Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 1,349, settled in 1879.
Parker’s best subject grades are an A for cost of living and an A− for civic life; its weakest is a C− for walkability. 28% of residents are under 18 in Parker, above both the South Dakota town median (22%) and the median of U.S. towns (22%). Among 36 South Dakota towns, just 1 have a higher average trip to work than Parker. Only 3 of South Dakota’s 85 towns score lower on the outdoors. Parker has 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Parker Masonic Hall and Thielman-Stoddard House. Parker has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Parker beats most towns.
1,022 counted in 2010 and 1,194 in 2020; an estimated 1,349 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within South Dakota), ordered by how far Parker is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 113 in 1880, 1,194 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1883 and 3 maps from 1898 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Parker, 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.
Ordered by what stands out in Parker.
Most working residents leave Parker for work: only 7% work in town. Jobs based in Parker grew to 331 in 2023, 63 more than in 2013. Parker’s median household income is $90,000, against $72,000 in South Dakota’s towns and $80,000 across U.S. towns.
| Parker | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 7.3% | 29% | 8% |
| Median household income | $90,000 | $72,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 11% | 9.5% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Its public schools are run by the Parker School District 60-4. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parker Elementary - 02Largest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 238 | C+ |
| Parker High School - 01Largest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 141 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within SD on state tests and graduation
Parker beats the South Dakota average on 1 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 30% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Parker.
| Parker | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 30% | 36% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 76% | 76% | 79% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 19% | 16% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 22% | 23% |
| What stands out | Parker | SD |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 9.9% | 12.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Parker has cold, snowy winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 85°, January nights drop to 8° and about 41 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The typical Parker home is worth about $335,000, down 5.1% in a year, 5% above the South Dakota typical home. 79% of Parker households own their home.
| Parker | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 79% | 68% | 73% |
| Median rent | $971 a month | $962 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 51% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
None within 15 miles of Parker; the nearest are
About 5 of every 100 Parker residents are enrolled in college, about the same as South Dakota.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
2 places in Parker on the National Register of Historic Places.
City in South Dakota, U.S.
Parker is a city in Turner County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 1,194 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Turner County. Parker is bordered on its eastern side by South Dakota State Highway 19. Its northern side is bordered by South Dakota State Highway 44. Parker is located approximately 8 miles (13 km) northwest of Chancellor, 42 miles (68 km) east of Parkston and 41 miles (66 km) south of Madison.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A.
