St. Martin's Catholic Church and Grotto · National Register of Historic Places
Oelrichs’s story
141 years in pictures
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1885Oelrichs is settled
OelrichsSD
A town of 127, settled in 1885.
Photo: Jared Winkler · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
127
2025 Census estimate · +7.6% since 2020
Median home value
$72K
Census ACS
Household income
$74K
median
Median age
48.6
years
Land area
0 sq mi
Is Oelrichs a good place to live?
Of the 36 South Dakota towns we compare, none has a higher average trip to work than Oelrichs. St. Martin's Catholic Church and Grotto is on the National Register of Historic Places. Oelrichs has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
127 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 Oelrichs: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Oelrichs, and how to reach them.
PowerBlack Hills Energy15.1¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterOelrichs water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet2 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Oelrichs’ 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 hereFall River County AuditorFall River County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2023
ZIP code5776357763 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 Oelrichs.
Natural hazards
The biggest natural risk in Oelrichs is inland flooding, at a very high overall level
For Oelrichs, the natural-hazard score from FEMA is 83 of 100. FEMA puts 40% of the town’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 37% to wildfires.
83risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingWildfireCold waves
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Schools
The schools Oelrichs’s kids attend
Below: Two of its 3 schools, each with why it was picked. Its public schools are run by the Oelrichs School District 23-3.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oelrichs Elementary - 02Largest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 55 | D− |
| Oelrichs High School - 01Largest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 44 | D |
NCES · EDFacts
Climate
In Oelrichs, a typical July afternoon runs hotter than in the typical South Dakota or U.S. town
Oelrichs brings cold, snowy winters and warm summers, with very little rain. July afternoons reach 89°, January nights drop to 14° and about 44 inches of snow falls in a winter.
44″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter15–39°
Spring32–60°
Summer55–85°
Fall34–64°
Sep 30
typical first frost
May 15
typical last frost
+1.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Who lives here
Older than South Dakota overall
The share of adults 25 and older in Oelrichs who hold a bachelor’s degree or more is 25%, below the South Dakota town median (33%) and near the median of U.S. towns (29%). People 65 and older are 25% of residents (18% statewide); children under 18 are 19% of residents (24% statewide). 127 people lived in Oelrichs by the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate, 7.6% more than in 2020. The midpoint age in the town is 48.6 years.
48.6median age · SD 38
| Oelrichs | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 48.6 years | 39.5 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 25% | 33% | 29% |
OelrichsSouth DakotaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
21%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma0%
High school47%
Some college24%
Associate’s5%
Bachelor’s22%
Graduate3%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±6.9 points. Across South Dakota, 49.2% of residents are women.
| Oelrichs | SD | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 13.1% | 13.1% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 5.6% | 11.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 15.2% | 9.3% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 2.5% | 12.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 6.6% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 20.7% | 10.7% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 11.6% | 12.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 19.2% | 11% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 5.6% | 7% | 7% |
| No diploma | 0% | 6.8% | 10.4% |
| High school | 46.6% | 29% | 26% |
| Some college | 23.7% | 19.9% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 4.6% | 12.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 22.1% | 21.9% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 3.1% | 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
Health
Compared with most of South Dakota and the rest of the country, fewer of Oelrichs’ adults binge drink
29% of adults get no exercise outside work in Oelrichs. Among 36 South Dakota towns, just one has a higher share of adults who sleep under 7 hours than Oelrichs. The share of adults in Oelrichs who smoke cigarettes is 18%, against 14% in South Dakota’s towns and 14% across U.S. towns. This South Dakota town beats the South Dakota average on 3 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 12.
| Oelrichs | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 31% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 10% | 12% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 19% | 16% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 12% | 14% |
26 measures vs. South Dakota
3 better11 too close to call12 worse
| What stands out | Oelrichs | SD |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 14.9% | 18.8% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 80.3% | 75.9% |
| More adults with heart disease | 10.1% | 6.8% |
Fall River Hospital - Cah
20.5 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Oelrichs
17pages on Oelrichs
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Oelrichs; the nearest are
Chadron State CollegeUniversity or college · Public · Chadron, NE27.6 mi$8,290 in-state tuitionWestern Dakota Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · Rapid City61.9 mi$8,294 in-state tuition
About 1 of every 100 Oelrichs residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across South Dakota.
About Oelrichs
Town in South Dakota, United States
Oelrichs (Lakota: šuŋkpȟáwaksa; "Severed Horse Head") is a town in Fall River County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 117 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.4 sq mi
- Elevation
- 3,356 ft
- ZIP code
- 57763
- Area code
- 605
Questions about Oelrichs
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Oelrichs, SD a good place to live?
Oelrichs has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.