Baltic, South Dakota 1, 2009
Baltic’s story
137 years in pictures
The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 2004.
- 1889Baltic is settled
BalticSD
A town of 1,344, settled in 1889.
2 bordering townsMap →
Photo: AlexiusHoratius · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
1,344
2025 Census estimate · +8.3% since 2020
Typical home
$375K
+5.4% in a year
Household income
$108K
median
Median age
29.3
years
Jobs based here
163
A commuter town
Is Baltic a good place to live?
The best of Baltic’s subject grades is an A− for incomes. 38% of residents are under 18 in Baltic, where South Dakota’s towns sit at 22% and U.S. towns at 22%. Only 3 of the 36 South Dakota towns we compare have a lower median age than Baltic. Baltic has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
StrongestA−Jobs & income
A growing town
Baltic has grown 24% since 2010
1,089 counted in 2010 and 1,246 in 2020; an estimated 1,344 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
How Baltic grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within South Dakota), ordered by how far Baltic is from typical.
Jobs & income163 jobs based hereA−Open →HealthAvera Dells Area Hospital - Cah 4.8 miles awayB+Open →SchoolsB+Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 32% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listB+Open →Cost of livingBOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 5.7 of 20; 1.4% of households have no car; 4.2% of workers walk, bike or ride transitB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors0 miles of trailsBOpen →History1 notable person born hereC−Open →Civic life8.7 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsBOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Baltic: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Baltic, and how to reach them.
PowerXcel Energy13.1¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterBaltic water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Baltic’s trash rules yet
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.govWho runs elections hereMinnehaha County AuditorMinnehaha County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2023
ZIP code5700357003 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 Baltic.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A−
More than half of Baltic’s working residents commute to Sioux Falls
Most working residents leave Baltic for work: only 2% work in town. 1.2% of Baltic residents live below the poverty line, below both South Dakota’s towns (9.5%) and U.S. towns (9.6%). The median household income in Baltic is $108,000.
2%work in town
| Baltic | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 1.9% | 29% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 1.2% | 9.5% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $108,000 | $72,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 17 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Baltic2%
Sioux Falls55%
Garretson6%
Brandon5%
Dell Rapids2%
15 mi
median commute distance
163
jobs based in Baltic
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
B−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 53% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
SchoolsB+
Public schools in Baltic beat 69% of South Dakota districts
Its public schools are run by the Baltic School District 49-1. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
69%of SD districts it outscoresB+School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baltic Elementary - 02Largest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 307 | B+ |
| Baltic High School - 01Largest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 151 | B+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within SD on state tests and graduation
Who lives here
More children than South Dakota overall
Children under 18 are 38% of residents (24% statewide); people 65 and older are 8% of residents (18% statewide). Baltic has grown 8.3% since 2020, to 1,344 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 25% of Baltic adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more.
29.3median age · SD 38
| Baltic | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 8.2% | 19% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 25% | 33% | 29% |
BalticSouth DakotaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
21%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma2%
High school27%
Some college25%
Associate’s21%
Bachelor’s18%
Graduate7%
Women and men · all residents
47% women, 53% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±4.2 points. Across South Dakota, 49.2% of residents are women. Median age: women 29.7, men 29.0.
| Baltic | SD | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 21% | 13.1% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 16.6% | 11.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 5.3% | 9.3% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 16% | 12.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 18.3% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 8.7% | 10.7% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 5.8% | 12.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 6.7% | 11% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 1.5% | 7% | 7% |
| No diploma | 2.1% | 6.8% | 10.4% |
| High school | 26.8% | 29% | 26% |
| Some college | 25.2% | 19.9% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 21.1% | 12.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 18.1% | 21.9% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 6.7% | 10% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,300, single groups can be off by several points
HealthB+
Baltic ranks healthier than 72% of the country’s towns
Baltic beats the South Dakota average on 9 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 11% of adults report frequent physical distress in Baltic. Among 36 South Dakota towns, just 3 have a higher share of adults who have been diagnosed with depression than Baltic.
72%healthier than U.S. townsB+Health Grade
| Baltic | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 12% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 31% | 35% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 75% | 76% | 79% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 9.3% | 10% | 12% |
26 measures vs. South Dakota
9 better16 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Baltic | SD |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 8.5% | 12.7% |
| Fewer adults who have had a stroke | 2.4% | 3.5% |
| Fewer adults treating high blood pressure | 69.9% | 75.9% |
Avera Dells Area Hospital - Cah
4.8 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B+
Baltic faces a low natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 68% of U.S. communities. One flood insurance claim has been paid in Baltic since 2019.
32risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesCold waves
1
paid flood claims since 2019
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
In Baltic, expect four seasons and pleasant summers
Baltic has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 83°, January nights drop to 7° and about 40 inches of snow falls in a winter.
40″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter10–28°
Spring34–56°
Summer59–81°
Fall36–59°
Oct 4
typical first frost
May 1
typical last frost
+1.0°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HousingCost of living grade B
Baltic’s typical home value is about $375K
The typical Baltic home is worth about $375,000, up 5.4% in a year, 18% above the South Dakota typical home.
$375KZillow home value
Typical home value
Baltic$375K
South Dakota$318K
+5.4%
value change, 1 year
2
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
OutdoorsB
0% of Baltic is conserved land
0.2 miles of trail in 4 parks and preserves. Baltic’s trail density is 0.3 miles per square mile.
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 489 acres
0.2 mi
of trails · 0.3 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. River Park | — | 19 |
| 2. Baltic Heights Park | — | 15 |
| 3. Centennial Park | — | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Nearby attractions
All 9 attractions →Pipestone National Monument and 7 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Baltic. Close and well known come first.
27 mi National MonumentPipestone National Monument77K visitors a year
15 mi Zoo & aquariumGreat Plains Zoo
15 mi MuseumWashington Pavilion of Arts and Science
15 mi MuseumPettigrew Home & Museum23 mi MuseumPorter Sculpture Park
18 mi MuseumJasper MuseumSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Pipestone National Monument: Unknown, Public domain · Great Plains Zoo: Jake DeGroot, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Washington Pavilion of Arts and Science: Jon Platek, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Pettigrew Home & Museum: Jerry from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, United States, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Jasper Museum: Heritage Preservation Department - MNHS, CC BY-SA 2.0
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Baltic
19pages on Baltic
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Baltic
About 3 of every 100 Baltic residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across South Dakota.
Small town
1,344 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Sverdrup TownshipDell Rapids TownshipBaltic
About Baltic
City in South Dakota, United States
Baltic is a city on the Big Sioux River in northern Minnehaha County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 1,246 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.8 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,476 ft
- ZIP code
- 57003
- Area code
- 605
Questions about Baltic
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Baltic, SD expensive?
That is 4.5 years of the area's median household income ($82,754 across the Sioux Falls, SD-MN metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.