Gene's Bar, 1980
Emery’s story
145 years in pictures
The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 1980.
- 1881Emery is settled
EmerySD
A town of 465, settled in 1881.
Population
465
2025 Census estimate · −3.9% since 2020
Median home value
$152K
Census ACS
Household income
$67K
median
Median age
33.5
years
Jobs based here
181
Balanced
Is Emery a good place to live?
32% of residents are under 18 in Emery, where South Dakota’s towns sit at 22% and U.S. towns at 22%. Among 36 South Dakota towns, just one has a higher average trip to work than Emery. Emery has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
465 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Pleasant TownshipEmery
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Emery: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Emery, and how to reach them.
PowerXcel Energy13.1¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterEmery water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet1 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Emery’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 hereHanson County AuditorHanson County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2023
ZIP code5733257332 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 Emery.
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers: that is Emery’s year
Expect July afternoons of 85° and January nights of 8°, with about 36 inches of snow a winter.
36″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter11–30°
Spring35–58°
Summer60–83°
Fall37–60°
Oct 7
typical first frost
Apr 30
typical last frost
+0.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Schools
The schools Emery’s kids attend
Its two schools are below. Public schools: the Bridgewater-Emery 30-3 school district. Also worth knowing: 2 public schools serve Emery, with 185 students in all.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bridgewater-Emery Middle School - 04Largest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 85 | B |
| Bridgewater-Emery High School - 01Largest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 100 | A |
NCES · EDFacts
Who lives here
More children than South Dakota overall
College graduates make up a quarter of adults 25 and older, against 32% across South Dakota. Children under 18 are nearly a third of residents (24% statewide); people 65 and older are 12% of residents (18% statewide). The median age for Emery comes to 33.5 years, below both South Dakota’s towns (39.5 years) and U.S. towns (40.5 years). This South Dakota town is shrinking: down 3.9% since 2020, to 465 residents (2025 estimate).
33.5median age · SD 38
| Emery | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 33.5 years | 39.5 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 12% | 19% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 25% | 33% | 29% |
EmerySouth DakotaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
21%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma5%
High school34%
Some college13%
Associate’s22%
Bachelor’s19%
Graduate6%
Women and men · all residents
47% women, 53% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±6.4 points. Across South Dakota, 49.2% of residents are women.
| Emery | SD | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 20.8% | 13.1% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 10.8% | 11.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 6.9% | 9.3% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 13.5% | 12.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 12.6% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 10.4% | 10.7% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 12.6% | 12.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 7.2% | 11% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 5.2% | 7% | 7% |
| No diploma | 4.8% | 6.8% | 10.4% |
| High school | 34.3% | 29% | 26% |
| Some college | 13.3% | 19.9% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 22.3% | 12.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 19% | 21.9% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 6.3% | 10% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 500, single groups can be off by several points
Work & commute
With 0.9 jobs for every working resident, most of Emery’s workers commute out
Since 2013, Emery has added 45 jobs, to 181 in 2023. Most people who work leave Emery to do it: just 6% work in town. The top destinations are Mitchell (28%), Sioux Falls (15%) and Alexandria (9%). Among residents in the town, 6.7% live below the poverty line.
6%work in town
| Emery | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 6.5% | 29% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 6.7% | 9.5% | 9.6% |
| Work from home | 6.8% | 6.6% | 11% |
| Median household income | $67,000 | $72,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Emery6%
Mitchell28%
Sioux Falls15%
Alexandria9%
Hanson Township3%
22 mi
median commute distance
181
jobs based in Emery
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Health
How healthy Emery is
Among adults in Emery, 17% smoke cigarettes and 19% binge drink. For adults locally, the share who sleep under 7 hours is 29%.
| Emery | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 30% | 36% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 14% | 14% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 19% | 16% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 76% | 76% | 79% |
26 measures vs. South Dakota
1 better25 too close to call0 worse
| What stands out | Emery | SD |
|---|---|---|
| More adults seeing a dentist | 73.9% | 69.2% |
Freeman Medical Center - Cah
20 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazards
The biggest natural risk in Emery is inland flooding, at a moderate overall level
Of the losses FEMA expects in Emery, 31% come from inland flooding and 17% from tornadoes. Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 55% of U.S. communities. Federal aid has come to Emery households in 3 declared disasters; the latest was in 2022.
55risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesDrought
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Emery
18pages on Emery
The big questions
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Emery; the nearest are
Mitchell Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · Mitchell20.1 mi$7,524 in-state tuitionDakota State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Madison38 mi$9,654 in-state tuition
About 2 of every 100 Emery residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across South Dakota.
About Emery
City in South Dakota, United States
Emery is a city in Hanson County, South Dakota, United States. It is part of the Mitchell, South Dakota Micropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 484 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.5 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,388 ft
- ZIP code
- 57332
- Area code
- 605
Questions about Emery
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Emery, SD a good place to live?
Emery has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.