Oglala dancers 2, 2006
Kyle’s story
132 years in pictures
The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 2004.
- 1894Kyle is settled
KyleSD
With 667 residents, this town was settled in 1894.
Population
667
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$10K
Census ACS
Household income
$36K
median
Median age
23.6
years
Jobs based here
8
A commuter town
Is Kyle a good place to live?
35% of residents live below the poverty line in Kyle, 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 lower share of adults with a bachelor’s degree than Kyle. Kyle’s trail network density is 1.5 miles per square mile, above both the South Dakota town median (0.6) and the median of U.S. towns (0.4). Kyle has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
667 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Nearby attractions
All 5 attractions →Badlands National Park and 2 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Kyle. Close and well known come first.
Big draw7 mi National ParkBadlands National Park1.1M visitors a year
32 mi National Historic SiteMinuteman Missile National Historic Site102K visitors a year
22 mi Ancient siteWounded Knee National Historic LandmarkSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Badlands National Park: Martin Kraft, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Minuteman Missile National Historic Site: Spencer, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wounded Knee National Historic Landmark: Napa, CC BY 2.5
Getting set up
Moving to Kyle: who provides what
Kyle is unincorporated, so Oglala Lakota County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerLaCreek Electric AssnEIAHIFLD · EIA
WaterKyle Water SystemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet2 providers94% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesOglala Lakota CountyOglala Lakota County provides services here
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 hereOglala Lakota County AuditorOglala Lakota County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2023
ZIP code5775257752 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 Kyle.
Natural hazards
Compared with most of South Dakota and the rest of the country, the FEMA risk score in Kyle is higher
Of the losses FEMA expects in Kyle, 63% come from wildfires and 11% from inland flooding. Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 98% of U.S. communities.
98risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
WildfireInland floodingStrong wind
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Schools
The schools Kyle’s kids attend
Its one school is below. Public schools: Little Wound School. The largest public high school is Little Wound School, with 755 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Little Wound SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades K–12 | Grades K–12 | 755 | – |
NCES · EDFacts
Work & commute
Fewer of Kyle’s working residents work locally than in the typical South Dakota or U.S. town
The top destinations are Wounded Knee (9%), Rapid City (7%) and Oglala (2%). Kyle had 8 jobs in 2023, down 296 from 2013. In Kyle, the mean commuting time is 13 minutes. For half of commuters, work is under 28 miles away.
1%work in town
| Kyle | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 0.6% | 29% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 13 minutes | 17 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Kyle1%
Wounded Knee9%
Rapid City7%
Oglala2%
Box Elder2%
28 mi
median commute distance
8
jobs based in Kyle
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
88°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter15–37°
Spring34–59°
Summer57–85°
Fall36–62°
Oct 1
typical first frost
May 11
typical last frost
+1.4°
vs. the 20th-century average
88°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Kyle is
Only one of the 36 South Dakota towns we compare has a lower share of adults who binge drink than Kyle. On the CDC’s 26 measures, Kyle is ahead of South Dakota on 3 and behind on 22. No town among the 36 in South Dakota we compare has a higher share of adults 18 to 64 who have no health insurance than Kyle. For adults in the town, the share who report frequent physical distress is 23%.
| Kyle | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 16% | 19% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 14% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 49% | 35% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 10% | 12% |
26 measures vs. South Dakota
3 better1 too close to call22 worse
| What stands out | Kyle | SD |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 4.4% | 9.2% |
| Fewer binge drinkers | 15.6% | 18.8% |
| More smokers | 42.1% | 15.2% |
Bennett County Hospital and Nursing Home - Cah
28.6 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 973 acres
2.2 mi
of trails · 1.5 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Kyle
18pages on Kyle
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Kyle
About 11 of every 100 Kyle residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across South Dakota.
A commuter town
99% of working residents leave Kyle for work
Where Kyle’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
8jobs based in Kyle
1%of working residents work in town
28 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Kyle
CDP in South Dakota, United States
Kyle (Lakota: Phežúta ȟaká; "Branched Medicine") is a census-designated place (CDP) in Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota, United States. Its population was 943 at the 2020 census. Located within the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation of the Oglala Lakota, it is one of two settlements which are closest to the North American continental pole of inaccessibility. The community was named for James H. Kyle, a Senator from South Dakota.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.5 sq mi
- Elevation
- 2,910 ft
- ZIP code
- 57752
- Area code
- 605
Questions about Kyle
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Kyle, SD a good place to live?
Kyle has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.