County Commons · South Dakota
South Dakota: state government and every county
The state's own money — what it collects and what it spends on — its official offices, how to vote, and a page for each of its 66 counties. Every number from official public records, with sources.
924,669 people (2024 Census estimate, +4.1% since 2020) · 66 counties
The state's money — South Dakota state government, fiscal 2023
The state government took in $6.3 billion and spent $6.6 billion · $7,093 per resident. It owed $4.1 billion in debt at year's end.
Of every $100 it spends
Education$31.24 · $2 billion
Public welfare$25.49 · $1.7 billion
Highways$13.82 · $904.6 million
Other and unallocable$9.12 · $597 million
Governmental administration$6.02 · $393.7 million
Natural resources$4.98 · $325.9 million
Correction$2.56 · $167.4 million
Health$2.07 · $135.4 million
Interest on general debt$1.84 · $120.5 million
Police protection$1.05 · $68.5 million
Parks and recreation$0.95 · $62.3 million
Hospitals$0.86 · $56.6 million
✓ These 12 functions add to the state's general expenditure, $6.5 billion, exactly. “Public welfare” is mostly Medicaid. Money the state passes to counties, cities and school districts is counted in the function it pays for.
Where its money comes from
Taxes$2.6 billion
General sales tax$1.7 billion
Selective sales taxes (fuel, tobacco, alcohol and others)$548 million
License taxes (vehicles, businesses, hunting and others)$348.1 million
Corporate income tax$48.1 million
Other taxes (severance, transfer and others)$6.7 million
From other governments (mostly federal aid)$2.6 billion
Charges and fees (tuition, tolls, hospital charges)$354.2 million
Other general revenue (interest, rents, settlements)$721 million
Pension and insurance trust earnings and contributions$721 million
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 Annual Survey of State Government Finances (State Totals), last revised Sept. 16, 2025. These are the state government's own books — counties, cities and school districts are separate.