Is Winner, SD a Good Place to Live?
Winner is a small town of 2,905 in South Dakota, with a median household income of $52,500 and a 8.7% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 91 (US average = 100), which is 9% below the national average.
Strengths: Winner stands out for an affordable cost of living, below-average home prices, lower-than-average crime, short average commutes.
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include an elevated unemployment rate. Whether Winner is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Winner 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: 91.0Winner's overall cost of living index is 91.0, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Winner costs roughly 9% less than the average American city.
| Metric | Winner, SD | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $131,100 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $882 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 66.1% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $52,500 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Very SafeWinner's violent crime rate is 137.3 per 100,000 residents — 64% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Winner is served primarily by Winner School District 59-2. The student-to-teacher ratio is 15.6:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Winner, SD | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Winner School District 59-2 | — |
| Elementary Schools | 1 | — |
| Middle Schools | 1 | — |
| High Schools | 1 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 15.6:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 13.3% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 87.0% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Winner sees average highs of 35.2°F in January and 89.6°F in July, with 23.2 inches of annual precipitation and 49.1 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Winner, SD |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 35.2°F |
| Average High — July | 89.6°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 23.2" |
| Annual Snowfall | 49.1" |
Demographics
| Metric | Winner, SD | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 2,905 | — |
| Median Age | 43.7 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 8.7% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 10.8 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 73.8% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 1.2% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 1.5% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 0.3% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 20.3% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 21.5% | 16.8% |