LetcherSD
A town of 158, settled in 1882.
Is Letcher a good place to live?
Letcher has 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them St. Scholastica Catholic Church and St. Scholastica Rectory. Letcher has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
158 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Moving to Letcher: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Letcher, 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.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Letcher.
Letcher has 0.2 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
For residents in Letcher, the share who live below the poverty line is 24%. Only 1% of working residents stay in Letcher for work; the rest commute out. The town’s typical journey to work is 21 minutes, above South Dakota’s towns (17 minutes) but below U.S. towns (25 minutes). The top destinations are Woonsocket (19%), Mitchell (15%) and Huron (10%).
| Letcher | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 24% | 9.5% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 1.5% | 29% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 17 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $81,000 | $72,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Four seasons and pleasant summers: that is Letcher’s year
Letcher’s typical July afternoon high is 86°F, against 85°F in South Dakota’s towns and 85°F across U.S. towns.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
How healthy Letcher is
Among adults in Letcher, 74% had a checkup this year. 20% of adults in Letcher binge drink; 30% sleep under 7 hours.
| Letcher | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 74% | 76% | 79% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 19% | 16% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 30% | 36% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 14% | 14% |
| What stands out | Letcher | SD |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 17.3% | 12.7% |
| Fewer adults seeing a dentist | 65.7% | 69.2% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Moderate risk in Letcher, with inland flooding at the top
Expected damage from storms and floods is lower here than in 55% of U.S. communities. Federal aid has come to Letcher households in 5 declared disasters; the latest was in 2019.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Everything we know about Letcher
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Letcher; the nearest are
About 11 of every 100 Letcher residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across South Dakota.
99% of working residents leave Letcher for work
Where Letcher’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
About Letcher
Town in South Dakota, United States
Letcher is a town in Sanborn County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 159 at the 2020 census. Letcher has the name of O. T. Letcher, a local landowner.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.7 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,302 ft
- ZIP code
- 57359
Questions about Letcher
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Letcher, SD a good place to live?
Letcher has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.