Pelican TownshipSD
A town of 773.
Is Pelican Township a good place to live?
No town among the 36 in South Dakota we compare has a lower share of working residents who work in town than Pelican Township. The biggest place to walk is Pelican Lake Recreation Area, 563 acres with 2 miles of trail. Pelican Township has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
773 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Moving to Pelican Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Pelican 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 Pelican Township.
About two in three of Pelican Township’s working residents commute to Watertown
Most working residents leave Pelican Township for work: only 0% work in town. Pelican Township’s average trip to work is 13 minutes, against 17 minutes in South Dakota’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. 18% of Pelican Township residents live below the poverty line.
| Pelican Township | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 13 minutes | 17 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 18% | 9.5% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $99,000 | $72,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Snowy winters and pleasant summers in Pelican Township
Pelican Township has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Pelican Township’s July high is 81°F, below both the South Dakota town median (85°F) and the median of U.S. towns (85°F).
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Inland flooding leads a low hazard risk in Pelican Township
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 62% of U.S. communities. Since 1997, 10 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Pelican Township.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
How healthy Pelican Township is
Pelican Township tracks South Dakota closely on all 26 CDC measures. 30% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Pelican Township.
| Pelican Township | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 30% | 36% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 14% | 14% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 19% | 16% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 22% | 25% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
7% of Pelican Township is conserved land
4.0 miles of trail in 3 parks and preserves. Only 3 of the 33 South Dakota towns we compare have a lower trail density than Pelican Township.
| Pelican Township | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.6 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 7% | 3.3% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Pelican Lake Recreation Area | 2 mi | 563 |
| 2. Northwest Pelican Recreation Area | 0.3 mi | 53 |
| 3. Pelican Lake South GPA | — | 70 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Everything we know about Pelican Township
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Pelican Township
About 0 of every 100 Pelican Township residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across South Dakota.
100% of working residents leave Pelican Township for work
Where Pelican Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Questions about Pelican Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Pelican Township, SD a good place to live?
Pelican Township has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.