OrtleySD
A town of 55, settled in 1906.
Is Ortley a good place to live?
48% of residents live below the poverty line in Ortley, above both South Dakota’s towns (9.5%) and U.S. towns (9.6%). Of the 36 South Dakota towns we compare, none has a lower median household income than Ortley. Ortley has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
55 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Moving to Ortley: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Ortley, 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 Ortley.
In Ortley, a typical July afternoon runs cooler than in the typical South Dakota or U.S. town
Ortley’s July high is 80°F, below both the South Dakota town median (85°F) and the median of U.S. towns (85°F). Ortley has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Ortley stands out in South Dakota and nationally: a larger share of its adults get no exercise outside work
32% of adults get no exercise outside work in Ortley. Among 36 South Dakota towns, just 1 have a higher share of adults who smoke cigarettes than Ortley. 33% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Ortley.
| Ortley | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 10% | 12% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 22% | 25% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 14% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 35% | 35% |
| What stands out | Ortley | SD |
|---|---|---|
| More uninsured adults | 13.1% | 8.8% |
| More adults with heart disease | 9.4% | 6.8% |
| More adults with COPD | 9% | 6.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Ortley has set aside 7.2% of its land for conservation
2.2 miles of trail in 0 parks and preserves. The trail density in Ortley is 1.0 miles per square mile.
| Ortley | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 1.0 miles per square mile | 0.6 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 7.2% | 3.3% | 4.3% |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Cold waves leads a moderate hazard risk in Ortley
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 51% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Everything we know about Ortley
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Ortley; the nearest are
About 0 of every 100 Ortley residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across South Dakota.
About Ortley
Town in South Dakota, United States
Ortley is a town in Roberts County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 50 according to the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1906
- Area
- 2.2 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,873 ft
- ZIP code
- 57256
- Area code
- 605
Questions about Ortley
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Ortley, SD a good place to live?
Ortley has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.