Bethel TownshipSD
A town of 186, settled in 1880.
Is Bethel Township a good place to live?
Bethel Township has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
186 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Moving to Bethel Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Bethel Township, 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.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Bethel Township.
Fewer children than South Dakota overall
Among 36 South Dakota towns, just 2 have a higher median age than Bethel Township. Children under 18 are 6% of residents (24% statewide); people 65 and older are 29% of residents (18% statewide). For adults 25 and older locally, the share who hold a bachelor’s degree or more is 39%.
| Bethel Township | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 59.4 years | 39.5 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 39% | 33% | 29% |
Ages · share of residents
Education · adults 25 and older
| Bethel Township | SD | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 5.6% | 13.1% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 0% | 11.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 19.1% | 9.3% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 5.6% | 12.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 0% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 16.9% | 10.7% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 23.6% | 12.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 29.2% | 11% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 0% | 7% | 7% |
| No diploma | 0% | 6.8% | 10.4% |
| High school | 9% | 29% | 26% |
| Some college | 11.9% | 19.9% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 40.3% | 12.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 28.4% | 21.9% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 10.4% | 10% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 200, single groups can be off by several points
With only 0.3 jobs per working resident, most people in Bethel Township work out of town
Bethel Township’s mean commuting time stands at 24 minutes, where South Dakota’s towns sit at 17 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. The top destinations are Vermillion (22%), Yankton (14%) and Sioux Falls (14%). Half commute less than 18 miles.
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
In Bethel Township, expect four seasons and pleasant summers
Summer afternoons peak near 85° in July, and January nights bottom out around 10°; snowfall runs to about 38 inches a winter. Expect cold, snowy winters and warm summers in Bethel Township.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Bethel Township has a high natural-hazard risk, chiefly from inland flooding
Of the losses FEMA expects in the town, 51% come from inland flooding and 16% from drought. Bethel Township’s natural-hazard score from FEMA stands at 66 of 100, above both South Dakota’s towns (54 of 100) and U.S. towns (44 of 100).
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
How healthy Bethel Township is
Among adults in Bethel Township, 13% report frequent physical distress. The town beats the South Dakota average on 4 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 2. Two figures for adults locally: 14% report frequent mental distress, 36% have high blood pressure.
| Bethel Township | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 30% | 36% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 15% | 17% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 36% | 31% | 35% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 35% | 35% |
| What stands out | Bethel Township | SD |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 10.1% | 12.7% |
| More adults screened for colon cancer | 70.1% | 65.5% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 11.2% | 9.2% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
In Bethel Township, 0.1% of the land is conserved
8.3 miles of trail. The concentration of trails for Bethel Township comes to 0.2 miles per square mile. Among 33 South Dakota towns, just one has a lower share of conserved land than Bethel Township.
| Bethel Township | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 0.1% | 3.3% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 0.6 | 0.4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Everything we know about Bethel Township
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Bethel Township
About 0 of every 100 Bethel Township residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across South Dakota.
100% of working residents leave Bethel Township for work
Where Bethel Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Questions about Bethel Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Bethel Township, SD a good place to live?
Bethel Township has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.