Foster TownshipSD
The town has 268 residents and lies in South Dakota.
Is Foster Township a good place to live?
70% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Foster Township, above both the South Dakota town median (33%) and the median of U.S. towns (29%). Of the 36 South Dakota towns we compare, none has a higher share of homes lived in by their owners than Foster Township. Foster Township has 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Old Elmspring Hutterite Colony. Foster Township has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
268 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Moving to Foster Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Foster 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.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Foster Township.
The schools Foster Township’s kids attend
One of its 2 schools is below, with the reason it’s listed. Its public schools are run by the Parkston School District 33-3.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Old Elm Spring Colony Elementary - 03Largest public elementary schoolGrades PK–8 | Grades PK–8 | 31 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts
A larger share of residents in Foster Township live below the poverty line than in the typical South Dakota or U.S. town
Half of commuters travel less than 22 miles. The top destinations are Parkston (23%), Sioux Falls (11%) and Mitchell (9%).
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Foster Township: four seasons and pleasant summers
Expect July afternoons of 86° and January nights of 8°, with about 36 inches of snow a winter.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
How healthy Foster Township is
18% of Foster Township adults binge drink. Among adults here, 15% report frequent mental distress.
| Foster Township | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 15% | 17% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 19% | 16% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 22% | 23% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 14% | 14% |
| What stands out | Foster Township | SD |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 15.8% | 12.7% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.5% | 9.2% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
In Foster Township, 2.7% of the land is conserved
5.4 miles of trail. Foster Township’s trail network density is 0.2 miles per square mile.
| Foster Township | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 0.6 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 2.7% | 3.3% | 4.3% |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Foster Township faces a moderate natural-hazard risk, led by drought
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in half of U.S. communities. FEMA puts nearly a third of Foster Township’s expected hazard losses down to drought, and 29% to inland flooding.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Everything we know about Foster Township
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Foster Township; the nearest are
About 0 of every 100 Foster Township residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across South Dakota.
100% of working residents leave Foster Township for work
Where Foster Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Questions about Foster Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Foster Township, SD a good place to live?
Foster Township has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.