Is Eagle Butte, SD a Good Place to Live?
Eagle Butte is a small town of 1,396 in South Dakota, with a median household income of $40,556 and a 37.6% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 84 (US average = 100), which is 16% below the national average.
Strengths: Eagle Butte stands out for an affordable cost of living, below-average home prices, solid school ratings (B+), short average commutes.
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include an elevated unemployment rate. Whether Eagle Butte is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Eagle Butte 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: 84.2Eagle Butte's overall cost of living index is 84.2, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Eagle Butte costs roughly 16% less than the average American city.
| Metric | Eagle Butte, SD | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $53,900 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $647 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 59.6% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $40,556 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Crime data for Eagle Butte is not currently available from the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program. Not all local agencies report to the UCR each year.
Schools & Education
Eagle Butte is served primarily by Eagle Butte School District 20-1. The student-to-teacher ratio is 9.0:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Eagle Butte, SD | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Eagle Butte School District 20-1 | — |
| Elementary Schools | 2 | — |
| Middle Schools | 2 | — |
| High Schools | 2 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 9.0:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 13.1% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 92.4% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Eagle Butte sees average highs of 28.2°F in January and 86.4°F in July, with 19.1 inches of annual precipitation and 36.8 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Eagle Butte, SD |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 28.2°F |
| Average High — July | 86.4°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 19.1" |
| Annual Snowfall | 36.8" |
Demographics
| Metric | Eagle Butte, SD | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 1,396 | — |
| Median Age | 29.8 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 37.6% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 10.2 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 6.4% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 0.9% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 9.6% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 0.0% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 34.0% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 5.7% | 16.8% |