NEXRAD and thunderstorm in New Underwood, South Dakota, 2004 - NOAA Photo Library Wea01195, 2004
New Underwood’s story
117 years in pictures
The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 2004.
- 1909New Underwood is settled
New UnderwoodSD
A town of 594, settled in 1909.
Photo: Jeffrey Beall · CC BY 4.0
Population
594
2025 Census estimate · −0.7% since 2020
Typical home
$412K
+9.7% in a year
Household income
$56K
median
Median age
46.6
years
Jobs based here
145
A commuter town
Is New Underwood a good place to live?
26% of residents live below the poverty line in New Underwood, above both South Dakota’s towns (9.5%) and U.S. towns (9.6%). No town among the 36 in South Dakota we compare has a lower share of adults with a bachelor’s degree than New Underwood. New Underwood has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
594 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to New Underwood: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in New Underwood, and how to reach them.
PowerBlack Hills Energy15.1¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterNew Underwood water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet3 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have New Underwood’s trash rules yet
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 herePennington County AuditorPennington County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2025
ZIP code5776157761 100%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 New Underwood.
Work & commute
The average trip to work in New Underwood is longer than in the typical South Dakota or U.S. town
New Underwood’s average trip to work is 27 minutes, against 17 minutes in South Dakota’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. 3.8% of New Underwood working residents work locally. The top destinations are Rapid City (41%), Box Elder (13%) and Wall (11%).
4%work in town
| New Underwood | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 3.8% | 29% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 27 minutes | 17 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In New Underwood4%
Rapid City41%
Box Elder13%
Wall11%
Sioux Falls4%
20 mi
median commute distance
145
jobs based in New Underwood
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Schools
The schools New Underwood’s kids attend
Its public schools are run by the New Underwood School District 51-3.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Underwood Elementary - 02Largest public elementary schoolGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 113 | C+ |
| New Underwood High School - 01Largest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 92 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts
Housing
A typical New Underwood home is worth about $412K
The typical New Underwood home is worth about $412,000, up 9.7% in a year, 30% above the South Dakota typical home. New Underwood’s median rent is $850 a month.
$412KZillow home value
| New Underwood | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $850 a month | $962 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 68% | 68% | 73% |
Typical home value
New Underwood$412K
South Dakota$318K
+9.7%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Natural hazards
Inland flooding leads a high hazard risk in New Underwood
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 74% of U.S. communities.
74risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingWildfireCold waves
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Snowy winters and pleasant summers in New Underwood
New Underwood has cold, snowy winters and warm summers, with very little rain. The July high in New Underwood is 87°F.
49″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter15–37°
Spring33–58°
Summer57–84°
Fall35–62°
Oct 1
typical first frost
May 12
typical last frost
+1.4°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy New Underwood is
New Underwood beats the South Dakota average on 0 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 2. 20% of adults binge drink in New Underwood. Among 36 South Dakota towns, just 1 have a higher share of adults who sleep under 7 hours than New Underwood.
| New Underwood | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 19% | 16% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 30% | 36% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 36% | 31% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 10% | 12% |
26 measures vs. South Dakota
0 better24 too close to call2 worse
| What stands out | New Underwood | SD |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 16.7% | 12.7% |
| Fewer adults seeing a dentist | 65.1% | 69.2% |
Monument Health Rapid City Hospital
18.7 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Nearby attractions
All 21 attractions →Mount Rushmore National Memorial and 10 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around New Underwood. Close and well known come first.
Big draw33 mi National MemorialMount Rushmore National Memorial1.9M visitors a year
Big draw24 mi National ParkBadlands National Park1.1M visitors a year
38 mi MountainBlack Elk Peak
38 mi State parkCuster State Park
20 mi MuseumDinosaur Park
19 mi Stadium & arenaRushmore Plaza Civic CenterSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Mount Rushmore National Memorial: Thomas Wolf, www.foto-tw.de, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Badlands National Park: Martin Kraft, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Black Elk Peak: BHrock at English Wikipedia, Public domain · Custer State Park: Guimir, Public domain · Dinosaur Park: Minnesota Jones at en.wikipedia, Public domain · Rushmore Plaza Civic Center: Mr. Satterly, WTFPL
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Keep exploring
Everything we know about New Underwood
17pages on New Underwood
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of New Underwood; the nearest are
Western Dakota Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · Rapid City17 mi$8,294 in-state tuitionSouth Dakota School of Mines and TechnologyUniversity or college · Public · Rapid City18.3 mi$10,500 in-state tuition
About 0 of every 100 New Underwood residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across South Dakota.
A commuter town
96% of working residents leave New Underwood for work
Where New Underwood’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
145jobs based in New Underwood
4%of working residents work in town
20 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About New Underwood
City in South Dakota, United States
New Underwood (Lakota: wóȟešma tȟéča; "new undergrowth") is a city in Pennington County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 590 at the 2020 Census. New Underwood got its start circa 1906. The city was named for John Underwood, a cattleman. Until 2017, it was home to the world’s smallest biker bar, which is now closed.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.0 sq mi
- Elevation
- 2,844 ft
- ZIP code
- 57761
- Area code
- 605
Questions about New Underwood
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is New Underwood, SD a good place to live?
New Underwood has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.