Is Milbank, SD a Good Place to Live?
Milbank is a small town of 3,506 in South Dakota, with a median household income of $63,269 and a 4.0% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 87 (US average = 100), which is 13% below the national average.
Strengths: Milbank stands out for an affordable cost of living, below-average home prices, solid school ratings (A-), short average commutes.
Trade-offs: No major red flags stand out in the available data. Whether Milbank is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Milbank 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: 86.8Milbank's overall cost of living index is 86.8, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Milbank costs roughly 13% less than the average American city.
| Metric | Milbank, SD | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $162,900 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $454 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 74.5% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $63,269 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Crime data for Milbank is not currently available from the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program. Not all local agencies report to the UCR each year.
Schools & Education
Milbank is served primarily by Milbank School District 25-4. The student-to-teacher ratio is 12.2:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Milbank, SD | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Milbank School District 25-4 | — |
| Elementary Schools | 2 | — |
| Middle Schools | 1 | — |
| High Schools | 1 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 12.2:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 33.8% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 96.0% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Milbank sees average highs of 20.9°F in January and 81.0°F in July, with 25.4 inches of annual precipitation and 32.2 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Milbank, SD |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 20.9°F |
| Average High — July | 81.0°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 25.4" |
| Annual Snowfall | 32.2" |
Demographics
| Metric | Milbank, SD | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 3,506 | — |
| Median Age | 42.3 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 4.0% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 12.3 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 90.1% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 0.1% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 7.6% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 0.0% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 20.5% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 24.5% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Milbank
Milbank, SD is covered by 1 ZIP code: