MelletteSD
The town was settled in 1881 and has 194 residents today.
Is Mellette a good place to live?
3.2% of working residents work locally in Mellette, below both South Dakota’s towns (29%) and U.S. towns (8%). Only 3 of the 36 South Dakota towns we compare have a lower January low than Mellette. Mellette has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
194 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Moving to Mellette: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Mellette, 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 Mellette.
Mellette has 1.5 jobs for every working resident, and 94 people commute in
Jobs in Mellette grew by 20 from 2013 to 2023, reaching 96. Just 3% of the town’s working residents have a job in town. Also worth knowing: its typical household income stands at $107,000. Half of commuters travel less than 21 miles.
| Mellette | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $107,000 | $72,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 19 minutes | 17 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The schools Mellette’s kids attend
Below: Two of its 5 schools, each with why it was picked. The public schools here belong to the Northwestern Area School District 56-7. 5 public schools serve Mellette, with 371 students in all.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northwestern Elementary - 04Largest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 135 | B |
| Northwestern High School - 01Largest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 91 | A |
NCES · EDFacts
The biggest natural risk in Mellette is inland flooding, at a low overall level
Of the losses FEMA expects in Mellette, 43% come from inland flooding and 27% from cold waves. Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 70% of U.S. communities. Federal aid has come to Mellette households in 2 declared disasters; the latest was in 2007.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Expect snowy winters and pleasant summers in Mellette
The range runs from 4° on a January night to 84° on a July afternoon, with about 43 inches of snow a winter.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
How healthy Mellette is
For adults in Mellette, the share who report frequent mental distress is 15%. 32% of adults in Mellette sleep under 7 hours; 76% had a checkup this year.
| Mellette | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 19% | 16% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 30% | 36% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 76% | 76% | 79% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 15% | 17% |
| What stands out | Mellette | SD |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 15.9% | 12.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Everything we know about Mellette
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Mellette; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Mellette residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across South Dakota.
Every workday, about 94 people come to Mellette for work
Where Mellette’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
About Mellette
City in South Dakota, United States
Mellette is a city in Spink County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 199 at the 2020 census. Mellette was laid out in 1881, and named in honor of Governor Arthur C. Mellette.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.3 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,296 ft
- ZIP code
- 57461
Questions about Mellette
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Mellette, SD a good place to live?
Mellette has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.