Laura M Welch House · Photo: AlexiusHoratius · CC BY-SA 3.0Sioux Falls spent more per resident in 2022 than 65% of similar cities
Sioux Falls’ city government spent $255.8 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, about $1,266 per resident. Water and other utilities ($38.5 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Sioux Falls is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,066 per resident in 2022: more than 65% of them
Sioux Falls’ day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,066 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 150 South Dakota cities that don’t run their own schools: the median was $826, and the middle half spent $429–$1,298. Sioux Falls spent more than 65% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($17.9 million), 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 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Sioux Falls itself left out).
About $1,266 per resident a year, or $3.47 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 19%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 28% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Sioux Falls 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: $1,066 · 2023: $1,197 · 2024: $1,266. Per resident it went from $1,066 to $1,266 (up 19%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 187,809 to 202,078.
full-time in March 2025, up from 1,223 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 $3,389 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.16% 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 Sioux Falls’ 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 Sioux Falls’ Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Sioux Falls →
Who’s in charge in Sioux Falls
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Sioux Falls’ meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on siouxfalls.gov ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 161 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 2024 finance file (202,078).
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.
Sioux Falls School District 49-5
Sioux Falls’ K–12 school district, shared with Mapleton Township. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $12,316 per pupil, $7,334 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.
Harrisburg School District 41-2 · $11,823 per pupil
Brandon Valley School District 49-2 · $10,720 per pupil
Tri-Valley School District 49-6 · $12,899 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Sioux Falls’ votes are counted by county
South Dakota reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Sioux Falls alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Minnehaha County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican55.2%51,842 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat42.5%39,923 votesOthers: 2.4% (2,221 votes).
Most votes in Minnehaha County: Donald J Trump
South Dakota: Trump 63.4%, Harris 34.2%
81% of Sioux Falls lies in Minnehaha County; the rest in Lincoln County. Every 2024 race in Minnehaha County is on the county’s page.
Minnehaha 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
Sioux Falls sends 20 representatives to the South Dakota House alone.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: siouxfalls.gov ↗
- 2South Dakota HouseSioux Falls is split between 10 districts
- 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 Sioux Falls compares with the towns next door
No neighbor is close in size, so the comparison above uses South Dakota cities that don’t run their own schools. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Wayne Township | $62 | $3,288 |
| Mapleton Township | $88 | $2,944 |
| Springdale Township | $99 | $6,367 |
| Brandon Township | $217 | $3,429 |
| Split Rock Township | $237 | $4,741 |
| Delapre Township | $337 | $5,368 |
| Benton Township | estimate | $4,242 |
| Sioux Falls | $1,066 | $3,389 |
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 Sioux Falls’ government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Sioux Falls’ government
How much does Sioux Falls spend per resident?
About $1,266 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,066 was more than 65% of 150 South Dakota cities that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Sioux Falls?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,389 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.16% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.06% across South Dakota. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see siouxfalls.gov.
Who runs Sioux Falls’ government?
See siouxfalls.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Sioux Falls yet.
How did Sioux Falls vote in 2024?
South Dakota counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Sioux Falls alone. Minnehaha County, where 81% of Sioux Falls lies, voted Trump 55.2%, Harris 42.5% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Sioux Falls?
1,258 full-time and 255 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $9.5M (about $113.9M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Sioux Falls in the state legislature?
Sioux Falls is split among 10 State House districts and 10 State Senate districts, so your address decides. The South Dakota Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Sioux Falls’ 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 →