MecklingSD
Population 69: a town laid out in 1873.
Is Meckling a good place to live?
16% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Meckling, where South Dakota’s towns sit at 33% and U.S. towns at 29%. Meckling has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
69 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Moving to Meckling: who provides what
Meckling is unincorporated, so Clay County and regional agencies provide most services.
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 Meckling.
Meckling: four seasons and pleasant summers
A winter brings about 38 inches of snow, with January nights at 10° and July afternoons at 86°.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Top of a high hazard risk in Meckling: inland flooding
Meckling’s natural-hazard score from FEMA comes in at 66 of 100. Expected losses in Meckling break down as 51% from inland flooding and 16% from drought.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Meckling stands out in South Dakota and nationally: a larger share of its adults report frequent mental distress
Among adults in Meckling, 7.2% have diabetes. Only 3 of the 36 South Dakota towns we compare have a lower share of adults who have high blood pressure than Meckling. Of 26 CDC measures, Meckling beats the South Dakota average on 11 and trails it on 3.
| Meckling | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 31% | 35% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 71% | 76% | 79% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 7.2% | 10% | 12% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 19% | 16% |
| What stands out | Meckling | SD |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with diabetes | 7.2% | 11.7% |
| Fewer adults who have had a stroke | 2.2% | 3.5% |
| More adults in frequent mental distress | 19% | 15.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Everything we know about Meckling
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Meckling
About 0 of every 100 Meckling residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across South Dakota.
About Meckling
Unincorporated community in South Dakota, United States
Meckling is an unincorporated community and a census-designated place (CDP) in Clay County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 48 at the 2020 census. Meckling was laid out in 1873, and named in honor of Jones S. Meckling, a railroad employee. Due to the large number of farms that grow the crop alfalfa it has become known as the "Hay Capital of the Universe". In this fertile Missouri River valley of southeastern South Dakota, alfalfa hay is the crop of choice. Each August Meckling and its neighboring town Gayville, the Hay Capital of the World host the Annual Hay Days. In 1965, the local school closed, and the residents were allowed to choose between the Gayville or Vermillion s…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 36 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,152 ft
Questions about Meckling
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Meckling, SD a good place to live?
Meckling has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.