Anton and Mary Agnes Karpen House · Photo: Jon Roanhaus · CC BY-SA 3.0Webster spent more per resident in 2022 than 82% of similar cities
Webster’s city government spent $2.3 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $1,357 per resident. That is its newest year reported to the Census Bureau. Water and other utilities ($1.6 million) and the airport ($380,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Webster is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,357 per resident in 2022: more than 82% of them
Webster’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,357 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 $747, and the middle half spent $370–$1,166. Webster spent more than 82% 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; Webster itself left out).
About $1,357 per resident a year, or $3.72 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: parks & libraries, at 27%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Webster reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau (2023, 2024 are estimates), so there is no trend yet.
full-time in March 2025, the same as 15 in 2022. Both are Census estimates.
The typical homeowner pays $1,683 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.09% 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 Webster’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 Webster’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Webster →
Who’s in charge in Webster
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time city employee for every 113 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 2022 finance file (1,694).
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.
Webster School District 18-5
Webster’s K–12 school district, shared with Highland Township, Racine Township, Rusk Township, Wallace, Webster Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $11,995 per pupil, $6,898 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.
Webster’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 Webster alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Day County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican64.0%1,876 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat34.1%1,000 votesOthers: 1.9% (56 votes).
Most votes in Day County: Donald J Trump
South Dakota: Trump 63.4%, Harris 34.2%
100% of Webster lies in Day County. Every 2024 race in Day County is on the county’s page.
Day 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 Webster.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilLocal 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 Webster compares with the towns next door
Webster spent $1,357 per resident in 2022. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Webster Township | estimate | $2,421 |
| Rusk Township | estimate | $1,389 |
| Webster | $1,357 | $1,683 |
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 Webster’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Webster’s government
How much does Webster spend per resident?
About $1,357 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 $1,357 was more than 82% of 124 South Dakota cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Webster?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,683 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.09% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.06% across South Dakota. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the city’s assessor.
Who runs Webster’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Webster yet.
How did Webster vote in 2024?
South Dakota counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Webster alone. Day County, where 100% of Webster lies, voted Trump 64.0%, Harris 34.1% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Webster?
15 full-time and 12 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $78,634 (about $943,608 a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Webster in the state legislature?
State Senate District 1 (Michael Rohl) and State House District 1 (Logan Manhart and Nick Fosness). The House district also covers 150 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Webster’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 →