Holistic Workshop in, 2013
Eagle Butte’s story
116 years in pictures
The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 1910.
- 1910Eagle Butte is settled
Eagle ButteSD
A town of 1,269, settled in 1910.
1 bordering townMap →
Photo: Idawriter · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
1,269
2025 Census estimate · +1.1% since 2020
Median home value
$66K
Census ACS
Household income
$46K
median
Median age
28.0
years
Jobs based here
439
A job hub
Is Eagle Butte a good place to live?
Eagle Butte’s best subject grades are an A+ for cost of living and an A− for civic life; its weakest is a D− for incomes. 32% of residents live below the poverty line in Eagle Butte, above both South Dakota’s towns (9.5%) and U.S. towns (9.6%). On cost of living, just 1 of South Dakota’s 84 towns do better. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 85% of U.S. towns. Eagle Butte has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Small town
1,269 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
North Eagle ButteEagle Butte
How Eagle Butte grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within South Dakota), ordered by how far Eagle Butte is from typical.
Jobs & incomeD−Open →HealthNear the bottom of U.S. towns on CDC estimates; Eagle Butte Indian Health Service Hospital 10.2 miles awayD−Open →SchoolsBehind 99% of South Dakota districts on tests and graduationD−Open →Cost of livingTypical home $66K, 1.2 years of the county’s $54K median household incomeA+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 4.7 of 20; 10.8% of households have no car; 0.9% of workers walk, bike or ride transitDOpen →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 14% of U.S. communities; cold waves tops the listB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsConserved land, trails and parksC+Open →History1 notable person born hereC−Open →Civic life3.6 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsA−Open →
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 Eagle Butte: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Eagle Butte, and how to reach them.
PowerMoreau-Grand Electric CoopEIAHIFLD · EIA
WaterEagle Butte water system1 health-based violation in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet1 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Eagle Butte’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 hereDewey County AuditorDewey County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2023
ZIP code5762557625 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 Eagle Butte.
HealthD−
Eagle Butte stands out in South Dakota and nationally, with more of its adults who say their health is fair or poor
34% of adults say their health is fair or poor in Eagle Butte, against 16% in South Dakota’s towns and 19% across U.S. towns. 23% of adults report frequent mental distress in Eagle Butte. Of the 36 South Dakota towns we compare, none has a higher share of adults who report frequent physical distress than Eagle Butte.
1%healthier than U.S. townsD−Health Grade
| Eagle Butte | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 34% | 16% | 19% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 34% | 14% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 48% | 35% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 10% | 12% |
26 measures vs. South Dakota
1 better4 too close to call21 worse
| What stands out | Eagle Butte | SD |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 5.4% | 9.2% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 38.9% | 12.7% |
Eagle Butte Indian Health Service Hospital
10.2 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
SchoolsD−
Eagle Butte’s public schools rank near the bottom of South Dakota
Its public schools are run by Cheyenne-Eagle Butte School. Two of its 8 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
1%of SD districts it outscoresD−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eagle Butte Upper Elementary - 03Largest public elementary schoolGrades 3–6 | Grades 3–6 | 281 | D− |
| Cheyenne-Eagle Butte SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades K–12 | Grades K–12 | 829 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within SD on state tests and graduation
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D−
Compared with most of South Dakota and the rest of the country, the median household income in Eagle Butte is lower
Eagle Butte’s median household income is $46,000. Since 2013, Eagle Butte has lost 285 jobs, to 439 in 2023. Eagle Butte’s average trip to work is 10 minutes.
20%work in town
| Eagle Butte | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 10 minutes | 17 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $46,000 | $72,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 20% | 29% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Eagle Butte20%
North Eagle Butte40%
Timber Lake8%
Faith2%
Rapid City2%
1 mi
median commute distance
439
jobs based in Eagle Butte
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
D
Walkability grade: more walkable than 15% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B−
Very low risk in Eagle Butte, with cold waves at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 86% of U.S. communities.
14risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Cold waves
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers in Eagle Butte
Eagle Butte has cold, snowy winters and warm summers, with very little rain. July afternoons reach 86°, January nights drop to 9° and about 37 inches of snow falls in a winter.
37″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter11–30°
Spring32–56°
Summer57–83°
Fall35–59°
Oct 2
typical first frost
May 6
typical last frost
+1.1°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Eagle Butte
16pages on Eagle Butte
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Eagle Butte; the nearest are
Sitting Bull CollegeUniversity or college · Public · Fort Yates, ND80 mi$4,010 in-state tuitionWestern Dakota Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · Rapid City115 mi$8,294 in-state tuition
About 4 of every 100 Eagle Butte residents are enrolled in college, about the same as South Dakota.
A job hub
Every workday, about 382 people come to Eagle Butte for work
Where Eagle Butte’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
439jobs based in Eagle Butte
20%of working residents work in town
1 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Eagle Butte
City in South Dakota, United States
Eagle Butte is a city in Dewey and Ziebach counties in South Dakota, United States. The population was 1,258 at the 2020 census. It is adjacent to the North Eagle Butte CDP.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1911
- Area
- 1.2 sq mi
- Elevation
- 2,418 ft
- ZIP code
- 57625
- Area code
- 605
Questions about Eagle Butte
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Eagle Butte, 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+.