Big Springs, South Dakota, 2012
Big Springs Township’s story
147 years in pictures
The archive holds 1 old photo or paper going back to 2012 and 3 maps from 1898 on.
- 1879Big Springs Township is settled
Big Springs TownshipSD
A town of 281, settled in 1879.
Population
281
2025 Census estimate · +9.3% since 2020
Median home value
$281K
Census ACS
Household income
$96K
median
Median age
44.0
years
Jobs based here
9
A commuter town
Is Big Springs Township a good place to live?
No town among the 36 in South Dakota we compare has a higher average trip to work than Big Springs Township. Big Springs Township has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
281 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Sioux Valley TownshipVirginia TownshipEmmet TownshipAlcester TownshipBig Springs Township
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Big Springs Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Big Springs Township, and how to reach them.
PowerSoutheastern Electric Coop13.0¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterSouth Lincoln Rural Water SystemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers97% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Big Springs Township’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 hereUnion County AuditorUnion County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2025
ZIP codes57001, 51023, 5100157001 75% · 51023 13% · 51001 11%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 Big Springs Township.
Work & commute
With 0.1 jobs for every working resident, most of Big Springs Township’s workers commute out
Most working residents leave Big Springs Township for work: only 0% work in town. 2.1% of Big Springs Township residents live below the poverty line, against 9.5% in South Dakota’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. The top destinations are Sioux Falls (34%), Beresford (16%) and Vermillion (7%).
0%work in town
Where working residents work
In Big Springs Township0%
Sioux Falls34%
Beresford16%
Vermillion7%
Yankton4%
38 mi
median commute distance
9
jobs based in Big Springs Township
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers in Big Springs Township
Big Springs Township has cold, snowy winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 10° and about 37 inches of snow falls in a winter.
37″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter13–30°
Spring36–58°
Summer60–82°
Fall38–60°
Oct 4
typical first frost
May 1
typical last frost
+0.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Big Springs Township is
Big Springs Township beats the South Dakota average on 2 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 3. 14% of Big Springs Township adults report frequent mental distress, below both the South Dakota town median (15%) and the median of U.S. towns (17%). 20% of adults have been diagnosed with depression in Big Springs Township.
| Big Springs Township | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 15% | 17% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 22% | 23% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 31% | 35% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 30% | 36% |
26 measures vs. South Dakota
2 better21 too close to call3 worse
| What stands out | Big Springs Township | SD |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 80% | 75.9% |
| More adults getting cholesterol checked | 88% | 84.8% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 11.5% | 9.2% |
Hawarden Regional Healthcare
8 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazards
Moderate risk in Big Springs Township, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 59% of U.S. communities. Since 2014, 4 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Big Springs Township.
41risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesDrought
4
paid flood claims since 2014
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Outdoors
0% of Big Springs Township is conserved land
6.7 miles of trail in 0 parks and preserves. The trail density in Big Springs Township is 0.2 miles per square mile.
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 23,280 acres
6.7 mi
of trails · 0.2 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Big Springs Township
17pages on Big Springs Township
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Big Springs Township; the nearest are
University of South DakotaUniversity or college · Public · Vermillion19.1 mi$9,432 in-state tuitionWestern Iowa Tech Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Sioux City, IA35.8 mi$5,186 in-state tuition
About 0 of every 100 Big Springs Township residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across South Dakota.
A commuter town
100% of working residents leave Big Springs Township for work
Where Big Springs Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
9jobs based in Big Springs Township
0%of working residents work in town
38 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Questions about Big Springs Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Big Springs Township, SD a good place to live?
Big Springs Township has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.