Lake Preston High, 2024
Lake Preston’s story
144 years in pictures
The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 2004.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1882Lake Preston is settled
Lake PrestonSD
Home to 3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Population
605
2025 Census estimate · +3.2% since 2020
Typical home
$245K
+3.8% in a year
Household income
$52K
median
Median age
49.3
years
Jobs based here
136
A commuter town
Is Lake Preston a good place to live?
Of the 36 South Dakota towns we compare, none has a lower share of adults with a bachelor’s degree than Lake Preston. Its National Register listings include Lake Preston Tourist Park Historic District and Lake Preston High School. Lake Preston has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What makes Lake Preston stand out
Where Lake Preston beats most towns.
Small town
605 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Lake Preston: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Lake Preston, and how to reach them.
PowerNorthWestern Energy13.3¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterLake Preston water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Lake Preston’s trash rules yet
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 hereKingsbury County AuditorKingsbury County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2023
ZIP code5724957249 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 Lake Preston.
Work & commute
Lake Preston has 0.6 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Most working residents leave Lake Preston for work: only 3% work in town. 17% of Lake Preston residents live below the poverty line, where South Dakota’s towns sit at 9.5% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. Jobs based in Lake Preston fell to 136 in 2023, 49 fewer than in 2013.
3%work in town
| Lake Preston | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 3.4% | 29% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 17% | 9.5% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $52,000 | $72,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 23 minutes | 17 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Lake Preston3%
Brookings15%
Sioux Falls11%
Arlington9%
De Smet4%
29 mi
median commute distance
136
jobs based in Lake Preston
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Schools
The schools Lake Preston’s kids attend
Its public schools are run by the Lake Preston School District 38-3.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Preston Elementary - 02Largest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 96 | A |
| Lake Preston High School - 01Largest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 41 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts
Natural hazards
Inland flooding leads a low hazard risk in Lake Preston
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 70% of U.S. communities. One flood insurance claim has been paid in Lake Preston since 1986.
30risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
1
paid flood claims since 1986
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Housing
The median rent in Lake Preston is lower than in the typical South Dakota or U.S. town
At $615 a month, Lake Preston’s median rent is against $962 a month in South Dakota’s towns and $1,185 a month across U.S. towns. The typical Lake Preston home is worth about $245,000, up 3.8% in a year, 23% below the South Dakota typical home. 62% of households own their home in Lake Preston.
$245KZillow home value
| Lake Preston | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $615 a month | $962 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 62% | 68% | 73% |
Typical home value
Lake Preston$245K
South Dakota$318K
+3.8%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Climate
In Lake Preston, expect snowy winters and pleasant summers
Lake Preston has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. The July high in Lake Preston is 83°F.
41″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter8–27°
Spring33–55°
Summer58–80°
Fall35–57°
Oct 4
typical first frost
May 5
typical last frost
+1.0°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Lake Preston is
Lake Preston beats the South Dakota average on 2 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 4. 28% of Lake Preston adults sleep under 7 hours. Only 2 of the 36 South Dakota towns we compare have a higher share of adults who have high blood pressure than Lake Preston.
| Lake Preston | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 30% | 36% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 15% | 17% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 31% | 35% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 22% | 23% |
26 measures vs. South Dakota
2 better20 too close to call4 worse
| What stands out | Lake Preston | SD |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 80.4% | 75.9% |
| More adults getting cholesterol checked | 87.3% | 84.8% |
| More adults with heart disease | 8.6% | 6.8% |
Avera De Smet Memorial Hospital - Cah
9.3 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
5.9%conserved
5.9%
conserved · 29 of 486 acres
0.0 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Thorsnes Park | — | 10 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Lake Preston
18pages on Lake Preston
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Lake Preston; the nearest are
Dakota State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Madison27.4 mi$9,654 in-state tuitionLake Area Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · Watertown39.8 mi$6,718 in-state tuition
About 3 of every 100 Lake Preston residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across South Dakota.
A commuter town
97% of working residents leave Lake Preston for work
Where Lake Preston’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
136jobs based in Lake Preston
3%of working residents work in town
29 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Lake Preston
City in South Dakota, United States
Lake Preston is a city in Kingsbury County, South Dakota, United States. As of the 2020 census, Lake Preston had a population of 589.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.8 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,722 ft
- ZIP code
- 57249
- Area code
- 605
Questions about Lake Preston
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Lake Preston, SD a good place to live?
Lake Preston 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.