Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 127, settled in 1883.
Of the 36 South Dakota towns we compare, none has a higher mean commuting time than Carthage. 23% of the land in Carthage is conserved, above both South Dakota’s towns (3.3%) and U.S. towns (4.3%). Coughlin House is on the National Register of Historic Places. Carthage 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: 200 in 1890, a peak of 667 in 1920, 127 in 2020. The archive holds 1 old photo or paper going back to 2016 and 3 maps from 1899 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Carthage, 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 Carthage.
The biggest park or preserve is Lake Carthage Lakeside Use Area, at 71 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Lake Carthage Lakeside Use Area | — | 71 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Federal aid has come to Carthage households in 3 declared disasters; the latest was in 2019. Storm and flood damage is expected to run lower than in 71% of U.S. communities. FEMA puts a quarter of the town’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 23% to drought.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
July afternoons reach 85°, January nights drop to 6° and about 36 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Among adults in Carthage, 14% report frequent physical distress. In Carthage, 15% of adults have diabetes, above both the South Dakota town median (10%) and the median of U.S. towns (12%). Only one of the 36 South Dakota towns we compare has a lower share of adults who binge drink than Carthage. On the CDC’s 26 measures, Carthage is ahead of South Dakota on 3 and behind on 9.
| Carthage | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 31% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 10% | 12% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 19% | 16% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 15% | 17% |
| What stands out | Carthage | SD |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 15% | 18.8% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 82% | 75.9% |
| More adults with COPD | 9.2% | 6.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
None within 15 miles of Carthage; the nearest are
About 1 of every 100 Carthage residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across South Dakota.
City in South Dakota, United States
Carthage is a city in Miner County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 127 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.
Carthage has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
2 notable people were born here, including Paul A. Magnuson and Alvin Pierson.