McPherson County Courthouse · National Register of Historic Places
Leola’s story
143 years in pictures
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1883Leola is settled
LeolaSD
A town of 411, settled in 1883.
Photo: Jon Roanhaus · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
411
2025 Census estimate · −5.3% since 2020
Median home value
$65K
Census ACS
Household income
$71K
median
Median age
38.9
years
Jobs based here
103
Balanced
Is Leola a good place to live?
Of the 36 South Dakota towns we compare, none has a higher average trip to work than Leola. McPherson County Courthouse is on the National Register of Historic Places. Leola has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
411 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 Leola: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Leola, and how to reach them.
PowerMontana-Dakota Utilities13.0¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterLeola water system1 health-based violation in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet2 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Leola’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 hereMcPherson County AuditorMcPherson County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2023
ZIP code5745657456 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 Leola.
Climate
In Leola, expect four seasons and pleasant summers
Leola has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with very little rain. At 83°F, Leola’s July high is below both the South Dakota town median (85°F) and the median of U.S. towns (85°F).
34″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter6–24°
Spring31–54°
Summer56–80°
Fall33–56°
Sep 28
typical first frost
May 9
typical last frost
+0.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Schools
The schools Leola’s kids attend
Its public schools are run by the Leola School District 44-2. Two of its 4 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leola Elementary - 02Largest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 57 | A |
| Leola High School - 01Largest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 38 | – |
NCES · EDFacts
Work & commute
Leola has 0.8 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Most working residents leave Leola for work: only 12% work in town. 6.3% of residents live below the poverty line in Leola, against 9.5% in South Dakota’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. The top destinations are Eureka (18%), Aberdeen (11%) and Sioux Falls (3%).
12%work in town
| Leola | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 12% | 29% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 6.3% | 9.5% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Leola12%
Eureka18%
Aberdeen11%
Sioux Falls3%
Watertown2%
33 mi
median commute distance
103
jobs based in Leola
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Who lives here
Fewer young adults than South Dakota overall
Adults 18 to 34 are 16% of residents (22% statewide). 28% of Leola residents are under 18. Leola has lost 5.3% of its people since 2020, down to 411 in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate.
38.9median age · SD 38
| Leola | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 28% | 22% | 22% |
| Median age | 38.9 years | 39.5 years | 40.5 years |
LeolaSouth DakotaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
18%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma10%
High school27%
Some college21%
Associate’s10%
Bachelor’s28%
Graduate4%
Women and men · all residents
Somewhere between 26% and 63% women
The Census survey reached too few of Leola’s residents to say more: its margin here is ±18.8 points. Across South Dakota, 49.2% of residents are women.
| Leola | SD | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 13.9% | 13.1% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 13.6% | 11.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 5.5% | 9.3% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 10.2% | 12.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 12.9% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 7.1% | 10.7% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 17.8% | 12.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 12.9% | 11% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 6% | 7% | 7% |
| No diploma | 10.2% | 6.8% | 10.4% |
| High school | 27.1% | 29% | 26% |
| Some college | 21.2% | 19.9% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 10.2% | 12.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 27.5% | 21.9% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 3.9% | 10% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 400, single groups can be off by several points
Natural hazards
Low risk in Leola, with cold waves at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 63% of U.S. communities.
37risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Cold wavesInland floodingHail
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Health
How healthy Leola is
Leola beats the South Dakota average on 0 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 18% of adults smoke cigarettes in Leola. Only 2 of the 36 South Dakota towns we compare have a higher share of adults 18 to 64 who have no health insurance than Leola.
| Leola | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 14% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 10% | 12% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 22% | 25% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 12% | 14% |
26 measures vs. South Dakota
0 better25 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Leola | SD |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 8.5% | 6.7% |
Avera St. Lukes
28.5 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Leola
16pages on Leola
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Leola; the nearest are
Trinity Bible College and Graduate SchoolUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Ellendale, ND28 mi$19,700 tuitionNorthern State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Aberdeen28.8 mi$8,845 in-state tuitionLake Area Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · Watertown106 mi$6,718 in-state tuition
About 3 of every 100 Leola residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across South Dakota.
About Leola
City in South Dakota, United States
Leola is a small city in and the county seat of McPherson County, South Dakota, United States. It was founded on May 1, 1884, and named for Leola Haynes, daughter of one of the town's founders. The population was 434 as of the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.7 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,591 ft
- ZIP code
- 57456
- Area code
- 605
Questions about Leola
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Leola, SD a good place to live?
Leola has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.