How is Dakota run?
Dakota’s town government spent $541,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $436 per resident.
What stands out about how Dakota is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
Wautoma Area School District
Dakota’s K–12 school district, shared with Lohrville, Redgranite, Wautoma, Marion, Wautoma and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $13,568 per pupil, $7,925 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.
Wisconsin districts overall: 39% local, 50% state, 11% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
About $436 per resident a year, or $1.19 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 69%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$436 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar towns
Dakota’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($436 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 1113 Wisconsin towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $511, and the middle half spent $371–$727. Dakota spent less than 63% of them.
Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Wisconsin towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Dakota itself left out).
No trend yet
Dakota reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $2,049 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.17% of the home’s value, vs 1.42% across Wisconsin.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Dakota’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 Dakota’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Dakota →
Who’s in charge in Dakota
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Dakota’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on townofdakota.org ↗.
How Dakota voted in 2024
Official results for Dakota’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Donald J TrumpRepublican67.7%426 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat32.0%201 votesOthers: 0.3% (2 votes).
Most votes in Dakota: Donald J Trump
Waushara County: Trump 67.0%, Harris 31.8% · Wisconsin: Trump 49.6%, Harris 48.7%
of Dakota’s 1,026 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Wisconsin: 76%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Dakota: Eric Hovde
Waushara County: Hovde 64.9%, Baldwin 32.6% · Wisconsin: Baldwin 49.3%, Hovde 48.5%
Most votes in the district: Glenn Grothman
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Dakota, its county and the state
| Trump | Harris | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dakota | 67.7% | 32.0% | 0.3% | 629 |
| Waushara County | 67.0% | 31.8% | 1.2% | 14,363 |
| Wisconsin | 49.6% | 48.7% | 1.7% | 3,422,918 |
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 Dakota.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: townofdakota.org ↗
- 2Wisconsin AssemblyState representatives
- 3Wisconsin SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Wisconsin
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Dakota compares with the towns next door
Dakota spent $436 per resident in 2022; the 5 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $224 to $1,230. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Wautoma | $224 | $2,416 |
| Marion | $398 | $2,911 |
| Richford | $419 | $2,746 |
| Crystal Lake | $637 | $3,148 |
| Wautoma | $1,230 | $1,905 |
| Dakota | $436 | $2,049 |
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 Dakota’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Dakota’s government
How much does Dakota spend per resident?
About $436 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 $436 was less than 63% of 1113 Wisconsin towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Dakota?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,049 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.17% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.42% across Wisconsin. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see townofdakota.org.
Who runs Dakota’s government?
See townofdakota.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Dakota yet.
How did Dakota vote in 2024?
For president, Donald J Trump 67.7%, Kamala D Harris 32.0% (629 votes, official results). Waushara County: Trump 67.0%, Harris 31.8%. Wisconsin: Trump 49.6%, Harris 48.7%.
How many people work for Dakota?
0 full-time and 5 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $8,233 (about $98,796 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Dakota in the state legislature?
State Senate District 19 (Rachael Cabral-Guevara) and Assembly District 57 (Kevin Petersen). The Assembly district also covers 48 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Dakota’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 →