Vilas spent less per resident in 2022 than 97% of similar cities
Vilas’ town government spent $5,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2023, about $192 per resident.
What stands out about how Vilas is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$53 per resident in 2022: less than 97% of them
Vilas’ day-to-day spending in 2022 ($53 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. Vilas spent less than 97% of 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; Vilas itself left out).
About $192 per resident a year, or $0.53 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 60%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 400% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Vilas 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: $53 · 2023: $192. Per resident it went from $53 to $192 (up 262%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 19 to 26.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
Who’s in charge in Vilas
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Howard School District 48-3
Vilas’ K–12 school district, shared with Adams Township, Canova, Canova Township, Carthage, Carthage Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $14,652 per pupil, $8,095 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.
Vilas’ votes are counted by county
South Dakota reports official results by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Vilas alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Miner County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican72.1%841 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat25.1%293 votesOthers: 2.8% (33 votes).
Most votes in Miner County: Donald J Trump
South Dakota: Trump 63.4%, Harris 34.2%
100% of Vilas lies in Miner County. Every 2024 race in Miner County is on the county’s page.
Miner 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 Vilas.
- 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.
How Vilas compares with the towns next door
Vilas spent $53 per resident in 2022. Most of its neighbors are townships, a different kind of government, so the like-for-like comparison is with similar cities, above. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Howard Township | $350 | $1,200 |
| Vilas | $53 | — |
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 Vilas’ government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Vilas’ government
How much does Vilas spend per resident?
About $192 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2023, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $53 was less than 97% of 124 South Dakota cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
Who runs Vilas’ government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Vilas yet.
How did Vilas vote in 2024?
South Dakota counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Vilas alone. Miner County, where 100% of Vilas lies, voted Trump 72.1%, Harris 25.1% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Vilas?
0 full-time and 1 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $360 (about $4,320 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Vilas in the state legislature?
State Senate District 8 (Casey Crabtree) and State House District 8 (Tim Reisch and Tim Walburg). The House district also covers 85 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Vilas’ 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 →