2025, the same as 91 in 2022. Both are Census estimates.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $2,444 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.27% 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 Madison’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.
Tax bills are one input to Madison’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Madison →
Who’s in charge in Madison
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Madison’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on cityofmadisonsd.com ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 67 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2023 finance file (6,071).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Madison Central School District 39-2
Madison’s K–12 school district, shared with Herman Township, Orland Township, Winfred Township, Lake View Township, Farmington Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $11,654 per pupil, $6,772 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.
Madison’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 Madison alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Lake County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican64.7%3,819 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat33.5%1,978 votesOthers: 1.8% (109 votes).
Most votes in Lake County: Donald J Trump
South Dakota: Trump 63.4%, Harris 34.2%
100% of Madison lies in Lake County. Every 2024 race in Lake County is on the county’s page.
Lake 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 Madison.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: cityofmadisonsd.com ↗
- 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 Madison compares with the towns next door
Madison spent $1,914 per resident in 2022; the neighbor that reported 2022 spent $41. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Herman Township | $41 | $2,830 |
| Lake View Township | estimate | $3,955 |
| Le Roy Township | estimate | $1,611 |
| Madison | $1,914 | $2,444 |
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 Madison’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Madison’s government
How much does Madison spend per resident?
About $1,582 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 $1,914 was more than 92% of 147 South Dakota cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Madison?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,444 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.27% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.06% across South Dakota. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cityofmadisonsd.com.
Who runs Madison’s government?
See cityofmadisonsd.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Madison yet.
How did Madison vote in 2024?
South Dakota counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Madison alone. Lake County, where 100% of Madison lies, voted Trump 64.7%, Harris 33.5% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Madison?
91 full-time and 50 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $1.0M (about $12.1M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Madison in the state legislature?
State Senate District 8 (Casey Crabtree) and State House District 8 (Tim Reisch and Tim Walburg). The House district also covers 85 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Madison’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 →