Is White River, SD a Good Place to Live?
White River is a small town of 681 in South Dakota, with a median household income of N/A and a 2.2% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 88 (US average = 100), which is 12% below the national average.
Strengths: White River 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 White River is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All White River 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: 88.0White River's overall cost of living index is 88.0, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in White River costs roughly 12% less than the average American city.
| Metric | White River, SD | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $57,000 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,012 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 48.5% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | N/A | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Crime data for White River is not currently available from the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program. Not all local agencies report to the UCR each year.
Schools & Education
White River is served primarily by White River School District 47-1. The student-to-teacher ratio is 10.4:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | White River, SD | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | White River School District 47-1 | — |
| Elementary Schools | 2 | — |
| Middle Schools | 1 | — |
| High Schools | 1 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 10.4:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 11.5% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 80.7% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
White River sees average highs of 35.1°F in January and 89.6°F in July, with 20.4 inches of annual precipitation and 40.0 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | White River, SD |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 35.1°F |
| Average High — July | 89.6°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 20.4" |
| Annual Snowfall | 40.0" |
Demographics
| Metric | White River, SD | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 681 | — |
| Median Age | 27.7 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 2.2% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 16.5 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 32.9% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 0.7% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 0.0% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 0.0% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 30.2% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 14.5% | 16.8% |