Is Bowdle, SD a Good Place to Live?
Bowdle is a small town of 364 in South Dakota, with a median household income of $55,341 . Its cost of living index is 86 (US average = 100), which is 14% below the national average.
Strengths: Bowdle stands out for an affordable cost of living, below-average home prices, solid school ratings (B), short average commutes.
Trade-offs: No major red flags stand out in the available data. Whether Bowdle is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Bowdle 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: 86.1Bowdle's overall cost of living index is 86.1, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Bowdle costs roughly 14% less than the average American city.
| Metric | Bowdle, SD | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $88,500 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $609 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 63.4% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $55,341 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Crime data for Bowdle is not currently available from the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program. Not all local agencies report to the UCR each year.
Schools & Education
Bowdle is served primarily by Bowdle School District 22-1. The student-to-teacher ratio is 6.0:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Bowdle, SD | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Bowdle School District 22-1 | — |
| Elementary Schools | 1 | — |
| Middle Schools | 1 | — |
| High Schools | 1 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 6.0:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 18.4% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 92.4% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Bowdle sees average highs of 21.4°F in January and 82.8°F in July, with 20.4 inches of annual precipitation and 47.0 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Bowdle, SD |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 21.4°F |
| Average High — July | 82.8°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 20.4" |
| Annual Snowfall | 47.0" |
Demographics
| Metric | Bowdle, SD | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 364 | — |
| Median Age | 55.5 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 0.0% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 8.5 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 84.3% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 3.3% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 11.0% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 0.0% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 15.9% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 39.0% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Bowdle
Bowdle, SD is covered by 1 ZIP code: