Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 215, settled in 1883.
5.8% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Alpena, where South Dakota’s towns sit at 33% and U.S. towns at 29%. Alpena Bathhouse and Swimming Pool is on the National Register of Historic Places. Alpena has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Where Alpena beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census counts: 153 in 1900, a peak of 576 in 1920, 212 in 2020. The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 3 maps from 1898 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Alpena, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Aug 3, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in Alpena.
Most working residents leave Alpena for work: only 16% work in town. At 14 minutes, Alpena’s average trip to work is below both the South Dakota town median (17 minutes) and the median of U.S. towns (25 minutes). Jobs based in Alpena fell to 703 in 2023, 227 fewer than in 2013.
| Alpena | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 14 minutes | 17 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 16% | 29% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 6.6% | 9.5% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $67,000 | $72,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Alpena has cold, snowy winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 86°, January nights drop to 7° and about 45 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 61% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
13% of adults 18 to 64 have no health insurance in Alpena. Alpena beats the South Dakota average on 0 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 19% of adults have been diagnosed with depression in Alpena.
| Alpena | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 8.4% | 8.1% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 22% | 23% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 15% | 17% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 30% | 36% |
| What stands out | Alpena | SD |
|---|---|---|
| More uninsured adults | 13% | 8.8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
| Alpena | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 79% | 68% | 73% |
| Median rent | $925 a month | $962 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
None within 15 miles of Alpena; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Alpena residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across South Dakota.
Where Alpena’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Town in South Dakota, United States
Alpena (pronounced al-PEE'-nuh) is a town in northeastern corner of Jerauld County, South Dakota, United States. As of the 2020 census, Alpena had a population of 212.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Alpena has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.