Is Emery, SD a Good Place to Live?
Emery is a small town of 492 in South Dakota, with a median household income of $62,679 and a 2.1% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 89 (US average = 100), which is 11% below the national average.
Strengths: Emery 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 Emery is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Emery 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: 88.7Emery's overall cost of living index is 88.7, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Emery costs roughly 11% less than the average American city.
| Metric | Emery, SD | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $114,800 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $717 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 86.2% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $62,679 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Crime data for Emery is not currently available from the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program. Not all local agencies report to the UCR each year.
Schools & Education
Emery is served primarily by Bridgewater-Emery 30-3. The student-to-teacher ratio is 11.4:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Emery, SD | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Bridgewater-Emery 30-3 | — |
| Elementary Schools | 1 | — |
| Middle Schools | 1 | — |
| High Schools | 1 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 11.4:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 22.5% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 91.4% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Emery sees average highs of 26.2°F in January and 84.8°F in July, with 27.9 inches of annual precipitation and 36.3 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Emery, SD |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 26.2°F |
| Average High — July | 84.8°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 27.9" |
| Annual Snowfall | 36.3" |
Demographics
| Metric | Emery, SD | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 492 | — |
| Median Age | 38.9 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 2.1% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 24.1 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 92.7% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 0.0% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 0.4% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 0.0% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 27.2% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 15.9% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Emery
Emery, SD is covered by 1 ZIP code: