114th Fighter Wing supports flood prevention DVIDS412585, 2011
Dakota Dunes’s story
Dakota Dunes in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2011 and 2 maps from 1976 on.
Explore the history →Dakota DunesSD
3,936 people live in this town in South Dakota.
Population
3,936
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$566K
Census ACS
Household income
$136K
median
Median age
42.6
years
Jobs based here
1,902
Balanced
TownGrade
A−
#10 of 35 in SD
Is Dakota Dunes a good place to live?
Dakota Dunes does the important things well, at a cost. Overall, Dakota Dunes earns an A−, better than three quarters of U.S. towns. The ranking puts it 10th of 35 in South Dakota. Its best grade is for health: residents are healthier than 94% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. Add incomes to its strengths (A): the median household earns $136K. What counts against it is cost of living (C−): the typical home is worth about $566K, 7.5 years of the Sioux City metro’s $75K median household income. Hazard risk is weaker too (D): FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 86% of U.S. communities, with inland flooding at the top. Dakota Dunes’ trail density is 2.8 miles per square mile, above both South Dakota’s towns (0.6) and U.S. towns (0.4).
Figures: health, CDC PLACES · incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · home values, Zillow · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenStreetMap.
What makes Dakota Dunes stand out
Where Dakota Dunes beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
26 measures vs. South Dakota
13 better13 too close to call0 worse
| Widest gap | Dakota Dunes | SD |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 5.7% | 8.8% |
HealthA
Healthier than 95% of U.S. towns
Beats SD on 13 of 26 CDC measures, trails it on none
Less healthyHealthier
CDC PLACES 2025 estimates.
Worth knowing · Natural hazardsD
Inland flooding and tornadoes at the top
FEMA National Risk Index.
How Dakota Dunes grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within South Dakota), ordered by how far Dakota Dunes is from typical.
HealthMercyone Siouxland Medical Center 4.3 miles awayAOpen →Hazard riskInland flooding tops the listDOpen →Jobs & incomeIncomes and work are among the strongest comparedAOpen →Cost of livingIn the bottom fifth of the towns comparedC−Open →SchoolsBeat 82% of South Dakota districts on tests and graduationA−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 8.2 of 20; 0% of households have no car; 1.2% of workers walk, bike or ride transitB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors8 miles of trails, the most per square mile in SD; 0% conserved landC+Open →History2 notable people born hereDOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
Moving to Dakota Dunes: who provides what
Dakota Dunes is unincorporated, so Union County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerUnion County Electric CoopEIAHIFLD · EIA
WaterDakota Dunes Cid water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet7 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesUnion CountyUnion County provides services here
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 hereUnion County AuditorUnion County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2025
ZIP code5704957049 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 Dakota Dunes.
Dakota Dunes is the healthiest town in South Dakota and sends many workers across the state line to Sioux City, but it carries more natural-hazard risk than most of South Dakota (mostly inland flooding).
OutdoorsC+
Dakota Dunes has set aside 0.5% of its land for conservation
No town among the 32 in South Dakota we compare has a higher trail density than Dakota Dunes. 7.8 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve. Only 3 of the 32 South Dakota towns we compare have a lower share of conserved land than Dakota Dunes. More trails than any other town in South Dakota.
#1for trails in SD
| Dakota Dunes | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 2.8 miles per square mile | 0.6 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 0.5% | 3.3% | 4.3% |
0.5%
conserved · 10 of 1,816 acres
7.8 mi
of trails · 2.8 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Prairie Blvd Park | 0.5 mi | 10 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
HealthA
Compared with most of South Dakota and the rest of the country, fewer of Dakota Dunes’ adults report frequent mental distress
It is the healthiest of the 35 South Dakota towns we grade on the CDC estimates behind the Health Grade. Its widest gap with South Dakota is no health insurance: 5.7% of those 18–64 have no health insurance, against 8.8% statewide.
Dakota Dunes: 30% of adults have high blood pressure. Only 3 of the 35 South Dakota towns we compare have a lower share of adults who say their health is fair or poor than Dakota Dunes.
95%healthier than U.S. townsAHealth Grade
| Dakota Dunes | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 15% | 17% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 9.8% | 12% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 35% | 35% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 22% | 23% |
26 measures vs. South Dakota
13 better13 too close to call0 worse
| What stands out | Dakota Dunes | SD |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 5.7% | 8.8% |
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 8.3% | 12.7% |
Mercyone Siouxland Medical Center
4.3 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
99th
percentile among SD towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D
The FEMA risk score in Dakota Dunes is higher than in the typical South Dakota or U.S. town
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 97% of South Dakota towns; that rating is what its D for hazard risk is built on.
Federal aid has come to Dakota Dunes households in 2 declared disasters; the latest was in 2024. Of the losses FEMA expects here, 67% come from inland flooding and 18% from tornadoes.
86risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoes
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers: that is Dakota Dunes’ year
The Sioux City Gateway Ap weather station, 9 miles away, records that the frost-free season runs about 159 days: shorter than most of the country, but longer than 92% of South Dakota places with climate records. January nights average 10.4°: colder than most of the country, but milder than 83% of South Dakota places with climate records; July afternoons average 85.8°.
About 36 inches of snow falls in a winter. Dakota Dunes’ January low stands at 10°F.
36″snow a winter
| Dakota Dunes | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 10°F | 9°F | 22°F |
| July high | 86°F | 85°F | 85°F |
Typical low → high °F
Winter13–33°
Spring37–61°
Summer61–84°
Fall38–62°
Oct 5
typical first frost
Apr 29
typical last frost
+1.0°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A
Dakota Dunes has 1.3 jobs for every working resident, and 1,669 people commute in
36% of working residents cross a state line to work, Sioux City among the top destinations. Jobs based here grew from 1,339 in 2013 to 1,902.
The average trip to work in Dakota Dunes is 12 minutes. Most working residents leave Dakota Dunes for work: only 16% work in town. The share of residents in Dakota Dunes who live below the poverty line: 2.4%. The town had 1,902 jobs in 2023, up 563 from 2013.
16%work in town
| Dakota Dunes | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $136,000 | $71,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 12 minutes | 17 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 2.4% | 9.6% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 16% | 31% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Dakota Dunes16%
North Sioux City17%
Sioux City16%
Big Sioux Township13%
Sioux Falls9%
5 mi
median commute distance
1,902
jobs based in Dakota Dunes
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
B−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 54% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HousingCost of living grade C−
Homes in Dakota Dunes sell for about $460K
At 7.5 years of the Sioux City metro’s $75K median household income, the typical home costs more against local pay than in any other South Dakota town; that ratio is one input to its C− for cost of living. The median property tax bill is $6,105, against $2,724 across South Dakota, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
For Dakota Dunes, the rent at the middle of the market is $1,225 a month. On the market here: a median 27 days to sell. Also worth knowing: 67% of households are owner-occupiers locally.
$460Kmedian sale price
| Dakota Dunes | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,225 a month | $958 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 67% | 68% | 73% |
Market temperature
27
days on market
97.1%
sale-to-list price
7
homes sold in September
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Dakota Dunes
18pages on Dakota Dunes
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
4 within 15 miles of the center of Dakota Dunes
Briar Cliff UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Sioux City, IA3.8 mi$36,956 tuitionSt Luke's CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Sioux City, IA4.5 mi$24,175 tuitionWestern Iowa Tech Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Sioux City, IA6.9 mi$5,186 in-state tuition
About 1 of every 100 Dakota Dunes residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across South Dakota.
About Dakota Dunes
Unincorporated community in South Dakota, U.S.
Dakota Dunes is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP), master-planned residential and commercial development covering about 2,000 acres (8.1 km2) in Union County in the extreme southeast corner of the U.S. state of South Dakota. The population was 4,020 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 3.1 sq mi
- Area code
- 605
Dakota Dunes’s neighbors
3 towns share a border with Dakota Dunes.
Big Sioux TownshipSioux CityNorth Sioux CityDakota Dunes
How the neighbors grade
| Town | SD rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dakota Dunes | #10 | A− | C− | — | A− | A |
| Big Sioux Township | #11 | B+ | C− | — | A− | A |
| North Sioux City | #24 | B− | C+ | C+ | A− | A− |
Dakota Dunes and Big Sioux Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Dakota Dunes with a neighbor →
Questions about Dakota Dunes
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Dakota Dunes, SD a good place to live?
For most people who can afford it, yes. Dakota Dunes grades A− overall, better than 75% of U.S. towns and #10 of 35 in South Dakota. It grades A for health and A− for schools, and has the most trail per square mile in the state. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a D.
Is Dakota Dunes, SD expensive?
Yes. The typical home is worth about $566,000, 78% above the South Dakota typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C−.
What is Dakota Dunes, SD known for?
2 notable people were born here, including Brandon Wegher and Trent Solsma.