Hoover Store · National Register of Historic Places
Dexter Township’s story
144 years in pictures
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1882Dexter Township is settled
Dexter TownshipSD
A town of 215, settled in 1882.
4 bordering townsMap →
Hoover Store · Photo: Jon Roanhaus · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
215
2025 Census estimate · +2.9% since 2020
Median home value
$277K
Census ACS
Household income
$76K
median
Median age
56.0
years
Jobs based here
3
A commuter town
Is Dexter Township a good place to live?
14% of the land in Dexter Township is conserved, above both the South Dakota town median (3.3%) and the median of U.S. towns (4.3%). Dexter Township has 3 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Alexander Hoover House and Hoover Store. Dexter Township has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
215 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Germantown TownshipFuller TownshipEgeland TownshipEden TownshipDexter Township
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Dexter Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Dexter Township, and how to reach them.
PowerNorthWestern Energy13.3¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterClark Rural Water SystemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Dexter Township’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 hereCodington County AuditorCodington County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2023
ZIP codes57235, 57263, 5725657235 87% · 57263 11% · 57256 3%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 Dexter Township.
Work & commute
About half of Dexter Township’s working residents commute to Watertown
Dexter Township’s average commute is 23 minutes, against 17 minutes in South Dakota’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. Half of commuters travel less than 18 miles. The top destinations are Watertown (50%), Sioux Falls (14%) and Florence (2%).
0%work in town
| Dexter Township | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 23 minutes | 17 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $76,000 | $72,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Dexter Township0%
Watertown50%
Sioux Falls14%
Florence2%
Clark2%
18 mi
median commute distance
3
jobs based in Dexter Township
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
A typical July afternoon in Dexter Township is cooler than in most of South Dakota or the rest of the country
Dexter Township brings cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 81°, January nights drop to 2° and about 32 inches of snow falls in a winter.
32″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter5–23°
Spring31–52°
Summer57–79°
Fall34–55°
Sep 28
typical first frost
May 7
typical last frost
+1.0°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Outdoors
13.9% of Dexter Township is conserved land
Trails total 8.2 miles in 3 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Thompson WPA, at 233 acres. Dexter Township’s trail network density comes in at 0.1 miles per square mile.
13.9%conserved
13.9%
conserved · 5,372 of 38,605 acres
8.2 mi
of trails · 0.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Thompson WPA | — | 233 |
| 2. Moe WPA | — | 160 |
| 3. Neal WPA | — | 65 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Health
How healthy Dexter Township is
Just over one in ten adults have diabetes in Dexter Township. Among adults here, 30% sleep under 7 hours and 16% smoke cigarettes.
| Dexter Township | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 15% | 17% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 30% | 36% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 14% | 14% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 19% | 16% |
26 measures vs. South Dakota
0 better25 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Dexter Township | SD |
|---|---|---|
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.2% | 9.2% |
Prairie Lakes Healthcare System
16.1 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazards
Dexter Township faces a moderate natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected losses in Dexter Township break down as 43% from inland flooding and 17% from cold waves. FEMA expects less storm and flood damage here than in 54% of U.S. communities.
46risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Dexter Township
17pages on Dexter Township
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Dexter Township; the nearest are
Lake Area Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · Watertown17.2 mi$6,718 in-state tuitionSisseton Wahpeton CollegeUniversity or college · Public · Sisseton31.9 mi$4,330 in-state tuition
About 0 of every 100 Dexter Township residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across South Dakota.
A commuter town
100% of working residents leave Dexter Township for work
Where Dexter Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
3jobs based in Dexter Township
0%of working residents work in town
18 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Questions about Dexter Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Dexter Township, SD a good place to live?
Dexter Township has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.