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South Dakota›Jerauld County
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Alpena TownshipSD

A town of 89, settled in 1883.

Population
89
2025 Census estimate · +1.1% since 2020
Median home value
$475K
Census ACS
Household income
$107K
median
Median age
13.5
years
Land area
2 sq mi

Is Alpena Township a good place to live?

Alpena Township has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.

Small town

89 people, and everyone knows the way

In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.

Nearby towns
Alpena · 3 miCarlyle Township · 6 miLane · 6 miFranklin Township · 6 miWarren Township · 7 miWessington Springs Township · 8 mi
Warren TownshipFranklin TownshipWarren TownshipFranklin TownshipAlpena Township
Getting set up

Moving to Alpena Township: who provides what

Who provides power, water and the rest in Alpena Township, and how to reach them.

The full setup list →
PowerNorthWestern Energy13.3¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterMid-Dakota Rural WaterNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet2 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Alpena Township’s trash rules yet
SchoolsWessington Springs School District 36-2Huron School District 02-22 districts serve Alpena Township; which school depends on your address and gradeNCES
Register to voteIn personSouth Dakota has no online registration; you can register in person until 15 days before Election Day or by mail (received 15 days before).vote.gov
Who runs elections hereJerauld County AuditorJerauld County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Aug 2025
ZIP code5731257312 100%Census 2020

EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Aug 3, 2026.

The data

Ordered by what stands out in Alpena Township.

Outdoors

23.9% of Alpena Township is conserved land

5.2 miles of trail. The trail network density in Alpena Township is 0.2 miles per square mile.

23.9%conserved
23.9%
conserved · 5,075 of 21,253 acres
5.2 mi
of trails · 0.2 per sq mi
Full pageAlpena Township’s outdoors pageOpen the page
Trail map5.2 miles of trail, mappedPick a walkPick a walkConserved land23.9% conserved · 5,075 acres protectedQuestions“Where can I hike in Alpena Township?”

Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US

Climate

Expect snowy winters and pleasant summers in Alpena Township

A winter brings about 45 inches of snow, with January nights at 7° and July afternoons at 86°.

45″snow a winter

Typical low → high °F

Winter10–30°
Spring34–57°
Summer59–83°
Fall36–60°
Oct 8
typical first frost
May 2
typical last frost
+0.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
Full pageAlpena Township’s climate pageOpen the page
A year of weatherJuly highs 86°, January lows 7°Rain & snow45″ of snow a winter · 24 inches of rain and snow a yearHeating & coolingMostly a heating billThen and now+0.9° vs. the 20th century · Warmer than the 20th-century average

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020

Natural hazards

The biggest natural risk in Alpena Township is cold waves, at a high overall level

Alpena Township’s FEMA risk score stands at 61 of 100, against 54 of 100 in South Dakota’s towns and 44 of 100 across U.S. towns. FEMA puts 45% of the town’s expected hazard losses down to cold waves, and 25% to inland flooding.

61risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
61High riskLowerHigher
Cold wavesInland floodingDrought
Full pageAlpena Township’s hazards pageOpen the page
What it facesHigh riskFlood claims0 paid flood claims · No paid flood claims on recordPast disasters17 disaster declarations · Declared for the countyGet ready8.3 events a year, on average · Ready for cold waves

FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA

Health

How healthy Alpena Township is

Among adults in Alpena Township, 30% sleep under 7 hours. Of 26 CDC measures, Alpena Township beats the South Dakota average on 1 and trails it on 1.

Alpena TownshipSouth Dakota townsU.S. towns
Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES)14%15%17%
Depression (CDC PLACES)20%22%23%
Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES)30%30%36%
Binge drink (CDC PLACES)18%19%16%
26 measures vs. South Dakota
1 better24 too close to call1 worse
What stands outAlpena TownshipSD
More adults getting cholesterol checked86.7%84.8%
More adults who have had cancer10.1%9.2%
Avera Weskota Memorial Medical Center - Cah
9.5 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, mental health
Full pageAlpena Township’s health reportOpen the page
Everyday habitsFewer binge drinkersHospitals & doctors nearby9.5 miles to an ER · Avera Weskota Memorial Medical Center - CahHow adults are doingFewer adults in frequent mental distressEvery CDC estimateBetter than SD on 1 of 26

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Alpena Township

16pages on Alpena Township
The big questions
HealthBetter than SD on 1 of 26 CDC measuresCost of livingWork & commute$107K median household incomeNatural hazardsFEMA risk higher than 61% of U.S. communities · cold waves
Out and about
Outdoors5 mi of trails · 24% conserved landPlacesLibraryWoonsocket Community LibraryColleges
The story
HistorySettled 1883Town Hall & politicsClimate86° summer highs · 45″ of snow
Day to day
NewsWeatherHandbookZIP code 57312Town SquareNeighbors
After high school

Colleges nearby

None within 15 miles of Alpena Township; the nearest are

Dakota Wesleyan UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Mitchell36.5 mi$33,790 tuitionMitchell Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · Mitchell37.7 mi$7,524 in-state tuitionDakota State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Madison64.7 mi$9,654 in-state tuition

About 3 of every 100 Alpena Township residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across South Dakota.

Prices by family income, graduation and earnings →

About Alpena Township

Town in South Dakota, United States

Official town website ↗

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)

Established
1883
Area
1.6 sq mi
Elevation
1,319 ft
ZIP code
57312
Area code
605

Questions about Alpena Township

Short answers, built from the data on this page.

Is Alpena Township, SD a good place to live?

Alpena Township has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.