Is Murdo, SD a Good Place to Live?
Murdo is a small town of 638 in South Dakota, with a median household income of $61,083 and a 2.5% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 88 (US average = 100), which is 12% below the national average.
Strengths: Murdo 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 Murdo is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Murdo 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: 88.2Murdo's overall cost of living index is 88.2, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Murdo costs roughly 12% less than the average American city.
| Metric | Murdo, SD | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $108,100 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $698 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 69.9% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $61,083 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Crime data for Murdo is not currently available from the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program. Not all local agencies report to the UCR each year.
Schools & Education
Murdo is served primarily by Jones County School District 37-3. The student-to-teacher ratio is 9.0:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Murdo, SD | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Jones County School District 37-3 | — |
| Elementary Schools | 1 | — |
| Middle Schools | 1 | — |
| High Schools | 1 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 9.0:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 28.7% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 92.9% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Murdo sees average highs of 30.7°F in January and 86.7°F in July, with 21.7 inches of annual precipitation and 49.1 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Murdo, SD |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 30.7°F |
| Average High — July | 86.7°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 21.7" |
| Annual Snowfall | 49.1" |
Demographics
| Metric | Murdo, SD | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 638 | — |
| Median Age | 33.8 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 2.5% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 12.9 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 67.9% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 0.0% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 0.3% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 0.0% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 29.8% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 20.8% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Murdo
Murdo, SD is covered by 1 ZIP code: