Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
The best of Clark’s subject grades are an A+ for cost of living and an A− for civic life; the weakest is a D for schools. Only 8 of South Dakota’s 84 towns score higher on cost of living. Clark is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 68% of U.S. towns. Of the 36 South Dakota towns we compare, none has a lower share of adults with a bachelor’s degree than Clark. Clark has 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Clark County Courthouse and Gov. S. H. Elrod House. Clark has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Clark beats most towns.
Gov. S. H. Elrod HouseIn a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within South Dakota), ordered by how far Clark is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 25 in 1880, 1,148 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1883 and 2 maps from 1973 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Clark, 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 Clark.
Its public schools are run by the Clark School District 12-2. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clark Elementary - 02Largest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 212 | B− |
| Clark High School - 01Largest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 124 | B+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within SD on state tests and graduation
The typical Clark home is worth about $192,000, down 3.7% in a year, 40% below the South Dakota typical home. At $775 a month, Clark’s median rent is below both South Dakota’s towns ($962 a month) and U.S. towns ($1,185 a month).
| Clark | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $775 a month | $962 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 74% | 68% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Clark has cold winters and pleasant summers. At 82°F, Clark’s July high is where South Dakota’s towns sit at 85°F and U.S. towns at 85°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
About one in 5 of Clark’s working residents works in town. The average trip to work in Clark is 18 minutes. The top destinations are Watertown (12%), Sioux Falls (7%) and Willow Lake (3%).
| Clark | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 20% | 29% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 18 minutes | 17 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $59,000 | $72,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 11% | 9.5% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 61% of U.S. communities. One flood insurance claim has been paid in Clark since 2019.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Clark's reported crime rate is well below South Dakota's. Clark’s property crime rate is 2.6 per 1,000 residents. Violent crime is rare: 2 reported in 2025.
| Clark | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2.6 per 1,000 residents | 9.8 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.7 per 1,000 residents | 1.9 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Clark beats the South Dakota average on 1 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 7. 28% of Clark adults get no exercise outside work. Only 1 of the 36 South Dakota towns we compare have a higher share of adults 18 to 64 who have no health insurance than Clark.
| Clark | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 22% | 25% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 10% | 12% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 22% | 23% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 15% | 17% |
| What stands out | Clark | SD |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 80.1% | 75.9% |
| More uninsured adults | 11.3% | 8.8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
None within 15 miles of Clark; the nearest are
About 1 of every 100 Clark residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across South Dakota.
2 places in Clark on the National Register of Historic Places.
3 notable people were born in Clark.
City in South Dakota, United States
Clark is a city in and county seat of Clark County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 1,148 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.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A+.
3 notable people were born here, including Sam Anderson and Nancy Dickey.
