2026 ranking

Best small towns to live in South Dakota

The 25 South Dakota small towns with the best mix of affordability, safety, schools and jobs, picked from 45 real small towns of 1,000 to 15,000 people — not suburbs.

1
Tyndall, SD Score 77/100
1,183 people · typical home $102k · household income $50k · 43 violent crimes per 100k · schools in the top 33% of SD · 3.0% unemployment · 0 mi to a hospital
2
Ipswich, SD Score 73/100
1,048 people · typical home $165k · household income $74k · 99 violent crimes per 100k · schools in the top 9% of SD · 0.0% unemployment · 24 mi to a hospital
3
Gettysburg, SD Score 71/100
1,260 people · typical home $125k · household income $64k · schools in the top 17% of SD · 2.0% unemployment · 11 mi to a hospital
4
Springfield, SD Score 68/100
2,038 people · typical home $119k · household income $56k · 43 violent crimes per 100k · schools in the top 33% of SD · 5.0% unemployment · 9 mi to a hospital
5
Clear Lake, SD Score 68/100
1,327 people · typical home $163k · household income $85k · 69 violent crimes per 100k · schools in the top 58% of SD · 3.0% unemployment · 3 mi to a hospital
6
Webster, SD Score 66/100
1,896 people · typical home $154k · household income $55k · 110 violent crimes per 100k · schools in the top 11% of SD · 1.0% unemployment · 2 mi to a hospital
7
Milbank, SD Score 65/100
3,525 people · typical home $155k · household income $56k · schools in the top 14% of SD · 2.0% unemployment · 2 mi to a hospital
8
Mobridge, SD Score 64/100
2,932 people · typical home $137k · household income $65k · 200 violent crimes per 100k · schools in the top 36% of SD · 1.0% unemployment · 14 mi to a hospital
9
Miller, SD Score 63/100
1,363 people · typical home $155k · household income $58k · schools in the top 24% of SD · 0.0% unemployment · 5 mi to a hospital
10
Platte, SD Score 62/100
1,161 people · typical home $179k · household income $73k · 186 violent crimes per 100k · schools in the top 10% of SD · 3.0% unemployment · 6 mi to a hospital
11
Gregory, SD Score 62/100
1,379 people · typical home $115k · household income $51k · schools in the top 32% of SD · 3.0% unemployment · 8 mi to a hospital
12
Groton, SD Score 61/100
1,691 people · typical home $191k · household income $90k · 351 violent crimes per 100k · schools in the top 3% of SD · 2.0% unemployment · 21 mi to a hospital
13
Hot Springs, SD Score 58/100
3,548 people · typical home $203k · household income $66k · 92 violent crimes per 100k · schools in the top 38% of SD · 2.0% unemployment · 4 mi to a hospital
14
Aurora, SD Score 57/100
1,444 people · typical home $235k · household income $96k · 93 violent crimes per 100k · schools in the top 57% of SD · 3.0% unemployment · 6 mi to a hospital
15
Salem, SD Score 57/100
1,216 people · typical home $167k · household income $75k · 52 violent crimes per 100k · schools in the top 82% of SD · 1.0% unemployment · 21 mi to a hospital
16
Lead, SD Score 56/100
3,006 people · typical home $189k · household income $73k · 117 violent crimes per 100k · schools in the top 63% of SD · 0.0% unemployment · 4 mi to a hospital
17
Fort Pierre, SD Score 56/100
2,410 people · typical home $221k · household income $70k · 66 violent crimes per 100k · schools in the top 43% of SD · 1.0% unemployment · 12 mi to a hospital
18
Lemmon, SD Score 56/100
1,208 people · typical home $86k · household income $50k · schools in the top 45% of SD · 5.0% unemployment · 25 mi to a hospital
19
Volga, SD Score 55/100
2,408 people · typical home $240k · household income $79k · 93 violent crimes per 100k · schools in the top 35% of SD · 2.0% unemployment · 6 mi to a hospital
20
Madison, SD Score 54/100
6,094 people · typical home $193k · household income $66k · 92 violent crimes per 100k · schools in the top 46% of SD · 4.0% unemployment · 3 mi to a hospital
21
Freeman, SD Score 50/100
1,565 people · typical home $164k · household income $57k · schools in the top 68% of SD · 2.0% unemployment · 2 mi to a hospital
22
Winner, SD Score 49/100
2,905 people · typical home $106k · household income $47k · 165 violent crimes per 100k · schools in the top 62% of SD · 3.0% unemployment · 13 mi to a hospital
23
Parkston, SD Score 49/100
1,874 people · typical home $157k · household income $70k · schools in the top 54% of SD · 3.0% unemployment · 19 mi to a hospital
24
Redfield, SD Score 49/100
1,989 people · typical home $120k · household income $58k · schools in the top 90% of SD · 2.0% unemployment · 3 mi to a hospital
25
Custer, SD Score 48/100
2,341 people · typical home $236k · household income $78k · 112 violent crimes per 100k · schools in the top 56% of SD · 4.0% unemployment · 4 mi to a hospital

How we ranked them

Every small town in South Dakota with 1,000–15,000 people that stands on its own (not part of a big metro core, by USDA rural-urban codes) and has solid Census data. Each town is scored against the others in South Dakota on: affordability (household income vs. home prices), safety (violent crime, FBI), schools (reading proficiency vs. other South Dakota districts), jobs (unemployment, half weight) and everyday access (distance to a hospital and a grocery store, quarter weight each). Missing numbers count as average.

The "best" town is different for everyone — weather, size, politics, things to do and more all matter too.

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