Photo: publichall · CC BY-SA 3.0How is Salem Township run?
Salem Township’s town government spent $42,000 on day-to-day services in the year to February 28, 2023, about $137 per resident.
What stands out about how Salem Township is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
McCook Central School District 43-7
Salem Township’s K–12 school district, shared with Salem, Spencer, Benton Township, Sun Prairie Township, Brookfield Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $11,581 per pupil, $6,466 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.
About $137 per resident a year, or $0.38 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 69%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Revenue is well above spending. That usually means Salem Township collects property taxes for the school district and county and passes them on, so only its own spending is counted.
$324 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar towns
Salem Township’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($324 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 395 South Dakota towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $292, and the middle half spent $142–$516. Salem Township spent more than 55% of them.
Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
South Dakota towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Salem Township itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is down 38% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Salem Township 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: $324 · 2023: $137. Per resident it went from $324 to $137 (down 58%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 210 to 306.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $2,706 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.93% 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 Salem Township’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 Salem Township’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Salem Township →
Who’s in charge in Salem Township
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Salem Township’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on salemsd.com ↗.
Salem Township’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 Salem Township alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are McCook County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican73.5%2,227 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat24.2%733 votesOthers: 2.3% (71 votes).
Most votes in McCook County: Donald J Trump
South Dakota: Trump 63.4%, Harris 34.2%
100% of Salem Township lies in McCook County. Every 2024 race in McCook County is on the county’s page.
McCook 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 Salem Township.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: salemsd.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 Salem Township compares with the towns next door
Salem Township spent $324 per resident in 2022; the 2 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $164 to $415. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Richland Township | $164 | $2,614 |
| Emery Township | $415 | $3,500 |
| Benton Township | estimate | — |
| Sun Prairie Township | estimate | $4,269 |
| Salem Township | $324 | $2,706 |
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 Salem Township’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Salem Township’s government
How much does Salem Township spend per resident?
About $137 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to February 28, 2023, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $324 was more than 55% of 395 South Dakota towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Salem Township?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,706 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.93% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.06% across South Dakota. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see salemsd.com.
Who runs Salem Township’s government?
See salemsd.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Salem Township yet.
How did Salem Township vote in 2024?
South Dakota counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Salem Township alone. McCook County, where 100% of Salem Township lies, voted Trump 73.5%, Harris 24.2% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Salem Township?
0 full-time and 5 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $861 (about $10,332 a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Salem Township in the state legislature?
State Senate District 19 (Kyle Schoenfish) and State House District 19 (Drew Peterson and Jessica Bahmuller). The House district also covers 73 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Salem Township’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 →