Is Big Stone City, SD a Good Place to Live?
Big Stone City is a small town of 769 in South Dakota, with a median household income of $51,250 . Its cost of living index is 88 (US average = 100), which is 12% below the national average.
Strengths: Big Stone City stands out for an affordable cost of living, below-average home prices, solid school ratings (A-), short average commutes.
Trade-offs: No major red flags stand out in the available data. Whether Big Stone City is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Big Stone City city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Index: 88.4Big Stone City's overall cost of living index is 88.4, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Big Stone City costs roughly 12% less than the average American city.
| Metric | Big Stone City, SD | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $109,000 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $710 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 74.0% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $51,250 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Crime data for Big Stone City is not currently available from the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program. Not all local agencies report to the UCR each year.
Schools & Education
Big Stone City is served primarily by Big Stone City School District 25-1. The student-to-teacher ratio is 7.4:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Big Stone City, SD | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Big Stone City School District 25-1 | — |
| Elementary Schools | 1 | — |
| Middle Schools | 1 | — |
| High Schools | N/A | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 7.4:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 9.1% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 78.1% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Big Stone City sees average highs of 20.9°F in January and 81.0°F in July, with 25.4 inches of annual precipitation and 32.2 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Big Stone City, SD |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 20.9°F |
| Average High — July | 81.0°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 25.4" |
| Annual Snowfall | 32.2" |
Demographics
| Metric | Big Stone City, SD | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 769 | — |
| Median Age | 56.1 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 0.0% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 14.0 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 94.7% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 0.0% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 0.3% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 0.5% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 14.7% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 39.9% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Big Stone City
Big Stone City, SD is covered by 1 ZIP code: