Is De Smet, SD a Good Place to Live?
De Smet is a small town of 990 in South Dakota, with a median household income of $57,656 . Its cost of living index is 90 (US average = 100), which is 10% below the national average.
Strengths: De Smet 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 De Smet is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All De Smet 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: 90.1De Smet's overall cost of living index is 90.1, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in De Smet costs roughly 10% less than the average American city.
| Metric | De Smet, SD | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $146,200 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $729 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 76.1% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $57,656 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Crime data for De Smet is not currently available from the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program. Not all local agencies report to the UCR each year.
Schools & Education
De Smet is served primarily by De Smet School District 38-2. The student-to-teacher ratio is 13.3:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | De Smet, SD | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | De Smet School District 38-2 | — |
| Elementary Schools | 1 | — |
| Middle Schools | 1 | — |
| High Schools | 1 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 13.3:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 19.4% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 86.8% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
De Smet sees average highs of 23.2°F in January and 81.5°F in July, with 24.9 inches of annual precipitation and 41.4 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | De Smet, SD |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 23.2°F |
| Average High — July | 81.5°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 24.9" |
| Annual Snowfall | 41.4" |
Demographics
| Metric | De Smet, SD | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 990 | — |
| Median Age | 55.2 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 0.0% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 10.9 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 99.0% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 0.0% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 0.0% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 0.0% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 18.0% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 35.6% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in De Smet
De Smet, SD is covered by 1 ZIP code: