Horse CreekSD
It is a town of 162 residents in South Dakota.
Is Horse Creek a good place to live?
97% of residents live below the poverty line in Horse Creek, where South Dakota’s towns sit at 9.5% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. Of the 36 South Dakota towns we compare, none has a higher midsummer high than Horse Creek. Horse Creek’s trail density is 1.2 miles per square mile, where South Dakota’s towns sit at 0.6 and U.S. towns at 0.4. Horse Creek has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
162 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Moving to Horse Creek: who provides what
Horse Creek is unincorporated, so Mellette County and regional agencies provide most services.
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 Horse Creek.
Horse Creek: snowy winters and hot summers
July afternoons reach 89°, January nights drop to 12° and about 50 inches of snow falls in a winter.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
A larger share of adults in Horse Creek have diabetes than in the typical South Dakota or U.S. town
For adults in Horse Creek, the share who have obesity is 50%. Among 36 South Dakota towns, just 2 have a higher share of adults who have high blood pressure than Horse Creek. On the CDC’s 26 measures, Horse Creek is ahead of South Dakota on 2 and behind on 18.
| Horse Creek | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 35% | 16% | 19% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 14% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 50% | 35% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 10% | 12% |
| What stands out | Horse Creek | SD |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 4.5% | 9.2% |
| Fewer adults with high cholesterol | 28.2% | 34% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 38.5% | 12.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Moderate risk in Horse Creek, with inland flooding at the top
Storm and flood damage is expected to run higher than in 55% of U.S. communities. FEMA puts just over a third of Horse Creek’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 24% to cold waves.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Everything we know about Horse Creek
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Horse Creek; the nearest are
About 0 of every 100 Horse Creek residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across South Dakota.
About Horse Creek
Census-designated place in South Dakota, United States
Horse Creek is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Mellette County, South Dakota, United States. It was first listed as a CDP prior to the 2020 census. The population of the CDP was 187 at the 2020 census. It is in the central part of the county, 2 miles (3 km) south of White River, the county seat. The Little White River flows from north to south through the CDP, with most of the community's development to the east of the river on high ground. U.S. Route 83 runs along the eastern edge of the CDP, leading north through White River 25 miles (40 km) to Interstate 90 at Murdo and south 20 miles (32 km) to Mission. South Dakota Highway 44 leads east-southeast from t…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Elevation
- 2,005 ft
Questions about Horse Creek
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Horse Creek, SD a good place to live?
Horse Creek has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.