Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 406, settled in 1879.
25% of residents live below the poverty line in Big Stone City, where South Dakota’s towns sit at 9.5% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. Among 36 South Dakota towns, just 1 have a lower share of adults with a bachelor’s degree than Big Stone City. Big Stone City has 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Big Stone City Hall. Big Stone City has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census counts: 376 in 1880, a peak of 829 in 1950, 412 in 2020. The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 1900 and 3 maps from 1953 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Big Stone City, 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 Big Stone City.
Its public schools are run by the Big Stone City School District 25-1. One of its 2 schools is below, with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Big Stone City Elementary - 01Largest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 60 | A |
NCES · EDFacts
The typical Big Stone City home is worth about $251,000, up 7% in a year, 21% below the South Dakota typical home. At $776 a month, Big Stone City’s median rent is below both South Dakota’s towns ($962 a month) and U.S. towns ($1,185 a month).
| Big Stone City | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $776 a month | $962 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 70% | 68% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Big Stone City has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Big Stone City’s July high is 83°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Most working residents leave Big Stone City for work: only 4% work in town. The average trip to work in Big Stone City is 13 minutes. The top destinations are Milbank (49%), Ortonville (5%) and Alban Township (5%).
| Big Stone City | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 13 minutes | 17 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 4.1% | 29% | 8% |
| Median household income | $63,000 | $72,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
80% of adults had a checkup this year in Big Stone City. Big Stone City beats the South Dakota average on 4 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 7. 27% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Big Stone City.
| Big Stone City | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 30% | 36% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 15% | 17% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 31% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 10% | 12% |
| What stands out | Big Stone City | SD |
|---|---|---|
| More adults screened for colon cancer | 71% | 65.5% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 81.7% | 75.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 12.2% | 9.2% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Kolb Game Production Area | — | 4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 50% of U.S. communities. Since 1997, 8 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Big Stone City.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
None within 15 miles of Big Stone City; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 Big Stone City residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across South Dakota.
City in South Dakota, United States
Big Stone City is a city in the northeastern corner of Grant County, South Dakota, United States, that lies between the southern tip of Big Stone Lake and the northern bank of the Whetstone River, and is adjacent to the city of Ortonville, Minnesota. The population was 412 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Big Stone City has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.