Is Lake City, SD a Good Place to Live?
Lake City is a small town of 53 in South Dakota, with a median household income of $51,250 and a 2.9% unemployment rate.
Strengths: Lake City stands out for below-average home prices, short average commutes.
Trade-offs: No major red flags stand out in the available data. Whether Lake City is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Lake City city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Cost of living data is based on the Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities for the Lake City metro area.
| Metric | Lake City, SD | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $137,500 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | N/A | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 90.0% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $51,250 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Crime data for Lake City is not currently available from the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program. Not all local agencies report to the UCR each year.
Schools & Education
| Metric | Lake City, SD | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | N/A | — |
| Elementary Schools | N/A | — |
| Middle Schools | N/A | — |
| High Schools | N/A | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | N/A | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 32.6% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 97.7% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Lake City sees average highs of 21.6°F in January and 81.8°F in July, with 25.0 inches of annual precipitation and 48.1 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Lake City, SD |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 21.6°F |
| Average High — July | 81.8°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 25.0" |
| Annual Snowfall | 48.1" |
Demographics
| Metric | Lake City, SD | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 53 | — |
| Median Age | 56.5 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 2.9% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 20.6 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 100.0% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 0.0% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 0.0% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 0.0% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 18.9% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 37.7% | 16.8% |