(From Todd Epp, Northern Plains News)
The 2025 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally generated more than $1.58 million in state and local tax collections, according to the South Dakota Department of Revenue. That’s a 13 percent increase from 2024, fueled by a record 1,181 vendors, up 32 percent from the year before.
The breakdown shows:
– $901,513 in state sales tax
– $299,619 in tourism tax
– $380,604 in municipal taxes
The majority came from the Northern Black Hills, where Sturgis, Meade, and Lawrence County vendors collected $1.17 million—an 18 percent year-over-year increase. The Southern Black Hills, including Rapid City, Custer, Hill City, and Keystone, added $412,436.
But those revenues are only one side of the ledger. Hosting the Rally requires millions in public safety, sanitation, and infrastructure costs. Extra Highway Patrol troopers are dispatched to the Hills each August. Local governments expand jail staffing, add emergency medical services, and pay sanitation crews to handle tons of waste.
City audits in past years show Sturgis spending heavily on sanitation, overtime, and services. The Wall Street Journal reported in 2022 that local leaders view the Rally as both a boon and a burden, often struggling to cover the costs of hosting the world’s largest motorcycle rally.
The Rally Subsidy-O-Meter aims to weigh the $1.58 million collected against those uncounted expenses. For now, South Dakota leaders can tout double-digit revenue growth. The question remains whether taxpayers come out ahead—or are still footing part of the bill.
