Is Timber Lake, SD a Good Place to Live?
Timber Lake is a small town of 627 in South Dakota, with a median household income of $56,389 and a 6.2% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 84 (US average = 100), which is 16% below the national average.
Strengths: Timber Lake stands out for an affordable cost of living, below-average home prices, solid school ratings (A-), short average commutes.
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include an elevated unemployment rate. Whether Timber Lake is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Timber Lake 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: 84.1Timber Lake's overall cost of living index is 84.1, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Timber Lake costs roughly 16% less than the average American city.
| Metric | Timber Lake, SD | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $81,300 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $500 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 63.1% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $56,389 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Crime data for Timber Lake is not currently available from the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program. Not all local agencies report to the UCR each year.
Schools & Education
Timber Lake is served primarily by Timber Lake School District 20-3. The student-to-teacher ratio is 10.3:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Timber Lake, SD | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Timber Lake School District 20-3 | — |
| Elementary Schools | 1 | — |
| Middle Schools | 1 | — |
| High Schools | 1 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 10.3:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 24.8% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 94.0% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Timber Lake sees average highs of 26.7°F in January and 85.9°F in July, with 19.4 inches of annual precipitation and 41.2 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Timber Lake, SD |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 26.7°F |
| Average High — July | 85.9°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 19.4" |
| Annual Snowfall | 41.2" |
Demographics
| Metric | Timber Lake, SD | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 627 | — |
| Median Age | 30.0 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 6.2% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 23.2 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 50.7% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 1.0% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 1.3% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 0.5% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 30.9% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 10.7% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Timber Lake
Timber Lake, SD is covered by 1 ZIP code: