Is Summit, SD a Good Place to Live?
Summit is a small town of 341 in South Dakota, with a median household income of $54,375 and a 6.4% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 86 (US average = 100), which is 14% below the national average.
Strengths: Summit stands out for an affordable cost of living, below-average home prices, solid school ratings (B+).
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include an elevated unemployment rate. Whether Summit is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Summit 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: 85.9Summit's overall cost of living index is 85.9, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Summit costs roughly 14% less than the average American city.
| Metric | Summit, SD | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $77,500 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $642 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 64.7% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $54,375 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Crime data for Summit is not currently available from the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program. Not all local agencies report to the UCR each year.
Schools & Education
Summit is served primarily by Summit School District 54-6. The student-to-teacher ratio is 9.6:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Summit, SD | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Summit School District 54-6 | — |
| Elementary Schools | 1 | — |
| Middle Schools | N/A | — |
| High Schools | 1 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 9.6:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 10.3% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 88.0% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Summit sees average highs of 20.7°F in January and 81.9°F in July, with 25.7 inches of annual precipitation and 58.6 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Summit, SD |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 20.7°F |
| Average High — July | 81.9°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 25.7" |
| Annual Snowfall | 58.6" |
Demographics
| Metric | Summit, SD | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 341 | — |
| Median Age | 28.1 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 6.4% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 26.7 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 68.0% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 0.9% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 1.8% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 0.0% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 29.9% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 10.0% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Summit
Summit, SD is covered by 1 ZIP code: