Railroad Camp Shanty · National Register of Historic Places
De Smet’s story
146 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1878.
5 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1880De Smet is settled
De SmetSD
Photo: Ross Griff · CC BY 2.0
Population
1,032
2025 Census estimate · −3% since 2020
Typical home
$247K
+3.4% in a year
Household income
$67K
median
Median age
47.3
years
Jobs based here
654
Balanced
Is De Smet a good place to live?
De Smet’s best subject grades are an A+ for cost of living, an A for civic life, and an A− for history. On cost of living, just 7 of South Dakota’s 84 towns do better. De Smet is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 71% of U.S. towns. Only 2 of the 34 South Dakota towns we compare have a lower median rent than De Smet. On history, just 6 of South Dakota’s 85 towns do better. De Smet has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes De Smet stand out
Where De Smet beats most towns.
Typical home value
De Smet$247K
South Dakota$318K
Cost of livingA+
3.3 years of income buys a home
More affordable than 97% of U.S. towns
Zillow Home Value Index; area median household income, Census ACS.
Community nonprofits per 1,000 residents
De Smet14.9
Typical U.S. town3.7
Typical SD town7.7
Civic lifeA
92% more nonprofits per person
than the typical South Dakota town
Charities, civic groups and human services; churches not counted.
Railroad Camp ShantyHistoryA−
Settled in 1880
5 places on the National Register
A history going back 146 years.
Small town
1,032 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
How De Smet grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within South Dakota), ordered by how far De Smet is from typical.
Cost of livingA+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 8 of 20; 2.1% of households have no car; 3.2% of workers walk, bike or ride transitB+Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 30% of U.S. communities; cold waves tops the listB+Open →HealthHealthier than 68% of U.S. towns; Avera De Smet Memorial Hospital - Cah 0.6 miles awayB+Open →Jobs & income$67K median household incomeC+Open →SchoolsC+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors0% conserved landC+Open →History3 notable people born hereA−Open →Civic life2.9 library visits per resident; 14.9 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsAOpen →
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 De Smet: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in De Smet, and how to reach them.
PowerNorthWestern Energy13.3¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterDe Smet water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet7 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have De Smet’s 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 hereKingsbury County AuditorKingsbury County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2023
ZIP code5723157231 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 De Smet.
Who lives here
Older than South Dakota overall
People 65 and older are 29% of residents (18% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 31% of residents (36% statewide). De Smet’s median age is 47.3 years, where South Dakota’s towns sit at 39.5 years and U.S. towns at 40.5 years. 22% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in De Smet.
47.3median age · SD 38
| De Smet | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 29% | 19% | 18% |
| Median age | 47.3 years | 39.5 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 22% | 33% | 29% |
| Under 18 | 20% | 22% | 22% |
De SmetSouth DakotaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
15%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma6%
High school44%
Some college12%
Associate’s17%
Bachelor’s16%
Graduate6%
Women and men · all residents
52% women, 48% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±3.1 points. Across South Dakota, 49.2% of residents are women.
| De Smet | SD | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 14.4% | 13.1% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 5.5% | 11.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 8.2% | 9.3% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 11.7% | 12.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 7.4% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 9.1% | 10.7% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 14.4% | 12.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 14.5% | 11% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 14.7% | 7% | 7% |
| No diploma | 5.6% | 6.8% | 10.4% |
| High school | 43.8% | 29% | 26% |
| Some college | 11.9% | 19.9% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 16.5% | 12.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 15.8% | 21.9% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 6.3% | 10% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,000, single groups can be off by several points
SchoolsC+
Public schools in De Smet fall behind 58% of South Dakota districts
Its public schools are run by the De Smet School District 38-2. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
42%of SD districts it outscoresC+School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laura Ingalls Wilder Elementary - 02Largest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 176 | B |
| De Smet High School - 01Largest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 95 | C |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within SD on state tests and graduation
HealthB+
A smaller share of adults sleep under 7 hours in De Smet than in most of South Dakota or the rest of the country
26% of adults sleep under 7 hours in De Smet, below both South Dakota’s towns (30%) and U.S. towns (36%). 16% of De Smet adults binge drink. De Smet beats the South Dakota average on 2 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 4.
68%healthier than U.S. townsB+Health Grade
| De Smet | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 30% | 36% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 15% | 17% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 22% | 23% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 19% | 16% |
26 measures vs. South Dakota
2 better20 too close to call4 worse
| What stands out | De Smet | SD |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 81.4% | 75.9% |
| More adults getting cholesterol checked | 88% | 84.8% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 12.6% | 9.2% |
Avera De Smet Memorial Hospital - Cah
0.6 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B+
De Smet faces a low natural-hazard risk, led by cold waves
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 70% of U.S. communities.
30risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Cold wavesInland floodingTornadoes
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
HousingCost of living grade A+
A typical De Smet home is worth about $247K
The typical De Smet home is worth about $247,000, up 3.4% in a year, 22% below the South Dakota typical home.
$247KZillow home value
Typical home value
De Smet$247K
South Dakota$318K
+3.4%
value change, 1 year
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Climate
De Smet has snowy winters and pleasant summers
De Smet has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. The July high in De Smet is 83°F.
41″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter8–27°
Spring33–55°
Summer58–80°
Fall36–58°
Oct 4
typical first frost
May 5
typical last frost
+1.2°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C+
A job hub: De Smet has 1.4 jobs for every working resident and draws in 511 commuters
About one in 3 of De Smet’s working residents works in town. De Smet’s average trip to work is 12 minutes. Since 2013, De Smet has added 97 jobs, to 654 in 2023.
31%work in town
| De Smet | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 12 minutes | 17 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 31% | 29% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 4.6% | 9.5% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $67,000 | $72,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In De Smet31%
Sioux Falls9%
Huron7%
De Smet Township5%
Brookings5%
27 mi
median commute distance
654
jobs based in De Smet
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
B+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 71% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
OutdoorsC+
De Smet has set aside 0.3% of its land for conservation
0.0 miles of trail in 3 parks and preserves. Only 3 of the 33 South Dakota towns we compare have a lower share of conserved land than De Smet.
0.3%conserved
0.3%
conserved · 2 of 734 acres
0.0 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Washington Park | — | 13 |
| 2. Rose Vincent Park | — | 2 |
| 3. Ingalls Wilder Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about De Smet
18pages on De Smet
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of De Smet; the nearest are
Dakota State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Madison33.6 mi$9,654 in-state tuitionLake Area Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · Watertown42 mi$6,718 in-state tuition
About 0 of every 100 De Smet residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across South Dakota.
Landmarks
5 places in De Smet on the National Register of Historic Places.
Famous people from De Smet
3 notable people were born in De Smet.
About De Smet
Town in South Dakota, United States
De Smet is a city in and the county seat of Kingsbury County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 1,056 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1880
- Area
- 1.2 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,726 ft
- ZIP code
- 57231
- Area code
- 605
Questions about De Smet
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is De Smet, SD expensive?
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+.
What is De Smet, SD known for?
3 notable people were born here, including Rose Wilder Lane and Shantel Krebs.