Mellette TownshipSD
A town of 113, laid out in 1881.
Is Mellette Township a good place to live?
Mellette Township has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
113 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Moving to Mellette Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Mellette 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 Mellette Township.
48% of residents are 65 or older
Mellette Township: 22% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more, below both the South Dakota town median (33%) and the median of U.S. towns (29%). The age of the median resident here is 55.9 years. The Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate puts Mellette Township at 113 residents, down 2.6% since 2020.
| Mellette Township | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 55.9 years | 39.5 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 22% | 33% | 29% |
Ages · share of residents
Education · adults 25 and older
| Mellette Township | SD | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 0% | 13.1% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 13.4% | 11.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 0% | 9.3% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 0% | 12.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 10.4% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 7.5% | 10.7% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 20.9% | 12.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 43.3% | 11% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 4.5% | 7% | 7% |
| No diploma | 5.2% | 6.8% | 10.4% |
| High school | 43.1% | 29% | 26% |
| Some college | 24.1% | 19.9% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 5.2% | 12.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 22.4% | 21.9% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 0% | 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
Top of a low hazard risk in Mellette Township: inland flooding
Only 2 of the 36 South Dakota towns we compare have a lower FEMA risk score than Mellette Township. 43% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by cold waves at 27%. Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 70% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
In Mellette Township, expect four seasons and pleasant summers
July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 4° and about 34 inches of snow falls in a winter.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Mellette Township stands out in South Dakota and nationally, with the average trip to work longer than most
Only 2% of working residents stay in Mellette Township for work; the rest commute out. The top destinations are Sioux Falls (13%), Aberdeen (12%) and Mellette (10%). For half of commuters, work is under 24 miles away.
| Mellette Township | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 1.9% | 29% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 28 minutes | 17 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
How healthy Mellette Township is
In Mellette Township, 31% of adults sleep under 7 hours. Mellette Township: 18% of adults binge drink, against 19% in South Dakota’s towns and 16% across U.S. towns.
| Mellette Township | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 15% | 17% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 30% | 36% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 22% | 23% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 19% | 16% |
| What stands out | Mellette Township | SD |
|---|---|---|
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.4% | 9.2% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Mellette Township has set aside 2% of its land for conservation
35 miles of trail. Mellette Township’s density of trails is 0.5 miles per square mile.
| Mellette Township | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 2% | 3.3% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.5 miles per square mile | 0.6 | 0.4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Everything we know about Mellette Township
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Mellette Township; the nearest are
About 0 of every 100 Mellette Township residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across South Dakota.
About Mellette Township
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 Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Mellette Township, SD a good place to live?
Mellette Township has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.