How is Summerset run?
Summerset’s city government spent $1.9 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $717 per resident. That is its newest year reported to the Census Bureau.
What stands out about how Summerset is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
About $717 per resident a year, or $1.96 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 41%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$717 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
Summerset’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($717 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 $822, and the middle half spent $428–$1,296. Summerset spent less than 56% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($637,000), 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; Summerset itself left out).
No trend yet
Summerset reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau (2024 is an estimate), so there is no trend yet.
full-time in March 2025, the same as 15 in 2022.
The typical homeowner pays $4,204 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.14% 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 Summerset’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 Summerset’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Summerset →
Who’s in charge in Summerset
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Summerset’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on summerset.us ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 179 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (2,691).
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.
Meade School District 46-1
Summerset’s K–12 school district, shared with Elm Springs Township, Piedmont, Sturgis, Upper Red Owl Township, Viewfield Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $10,735 per pupil, $6,068 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.
Rapid City School District 51-4 · $11,037 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Summerset’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 Summerset alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Meade County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican74.2%10,887 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat23.3%3,421 votesOthers: 2.5% (364 votes).
Most votes in Meade County: Donald J Trump
South Dakota: Trump 63.4%, Harris 34.2%
100% of Summerset lies in Meade County. Every 2024 race in Meade County is on the county’s page.
Meade 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
Summerset sends 4 representatives to the South Dakota House alone.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: summerset.us ↗
- 2South Dakota HouseSummerset is split between 2 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 Summerset compares with the towns next door
Summerset spent $717 per resident in 2022; the neighbor that reported 2022 spent $427. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Piedmont | $427 | $3,246 |
| Summerset | $717 | $4,204 |
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 Summerset’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Summerset’s government
How much does Summerset spend per resident?
About $717 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 $717 was less than 56% of 147 South Dakota cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Summerset?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $4,204 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.14% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.06% across South Dakota. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see summerset.us.
Who runs Summerset’s government?
See summerset.us for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Summerset yet.
How did Summerset vote in 2024?
South Dakota counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Summerset alone. Meade County, where 100% of Summerset lies, voted Trump 74.2%, Harris 23.3% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Summerset?
15 full-time and 11 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $79,907 (about $958,884 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Summerset in the state legislature?
Summerset is split among 2 State House districts and 2 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 Summerset’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 →