Seneca spent less per resident in 2022 than 96% of similar cities
Seneca’s town government spent $3,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $81 per resident.
What stands out about how Seneca is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$81 per resident in 2022: less than 96% of them
Seneca’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($81 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. Seneca spent less than 96% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($1,000), 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; Seneca itself left out).
About $81 per resident a year, or $0.22 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 67%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Seneca reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $217 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Seneca’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 Seneca’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Seneca →
Who’s in charge in Seneca
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Faulkton School District 24-4
Seneca’s K–12 school district, shared with Arcade Township, Bryant Township, Centerville Township, Enterprise Township, Faulkton and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $12,949 per pupil, $7,992 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.
Seneca’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 Seneca alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Faulk County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican81.4%920 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat16.2%183 votesOthers: 2.4% (27 votes).
Most votes in Faulk County: Donald J Trump
South Dakota: Trump 63.4%, Harris 34.2%
100% of Seneca lies in Faulk County. Every 2024 race in Faulk County is on the county’s page.
Faulk 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 Seneca.
- 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 Seneca’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Seneca’s government
How much does Seneca spend per resident?
About $81 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 $81 was less than 96% of 124 South Dakota cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
Who runs Seneca’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Seneca yet.
How did Seneca vote in 2024?
South Dakota counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Seneca alone. Faulk County, where 100% of Seneca lies, voted Trump 81.4%, Harris 16.2% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Seneca?
0 full-time and 5 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $1,235 (about $14,820 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Seneca 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 Seneca’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 →