Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Bowdle’s average trip to work is 9 minutes, below both South Dakota’s towns (17 minutes) and U.S. towns (25 minutes). Among 36 South Dakota towns, just 3 have a lower January low than Bowdle. Bank of Bowdle is on the National Register of Historic Places. Bowdle has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Where Bowdle beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census counts: 622 in 1900, a peak of 818 in 1920, 470 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1908 and 2 maps from 1974 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Bowdle, 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 Bowdle.
At 25 of 100, Bowdle’s FEMA risk score is below both the South Dakota town median (54 of 100) and the median of U.S. towns (44 of 100).
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Its public schools are run by the Bowdle School District 22-1. Two of its 4 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowdle Elementary - 02Largest public elementary schoolGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 40 | B |
| Bowdle High School - 01Largest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 23 | – |
NCES · EDFacts
People 65 and older are 27% of residents (18% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 28% of residents (36% statewide). 26% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 32% across South Dakota.
| Bowdle | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 27% | 19% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 26% | 33% | 29% |
| Median age | 39.1 years | 39.5 years | 40.5 years |
Somewhere between 36% and 75% women
The Census survey reached too few of Bowdle’s residents to say more: its margin here is ±19.2 points. Across South Dakota, 49.2% of residents are women.
| Bowdle | SD | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 10.3% | 13.1% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 14.3% | 11.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 8.2% | 9.3% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 12% | 12.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 15.2% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 4.6% | 10.7% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 8.2% | 12.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 8.8% | 11% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 18.3% | 7% | 7% |
| No diploma | 7.8% | 6.8% | 10.4% |
| High school | 34.2% | 29% | 26% |
| Some college | 19.1% | 19.9% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 12.9% | 12.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 19.1% | 21.9% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 6.9% | 10% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 500, single groups can be off by several points
Bowdle has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with very little rain. Bowdle’s July high is 83°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Most working residents leave Bowdle for work: only 14% work in town. Since 2013, Bowdle has added 77 jobs, to 216 in 2023. The median household income in Bowdle is $64,000.
| Bowdle | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 14% | 29% | 8% |
| Median household income | $64,000 | $72,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 11% | 6.6% | 11% |
| Below the poverty line | 8.4% | 9.5% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
42% of adults have high blood pressure in Bowdle. No town among the 36 in South Dakota we compare has a lower share of adults who have been diagnosed with depression than Bowdle. 15% of adults have diabetes in Bowdle.
| Bowdle | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 31% | 35% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 19% | 16% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 15% | 17% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 10% | 12% |
| What stands out | Bowdle | SD |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 14.4% | 18.8% |
| Fewer adults in frequent mental distress | 12.8% | 15.3% |
| More adults with heart disease | 10.2% | 6.8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
None within 15 miles of Bowdle; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Bowdle residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across South Dakota.
City in South Dakota, United States
Bowdle () is a city in Edmunds County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 470 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.
Bowdle has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
2 notable people were born here, including Shirley Huffman and Violet Cowden.
