Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 590, settled in 1904.
Gregory County Courthouse is on the National Register of Historic Places. Burke 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: 311 in 1910, a peak of 892 in 1970, 575 in 2020. The archive holds 1 old photo or paper going back to 2004 and 2 maps from 1964 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Burke, 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 Burke.
Half commute less than 17 miles. The typical journey to work for Burke comes to 12 minutes, below both South Dakota’s towns (17 minutes) and U.S. towns (25 minutes). One in 4 of the town’s working residents works locally. Among 36 South Dakota towns, just 2 have a lower income of the median household than Burke.
| Burke | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 12 minutes | 17 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 26% | 29% | 8% |
| Median household income | $53,000 | $72,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 8.1% | 9.5% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The Burke School District 26-2 runs its public schools. Of its 4 schools, two are listed below, each with the reason. The 3 public schools in Burke teach 261 students between them.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burke Elementary - 02Largest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 105 | B+ |
| Burke High School - 01Largest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 94 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
In a town this small, a few incidents move the numbers a lot, so rates aren't shown.
Burke is small, so we show counts rather than rates.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
In Burke, 16% of adults smoke cigarettes, above both the South Dakota town median (14%) and the median of U.S. towns (14%). Only 2 of the 36 South Dakota towns we compare have a higher share of adults who have diabetes than Burke. For adults in the town, the share who have been diagnosed with depression is 20%. This South Dakota town beats the South Dakota average on 4 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 10.
| Burke | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 31% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 10% | 12% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 19% | 16% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 12% | 14% |
| What stands out | Burke | SD |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 14.8% | 18.8% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 82.4% | 75.9% |
| More adults who have had a stroke | 5.2% | 3.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
FEMA puts 43% of Burke’s expected hazard losses down to cold waves, and 30% to inland flooding. On expected storm and flood damage, Burke sits below 57% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
None within 15 miles of Burke; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 Burke residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across South Dakota.
Where Burke’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
5 notable people were born in Burke.
City in South Dakota, United States
Burke is a city in and county seat of Gregory County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 575 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.
Burke has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
5 notable people were born here, including Billie Sutton and Alan Hoerth.
