Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Home to 3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
36% of residents live below the poverty line in Lake Andes, above both South Dakota’s towns (9.5%) and U.S. towns (9.6%). Of the 36 South Dakota towns we compare, none has a higher share of children under 18 than Lake Andes. Its National Register listings include Lake Andes Carnegie Library and Charles Mix County Courthouse. Lake Andes has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Where Lake Andes beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census counts: 920 in 1910, a peak of 1,851 in 1950, 710 in 2020. The archive holds 11 old photos and papers going back to 1908 and 2 maps from 1964 on.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Lake Andes, 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.
Ordered by what stands out in Lake Andes.
Among adults 25 and older, 27% have a four-year degree or more, against 32% across South Dakota. Lake Andes’ age of the median resident stands at 30 years, against 39.5 years in South Dakota’s towns and 40.5 years across U.S. towns; what’s more, in Lake Andes, 15% of residents are 65 or older. 17% never finished high school.
| Lake Andes | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 30 years | 39.5 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 15% | 19% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 27% | 33% | 29% |
51% women, 49% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±5.2 points. Across South Dakota, 49.2% of residents are women.
| Lake Andes | SD | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 18.1% | 13.1% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 20.3% | 11.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 6.9% | 9.3% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 10.3% | 12.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 11.5% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 11.5% | 10.7% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 6.2% | 12.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 7.1% | 11% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 8% | 7% | 7% |
| No diploma | 17.4% | 6.8% | 10.4% |
| High school | 27.4% | 29% | 26% |
| Some college | 17.4% | 19.9% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 10.8% | 12.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 19.9% | 21.9% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 7.1% | 10% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 700, single groups can be off by several points
The public schools here belong to the Andes Central School District 11-1. Of its 3 schools, two are listed below, each with the reason. The 3 public schools in Lake Andes teach 300 students between them.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Andes Central Elementary - 02Largest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 184 | D |
| Andes Central High School - 01Largest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 65 | C |
NCES · EDFacts
The midsummer high in the town is 88°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Lake Andes: 12% of working residents work locally. It had 257 jobs in 2023, down 96 from 2013. For Lake Andes, the average commute is 16 minutes. Half the trips to work are shorter than 19 miles.
| Lake Andes | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 16 minutes | 17 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $48,000 | $72,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 12% | 29% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Only 3 of the 36 South Dakota towns we compare have a lower share of adults who binge drink than Lake Andes. 27% of adults say their health is fair or poor in the town.
| Lake Andes | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 14% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 10% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 12% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 16% | 19% |
| What stands out | Lake Andes | SD |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 23.1% | 12.7% |
| More smokers | 23.7% | 15.2% |
| More adults in fair or poor health | 26.9% | 17.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Households in Lake Andes have drawn federal disaster aid in 6 declared disasters, most recently in 2019. Storm and flood damage is expected to run lower than in 53% of U.S. communities. 37% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from cold waves, followed by inland flooding at 31%.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Lake Andes National Wildlife Refuge | — | 9 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Lake Andes; the nearest are
About 1 of every 100 Lake Andes residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across South Dakota.
3 places in Lake Andes on the National Register of Historic Places.
City in South Dakota, United States
Lake Andes is a city in, and the county seat of, Charles Mix County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 710 at the 2020 census. The town took its name from Lake Andes which some say derives its name from a pioneer hunter named Handy, while others believe was named after Edward Andes, a fur company official. The town and the lake names translate to Bde Ihaƞke in Dakota language of the native Yankton Sioux Tribe.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Lake Andes has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real. Home to 3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
