Is Elk Point, SD a Good Place to Live?
Elk Point is a small town of 2,177 in South Dakota, with a median household income of $80,500 and a 2.4% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 88 (US average = 100), which is 12% below the national average.
Strengths: Elk Point stands out for an affordable cost of living, below-average home prices, lower-than-average crime, solid school ratings (B+), short average commutes.
Trade-offs: No major red flags stand out in the available data. Whether Elk Point is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Elk Point 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: 88.1Elk Point's overall cost of living index is 88.1, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Elk Point costs roughly 12% less than the average American city.
| Metric | Elk Point, SD | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $201,400 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $771 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 76.6% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $80,500 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Very SafeElk Point's violent crime rate is 48.7 per 100,000 residents — 87% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Elk Point is served primarily by Elk Point-Jefferson School District 61-7. The student-to-teacher ratio is 13.7:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Elk Point, SD | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Elk Point-Jefferson School District 61-7 | — |
| Elementary Schools | 1 | — |
| Middle Schools | 1 | — |
| High Schools | 1 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 13.7:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 33.6% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 96.6% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Elk Point sees average highs of 30.5°F in January and 85.5°F in July, with 30.3 inches of annual precipitation and 36.2 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Elk Point, SD |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 30.5°F |
| Average High — July | 85.5°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 30.3" |
| Annual Snowfall | 36.2" |
Demographics
| Metric | Elk Point, SD | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 2,177 | — |
| Median Age | 33.8 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 2.4% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 21.4 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 95.2% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 0.7% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 3.2% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 0.2% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 30.4% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 15.4% | 16.8% |