Is Plankinton, SD a Good Place to Live?
Plankinton is a small town of 606 in South Dakota, with a median household income of $76,250 . Its cost of living index is 90 (US average = 100), which is 10% below the national average.
Strengths: Plankinton 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 Plankinton is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Plankinton 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: 89.5Plankinton's overall cost of living index is 89.5, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Plankinton costs roughly 10% less than the average American city.
| Metric | Plankinton, SD | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $95,600 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $888 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 76.4% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $76,250 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Crime data for Plankinton is not currently available from the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program. Not all local agencies report to the UCR each year.
Schools & Education
Plankinton is served primarily by Plankinton School District 01-1. The student-to-teacher ratio is 9.6:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Plankinton, SD | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Plankinton School District 01-1 | — |
| Elementary Schools | 1 | — |
| Middle Schools | 3 | — |
| High Schools | 3 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 9.6:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 24.3% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 90.8% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Plankinton sees average highs of 27.1°F in January and 85.5°F in July, with 23.9 inches of annual precipitation and 37.7 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Plankinton, SD |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 27.1°F |
| Average High — July | 85.5°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 23.9" |
| Annual Snowfall | 37.7" |
Demographics
| Metric | Plankinton, SD | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 606 | — |
| Median Age | 43.2 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 0.0% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 15.0 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 96.7% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 0.0% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 1.3% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 0.5% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 22.8% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 15.8% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Plankinton
Plankinton, SD is covered by 1 ZIP code: