Crooks South Dakota Water Tower, 2023
Crooks’s story
122 years in pictures
Census counts: 594 in 1980, 1,362 in 2020. The archive holds 1 old photo or paper going back to 2023 and 3 maps from 1962 on.
- 1904Crooks is settled
CrooksSD
A town of 1,415, settled in 1904.
1 bordering townMap →
Photo: BrianHagan · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
1,415
2025 Census estimate · +3.9% since 2020
Typical home
$366K
+2.8% in a year
Household income
$99K
median
Median age
43.6
years
Jobs based here
325
A commuter town
Is Crooks a good place to live?
Crooks’ best subject grades are an A for incomes and an A− for health; its weakest is a C for walkability. On hazard risk, just 8 of South Dakota’s 85 towns do better. Crooks has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Crooks stand out
Where Crooks beats most towns.
Small town
1,415 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Benton TownshipCrooks
How Crooks grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within South Dakota), ordered by how far Crooks is from typical.
Jobs & income$99K median household income; 325 jobs based hereAOpen →HealthAvera Mckennan Hospital & University Health Center 8.9 miles awayA−Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 28% of U.S. communities; tornadoes tops the listB+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 6.5 of 20; 0% of households have no car; 0.8% of workers walk, bike or ride transitCOpen →Cost of livingB+Open →SchoolsBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Crooks: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Crooks, and how to reach them.
PowerXcel Energy13.1¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCrooks water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Crooks’ trash rules yet
Register to voteIn personSouth Dakota has no online registration; you can register in person until 15 days before Election Day or by mail (received 15 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereMinnehaha County AuditorMinnehaha County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2023
ZIP code5702057020 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Aug 3, 2026.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Crooks.
HealthA−
Crooks is healthier than 83% of U.S. towns
Crooks beats the South Dakota average on 10 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 22% of Crooks adults binge drink, against 19% in South Dakota’s towns and 16% across U.S. towns. 13% of adults say their health is fair or poor in Crooks.
83%healthier than U.S. townsA−Health Grade
| Crooks | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 19% | 16% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 10% | 12% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 16% | 19% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 31% | 35% |
26 measures vs. South Dakota
10 better15 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Crooks | SD |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 8.5% | 12.7% |
| Fewer adults who have had a stroke | 2.4% | 3.5% |
| Fewer adults treating high blood pressure | 71.6% | 75.9% |
Avera Mckennan Hospital & University Health Center
8.9 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
SchoolsB
Crooks’ public schools outperform 61% of South Dakota districts
Its public schools are run by the Tri-Valley School District 49-6. Its one school is below.
61%of SD districts it outscoresBSchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tri-Valley Elementary in Crooks - 04Largest public elementary schoolGrades K–4 | Grades K–4 | 205 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within SD on state tests and graduation
Who lives here
More middle-aged adults than South Dakota overall
Adults 35 to 64 are 51% of residents (36% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 15% of residents (22% statewide). 12% of Crooks residents are 65 or older, where South Dakota’s towns sit at 19% and U.S. towns at 18%. Crooks’ median age is 43.6 years.
43.6median age · SD 38
| Crooks | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 12% | 19% | 18% |
| Median age | 43.6 years | 39.5 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 37% | 33% | 29% |
CrooksSouth DakotaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
20%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma8%
High school22%
Some college20%
Associate’s14%
Bachelor’s28%
Graduate8%
Women and men · all residents
47% women, 53% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±5.8 points. Across South Dakota, 49.2% of residents are women. Median age: women 43.1, men 43.8.
| Crooks | SD | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 9.1% | 13.1% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 12.9% | 11.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 4.7% | 9.3% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 10.1% | 12.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 17.4% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 13.9% | 10.7% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 20% | 12.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 9.5% | 11% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 2.4% | 7% | 7% |
| No diploma | 7.6% | 6.8% | 10.4% |
| High school | 22% | 29% | 26% |
| Some college | 19.8% | 19.9% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 14.1% | 12.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 28.1% | 21.9% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 8.4% | 10% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,400, single groups can be off by several points
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A
About three in four of Crooks’ working residents commute to Sioux Falls
Most working residents leave Crooks for work: only 2% work in town. 0.5% of Crooks residents live below the poverty line. Of the 36 South Dakota towns we compare, none has a higher average trip to work than Crooks.
2%work in town
| Crooks | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 1.6% | 29% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 0.5% | 9.5% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 26 minutes | 17 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $99,000 | $72,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Crooks2%
Sioux Falls73%
Brandon3%
Lyons1%
Sioux City1%
9 mi
median commute distance
325
jobs based in Crooks
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C
Walkability grade: more walkable than 30% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B+
Tornadoes leads a low hazard risk in Crooks
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 72% of U.S. communities.
28risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
TornadoesInland floodingCold waves
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers in Crooks
Crooks has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 83°, January nights drop to 7° and about 40 inches of snow falls in a winter.
40″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter10–28°
Spring35–57°
Summer59–81°
Fall37–59°
Oct 6
typical first frost
May 1
typical last frost
+1.3°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HousingCost of living grade B+
The typical home in Crooks is valued at about $366K
The typical Crooks home is worth about $366,000, up 2.8% in a year, 15% above the South Dakota typical home.
$366KZillow home value
| Crooks | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 83% | 68% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,135 a month | $962 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Crooks$366K
South Dakota$318K
+2.8%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 821 acres
0.0 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Sunset Park | — | 10 |
| 2. New Hope Park | — | 8 |
| 3. Palmira Park | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Nearby attractions
All 9 attractions →Pipestone National Monument and 6 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Crooks. Close and well known come first.
34 mi National MonumentPipestone National Monument77K visitors a year
8 mi Zoo & aquariumGreat Plains Zoo
9 mi MuseumWashington Pavilion of Arts and Science
8 mi MuseumPettigrew Home & Museum19 mi MuseumPorter Sculpture Park
25 mi MuseumJasper MuseumSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Pipestone National Monument: Unknown, Public domain · Great Plains Zoo: Jake DeGroot, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Washington Pavilion of Arts and Science: Jon Platek, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Pettigrew Home & Museum: Jerry from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, United States, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Jasper Museum: Heritage Preservation Department - MNHS, CC BY-SA 2.0
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Crooks
18pages on Crooks
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
4 within 15 miles of the center of Crooks
Southeast Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · Sioux Falls6 mi$7,650 in-state tuitionUniversity of Sioux FallsUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Sioux Falls9.2 mi$21,750 tuitionAugustana UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Sioux Falls9.6 mi$40,160 tuition
About 2 of every 100 Crooks residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across South Dakota.
A commuter town
98% of working residents leave Crooks for work
Where Crooks’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
325jobs based in Crooks
2%of working residents work in town
9 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Crooks
City in South Dakota, United States
Crooks is a city in Minnehaha County, South Dakota, United States and is a suburb of Sioux Falls. The population was 1,362 at the 2020 census. Crooks was named New Hope until 1904. The town's present name honors W. A. Crooks, a local politician.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.8 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,588 ft
- ZIP code
- 57020
- Area code
- 605
Questions about Crooks
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Crooks, SD expensive?
Not for the area. That is 4.4 years of the area's median household income ($82,754 across the Sioux Falls, SD-MN metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B+.