NOAA NWS June 2003 damage survey, 2003
Manchester Township’s story
145 years in pictures
The archive holds 1 old photo or paper going back to 2003 and 3 maps from 1899 on.
- 1881Manchester Township is settled
Manchester TownshipSD
A town of 65, settled in 1881.
Population
65
2025 Census estimate · +6.6% since 2020
Household income
$122K
median
Median age
53.5
years
Land area
56 sq mi
Is Manchester Township a good place to live?
Manchester Township’s median age is 53.5 years, above both South Dakota’s towns (39.5 years) and U.S. towns (40.5 years). No town among the 36 in South Dakota we compare has a higher share of households owning their home than Manchester Township. 25% of the land in Manchester Township is conserved, against 3.3% in South Dakota’s towns and 4.3% across U.S. towns. Manchester Township has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
65 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Iroquois TownshipDe Smet TownshipEsmond TownshipSpirit Lake TownshipMathews TownshipManchester Township
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Manchester Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Manchester Township, and how to reach them.
PowerNorthWestern Energy13.3¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterKingbrook II Rural Water SystemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Manchester Township’s trash rules yet
SchoolsDe Smet School District 38-2Iroquois School District 02-32 districts serve Manchester Township; which school depends on your address and gradeNCES
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 codes57231, 5735357231 78% · 57353 22%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 Manchester Township.
Outdoors
Conserved land covers 24.7% of Manchester Township
11 miles of trail in 0 parks and preserves. The trail density in Manchester Township is 0.2 miles per square mile.
24.7%conserved
24.7%
conserved · 8,741 of 35,419 acres
11 mi
of trails · 0.2 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Natural hazards
Manchester Township faces a low natural-hazard risk, led by cold waves
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 70% of U.S. communities. Since 1987, 2 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Manchester Township.
30risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Cold wavesInland floodingTornadoes
2
paid flood claims since 1987
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
In Manchester Township, expect four seasons and pleasant summers
Manchester Township has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 5° and about 39 inches of snow falls in a winter.
39″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter8–27°
Spring33–56°
Summer59–81°
Fall36–58°
Oct 4
typical first frost
May 5
typical last frost
+1.2°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Manchester Township is
Manchester Township beats the South Dakota average on 2 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 3. 27% of Manchester Township adults sleep under 7 hours.
| Manchester Township | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 30% | 36% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 15% | 17% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 22% | 23% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 36% | 31% | 35% |
26 measures vs. South Dakota
2 better21 too close to call3 worse
| What stands out | Manchester Township | SD |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 80% | 75.9% |
| More adults getting cholesterol checked | 87.2% | 84.8% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 11.6% | 9.2% |
Avera De Smet Memorial Hospital - Cah
6 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Manchester Township
16pages on Manchester Township
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Manchester Township; the nearest are
Dakota State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Madison38.1 mi$9,654 in-state tuitionLake Area Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · Watertown46 mi$6,718 in-state tuition
About 0 of every 100 Manchester Township residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across South Dakota.
About Manchester Township
Ghost town in South Dakota, United States
Manchester was a town in Kingsbury County in the east-central part of the U.S. state of South Dakota. On June 24, 2003, the town was obliterated by a large F4-rated tornado, and has since become a ghost town. In 2004, the state of South Dakota officially disincorporated the town of Manchester. According to the 2000 census, the population of Manchester was 40.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 56 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,608 ft
Questions about Manchester Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Manchester Township, SD a good place to live?
Manchester Township has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.