Pickstown spent more per resident in 2022 than 86% of similar cities
Pickstown’s town government spent $336,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $1,500 per resident. That is its newest year reported to the Census Bureau. Water and other utilities ($377,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Pickstown is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$1,500 per resident in 2022: more than 86% of them
Pickstown’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,500 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–$1,166. Pickstown spent more than 86% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($118,000), 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 under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Pickstown itself left out).
About $1,500 per resident a year, or $4.11 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 38%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Pickstown reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau (2024 is an estimate), so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $3,130 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.09% 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 Pickstown’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 Pickstown’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Pickstown →
Who’s in charge in Pickstown
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Pickstown’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on pickstown-sd.net ↗.
One full-time town employee for every 112 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 (224).
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.
Andes Central School District 11-1
Pickstown’s K–12 school district, shared with Lake Andes, Ravinia, White Swan Township, Goose Lake Township, Plain Center Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $20,047 per pupil, $11,143 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.
Pickstown’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 Pickstown alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Charles Mix County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican70.6%2,551 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat27.7%1,000 votesOthers: 1.8% (64 votes).
Most votes in Charles Mix County: Donald J Trump
South Dakota: Trump 63.4%, Harris 34.2%
100% of Pickstown lies in Charles Mix County. Every 2024 race in Charles Mix County is on the county’s page.
Charles Mix 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 Pickstown.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: pickstown-sd.net ↗
- 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 Pickstown’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Pickstown’s government
How much does Pickstown spend per resident?
About $1,500 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 $1,500 was more than 86% of 124 South Dakota cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Pickstown?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,130 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.09% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.06% across South Dakota. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see pickstown-sd.net.
Who runs Pickstown’s government?
See pickstown-sd.net for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Pickstown yet.
How did Pickstown vote in 2024?
South Dakota counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Pickstown alone. Charles Mix County, where 100% of Pickstown lies, voted Trump 70.6%, Harris 27.7% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Pickstown?
2 full-time and 1 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $10,536 (about $126,432 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Pickstown in the state legislature?
State Senate District 21 (MyKala Voita) and State House District 21 (Jim Halverson and Marty Overweg). The House district also covers 129 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Pickstown’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 →