Lake MadisonSD
A town of 936.
Is Lake Madison a good place to live?
Lake Madison’s median age is 63.2 years, above both the South Dakota town median (39.5 years) and the median of U.S. towns (40.5 years). Only 2 of the 36 South Dakota towns we compare have a higher median household income than Lake Madison. The biggest park or preserve is Bourne Slough Water Access Area, at 94 acres. Lake Madison has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
936 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Moving to Lake Madison: who provides what
Lake Madison is unincorporated, so Lake 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 Lake Madison.
With 0.3 jobs for every working resident, most of Lake Madison’s workers commute out
Most working residents leave Lake Madison for work: only 4% work in town. 1% of residents live below the poverty line in Lake Madison, below both South Dakota’s towns (9.5%) and U.S. towns (9.6%). Since 2013, Lake Madison has added 63 jobs, to 98 in 2023.
| Lake Madison | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 3.7% | 29% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 1% | 9.5% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 17 minutes | 17 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Lake Madison has snowy winters and pleasant summers
Lake Madison has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. The July high in Lake Madison is 83°F.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
A smaller share of adults in Lake Madison report frequent mental distress than in the typical South Dakota or U.S. town
11% of Lake Madison adults report frequent mental distress. Of the 36 South Dakota towns we compare, none has a lower share of adults who have been diagnosed with depression than Lake Madison. 15% of Lake Madison adults say their health is fair or poor.
| Lake Madison | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 15% | 17% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 31% | 35% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 22% | 23% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 82% | 76% | 79% |
| What stands out | Lake Madison | SD |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 5.4% | 12.7% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 5.3% | 8.8% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 13% | 9.2% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Lake Madison has set aside 5.3% of its land for conservation
0.4 miles of trail in 8 parks and preserves.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Bourne Slough Water Access Area | — | 94 |
| 2. Payne Waterfowl Production Area | — | 55 |
| 3. Walker's Point Recreation Area | — | 48 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Moderate risk in Lake Madison, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 56% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Everything we know about Lake Madison
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Lake Madison
About 1 of every 100 Lake Madison residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across South Dakota.
96% of working residents leave Lake Madison for work
Where Lake Madison’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
About Lake Madison
Census-designated place in South Dakota, United States
Lake Madison is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Lake County, South Dakota, United States. Its population was 829 as of the 2020 census. The community is located on the shores of Lake Madison. Lake Madison provides many activities including camping, boating, and fishing. While fishing, you can expect to catch walleye, perch, white bass, crappie, smallmouth bass, and northern pike.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 9.1 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,604 ft
- Area code
- 605
Questions about Lake Madison
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Lake Madison, SD a good place to live?
Lake Madison has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.