Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
326 people live in this town, settled in 1880.
De Smet Township’s midpoint age is 60.6 years, against 39.5 years in South Dakota’s towns and 40.5 years across U.S. towns. Only 2 of the 36 South Dakota towns we compare have a higher share of residents 65 or older than De Smet Township. 29% of the land in De Smet Township is conserved, above both South Dakota’s towns (3.3%) and U.S. towns (4.3%). The biggest park or preserve is Lake Thompson West Game Production Area, at 551 acres. De Smet Township 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: 116 in 1880, 1,056 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1878 and 2 maps from 1899 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in De Smet Township, 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 De Smet Township.
Here, 30% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree, against 32% in South Dakota as a whole. Adults 18 to 34 are 5% of residents (22% statewide); people 65 and older are 30% of residents (18% statewide). Population is up 7.2% in De Smet Township since 2020, to 326 by the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate.
49% women, 51% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±5.3 points. Across South Dakota, 49.2% of residents are women.
| De Smet Township | SD | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 6.5% | 13.1% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 12.2% | 11.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 1.8% | 9.3% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 2.9% | 12.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 12% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 9.9% | 10.7% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 24.7% | 12.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 24% | 11% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 6% | 7% | 7% |
| No diploma | 2% | 6.8% | 10.4% |
| High school | 45.2% | 29% | 26% |
| Some college | 17.7% | 19.9% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 4.9% | 12.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 18.4% | 21.9% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 11.8% | 10% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 300, single groups can be off by several points
There are 1.3 miles of trail across 5 parks and preserves. Parks and preserves in De Smet Township: 5, covering 1,132 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Lake Thompson West Game Production Area | — | 551 |
| 2. Johnson Waterfowl Production Area | — | 194 |
| 3. Sterr Waterfowl Production Area | — | 179 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
The average trip to work for De Smet Township comes to 20 minutes. Most people who work leave De Smet Township to do it: just 3% work in town. Since 2013, De Smet Township has added 39 jobs, to 99 in 2023. The top destinations are De Smet (32%), Sioux Falls (11%) and Huron (7%).
| De Smet Township | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 2.6% | 29% | 8% |
| Median household income | $111,000 | $72,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 20 minutes | 17 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
In De Smet Township, the natural-hazard score from FEMA is 30 of 100. FEMA puts 28% of the town’s expected hazard losses down to cold waves, and 28% to inland flooding. Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 70% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Summer afternoons peak near 83° in July, and January nights bottom out around 5°; snowfall runs to about 41 inches a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Among 36 South Dakota towns, just 3 have a lower share of adults who binge drink than De Smet Township. De Smet Township: 14% of adults report frequent mental distress. On the CDC’s 26 measures, De Smet Township is ahead of South Dakota on 3 and behind on 4.
| De Smet Township | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 30% | 36% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 15% | 17% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 22% | 23% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 31% | 35% |
| What stands out | De Smet Township | SD |
|---|---|---|
| More adults screened for colon cancer | 70.6% | 65.5% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 81.2% | 75.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 12.2% | 9.2% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
None within 15 miles of De Smet Township; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 De Smet Township residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across South Dakota.
Where De Smet Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
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)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
De Smet Township has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.