Mathews TownshipSD
A town of 115, settled in 1899.
Is Mathews Township a good place to live?
33% of the land in Mathews Township is conserved, above both South Dakota’s towns (3.3%) and U.S. towns (4.3%). The biggest park or preserve is Lake Thompson West Game Production Area, at 195 acres. Mathews Township has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
115 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Moving to Mathews Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Mathews Township, 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 Mathews Township.
In Mathews Township, nearly a third of the land is conserved
In 2 parks and preserves, walkers have 12 miles of trail. The trail density for Mathews Township comes to 0.1 miles per square mile, below both the South Dakota town median (0.6) and the median of U.S. towns (0.4).
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Lake Thompson West Game Production Area | — | 195 |
| 2. Johnson Waterfowl Production Area | — | 41 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Most of Mathews Township’s workers commute out: the town has 0.3 jobs for each of them
Only 2% of working residents stay in Mathews Township for work; the rest commute out. The typical journey to work here is 12 minutes. Half the trips to work are shorter than 40 miles. The top destinations are De Smet (18%), Sioux Falls (9%) and Brookings (8%).
| Mathews Township | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 12 minutes | 17 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 1.5% | 29% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 13% | 9.5% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Fewer young adults than South Dakota overall
Among adults 25 and older, 24% have a four-year degree or more, against 32% across South Dakota. Adults 18 to 34 are 9% of residents (22% statewide); people 65 and older are 26% of residents (18% statewide). The Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate puts Mathews Township at 115 residents, up 6.5% since 2020.
Ages · share of residents
Education · adults 25 and older
Women and men · all residents
Somewhere between 36% and 67% women
The Census survey reached too few of Mathews Township’s residents to say more: its margin here is ±15.6 points. Across South Dakota, 49.2% of residents are women.
| Mathews Township | SD | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 22.3% | 13.1% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 2.3% | 11.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 0% | 9.3% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 9.1% | 12.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 13.1% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 4.6% | 10.7% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 22.9% | 12.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 24% | 11% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 1.7% | 7% | 7% |
| No diploma | 0% | 6.8% | 10.4% |
| High school | 43.2% | 29% | 26% |
| Some college | 15.2% | 19.9% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 18.2% | 12.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 22.7% | 21.9% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 0.8% | 10% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 100, single groups can be off by several points
The biggest natural risk in Mathews Township is cold waves, at a low overall level
For Mathews Township, the risk rating from FEMA is 30 of 100. Expected losses in Mathews Township break down as 28% from cold waves and 28% from inland flooding.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Snowy winters and pleasant summers in Mathews Township
Mathews Township’s peak summer temperature is 83°F.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
How healthy Mathews Township is
Only 2 of the 36 South Dakota towns we compare have a higher share of adults who had a checkup this year than Mathews Township. Against the South Dakota average, Mathews Township comes out ahead on 2 CDC measures out of 26, and behind on 4. In Mathews Township, 14% of adults report frequent mental distress.
| Mathews Township | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 30% | 36% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 15% | 17% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 31% | 35% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 22% | 23% |
| What stands out | Mathews Township | SD |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 81.1% | 75.9% |
| More adults getting cholesterol checked | 87.7% | 84.8% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 12.1% | 9.2% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Everything we know about Mathews Township
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Mathews Township; the nearest are
About 0 of every 100 Mathews Township residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across South Dakota.
98% of working residents leave Mathews Township for work
Where Mathews Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Questions about Mathews Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Mathews Township, SD a good place to live?
Mathews Township has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.