Median Income
$160,129
household / year
Median Home Value
$600,200
owner-occupied
Median Rent
N/A
gross / month
Cost of Living
N/A
national avg = 100

Is Mountain Plains, SD a Good Place to Live?

Mountain Plains is a small town of 481 in South Dakota, with a median household income of $160,129 and a 11.8% unemployment rate.

Strengths: Mountain Plains stands out for a well-educated population, short average commutes.

Trade-offs: Potential downsides include high home prices, an elevated unemployment rate. Whether Mountain Plains is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.

All Mountain Plains 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 Mountain Plains metro area.

Metric Mountain Plains, SD National Avg
Median Home Value $600,200 $244,900
Median Monthly Rent N/A $1,163
Homeownership Rate 100.0% 65.9%
Median Household Income $160,129 $74,755

Crime & Safety

Safer than Average

Mountain Plains's violent crime rate is 247.6 per 100,000 residents — 35% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.

Violent Crime
247.6 /100k
Property Crime
1265.3 /100k

Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.

Schools & Education

Metric Mountain Plains, 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 52.5% 35.4%
High School Diploma or Higher 90.6% 91.1%

Weather & Climate

Mountain Plains sees average highs of 35.9°F in January and 83.6°F in July, with 26.4 inches of annual precipitation and 70.5 inches of snow per year.

MetricMountain Plains, SD
Average High — January35.9°F
Average High — July83.6°F
Annual Precipitation26.4"
Annual Snowfall70.5"

Demographics

MetricMountain Plains, SDNational Avg
Population481—
Median Age60.138.9
Unemployment Rate11.8%3.7%
Avg Commute Time21.8 min26 min
White (non-Hispanic)83.2%59.3%
Black or African American0.0%13.6%
Hispanic or Latino0.2%18.9%
Asian7.1%6.3%
Under 187.7%22.2%
65 and over19.8%16.8%

Nearby Cities

Spearfish, SD 3 mi North Spearfish, SD 4 mi Central City, SD 8 mi St. Onge, SD 9 mi Deadwood, SD 9 mi

Mountain Plains vs Other Cities

Mountain Plains, SD vs Spearfish, SD Mountain Plains, SD vs North Spearfish, SD Mountain Plains, SD vs Central City, SD Mountain Plains, SD vs St. Onge, SD Mountain Plains, SD vs Deadwood, SD

Frequently Asked Questions

Mountain Plains has a median home value of $600,200 and median rent of N/A/month against a median household income of $160,129.
Mountain Plains's violent crime rate is 247.6 per 100,000 residents — the national average is ~380 per 100,000. Property crime is 1265.3 per 100,000 (national avg ~2,100). Data from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program.
School district information is sourced from NCES Common Core of Data.
Mountain Plains, SD has a population of 481, a median household income of $160,129, and an unemployment rate of 11.8%. Whether it's right for you depends on your priorities — use the compare tool above to stack it against another city you're considering.
Mountain Plains averages 35.9°F in January and 83.6°F in July. Annual rainfall is 26.4 inches with about 70.5 inches of snow per year. Based on NOAA 30-year climate normals (1991–2020).
The population of Mountain Plains, South Dakota is 481 with a median age of 60.1. Source: US Census ACS 5-Year Estimates.
Key numbers for living in Mountain Plains: median home $600,200, median household income $160,129, crime index 63 (100 = US average, lower is safer). Whether these are benefits or drawbacks depends on where you're coming from — compare Mountain Plains side by side with your current city to see the trade-offs.