Anthon W. Elster House · National Register of Historic Places
La Valley Township’s story
La Valley Township in pictures
The archive holds 3 maps from 1897 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Explore the history →La Valley TownshipSD
A town of 683.
4 bordering townsMap →
Anthon W. Elster House · Photo: Ammodramus · CC0
Population
683
2025 Census estimate · +2.7% since 2020
Median home value
$495K
Census ACS
Household income
$135K
median
Median age
55.0
years
Jobs based here
270
A commuter town
Is La Valley Township a good place to live?
La Valley Township’s midpoint age is 55 years, above both the South Dakota town median (39.5 years) and the median of U.S. towns (40.5 years). No town among the 36 in South Dakota we compare has a lower share of adults with a bachelor’s degree than La Valley Township. La Valley Township has 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Dickens Round Barn and Anthon W. Elster House. La Valley Township has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
683 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
HarrisburgDayton TownshipPerry TownshipLynn TownshipLa Valley Township
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to La Valley Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in La Valley Township, and how to reach them.
PowerXcel Energy13.1¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterLincoln County Rural Water SystemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet8 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have La Valley Township’s trash rules yet
SchoolsHarrisburg School District 41-2Lennox School District 41-4Canton School District 41-13 districts serve La Valley Township; which school depends on your address and gradeNCES
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 hereLincoln County AuditorLincoln County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Aug 2025
ZIP codes57032, 57077, 57039, 5706457032 51% · 57077 26% · 57039 16% · 57064 4%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 La Valley Township.
Work & commute
Compared with most of South Dakota and the rest of the country, fewer of La Valley Township’s working residents work locally
Since 2013, La Valley Township has added 174 jobs, to 270 in 2023. Among 36 South Dakota towns, just 2 have a higher median household income than La Valley Township. Its typical journey to work stands at 23 minutes, against 17 minutes in South Dakota’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. Also worth knowing: 5.2% of residents live below the poverty line here.
1%work in town
| La Valley Township | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $135,000 | $72,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 0.8% | 29% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 5.2% | 9.5% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 23 minutes | 17 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In La Valley Township1%
Sioux Falls63%
Harrisburg6%
Delapre Township3%
Brookings2%
10 mi
median commute distance
270
jobs based in La Valley Township
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
In La Valley Township, expect snowy winters and pleasant summers
Summer afternoons peak near 84° in July, and January nights bottom out around 8°; snowfall runs to about 49 inches a winter.
49″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter11–29°
Spring35–58°
Summer60–82°
Fall38–60°
Oct 6
typical first frost
May 1
typical last frost
+1.1°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy La Valley Township is
Against the South Dakota average, La Valley Township comes out ahead on 12 CDC measures out of 26, and behind on 2. The share of adults in La Valley Township who binge drink: 22%. In La Valley Township, 27% of adults have high blood pressure, and 10% report frequent physical distress.
| La Valley Township | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 19% | 16% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 31% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 10% | 12% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 8.2% | 10% | 12% |
26 measures vs. South Dakota
12 better12 too close to call2 worse
| What stands out | La Valley Township | SD |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with heart disease | 4.6% | 6.8% |
| Fewer adults who have had a stroke | 2.4% | 3.5% |
| More binge drinkers | 22.1% | 18.8% |
Avera Heart Hospital of South Dakota
7.3 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 La Valley Township is inland flooding, at a moderate overall level
44% of La Valley Township’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by tornadoes at 31%. Expected damage from storms and floods is higher here than in 54% of U.S. communities.
54risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoes
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 21,966 acres
1.3 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Nearby attractions
All 9 attractions →Great Plains Zoo and 5 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around La Valley Township. Close and well known come first.
10 mi Zoo & aquariumGreat Plains Zoo
11 mi MuseumWashington Pavilion of Arts and Science
11 mi MuseumPettigrew Home & Museum29 mi MuseumPorter Sculpture Park
33 mi MuseumHinkly House Museum
37 mi MuseumJasper MuseumSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Great Plains Zoo: Jake DeGroot, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Washington Pavilion of Arts and Science: Jon Platek, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Pettigrew Home & Museum: Jerry from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, United States, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Hinkly House Museum: McGhiever, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Jasper Museum: Heritage Preservation Department - MNHS, CC BY-SA 2.0
Keep exploring
Everything we know about La Valley Township
17pages on La Valley Township
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
4 within 15 miles of the center of La Valley Township
Augustana UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Sioux Falls9.6 mi$40,160 tuitionKairos UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Sioux Falls9.6 mi$3,600 tuitionSoutheast Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · Sioux Falls12.8 mi$7,650 in-state tuition
About 0 of every 100 La Valley Township residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across South Dakota.
A commuter town
99% of working residents leave La Valley Township for work
Where La Valley Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
270jobs based in La Valley Township
1%of working residents work in town
10 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Questions about La Valley Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is La Valley Township, SD a good place to live?
La Valley Township has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.