Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Pierre gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $298K for a typical one, or 3.7 years of the Pierre area’s $82K median household income. It grades B+ overall, 15th among South Dakota's 35 graded towns. The low prices come with trade-offs. It reports more crime per resident than 84% of U.S. towns, including 77 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025. On the plus side, it is healthier than 78% of U.S. towns. 65% of working residents work locally in Pierre, above both the South Dakota town median (29%) and the median of U.S. towns (8%). Its National Register listings include South Dakota State Capitol and Crawford-Pettyjohn House. Pierre is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 83% of U.S. towns.
Where Pierre beats most towns.
South Dakota State Capitol
Its 32 National Register listings are more than in 96% of South Dakota towns with a listing.
Census counts: 3,235 in 1890, 14,091 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1882 and 2 maps from 1924 on.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within South Dakota), ordered by how far Pierre is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Pierre, 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 Pierre.
13 miles of trail in 4 parks and preserves. Pierre’s trail density is 1.0 miles per square mile. The biggest park or preserve is Griffin Park, at 32 acres.
| Pierre | 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% | 3.2% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Griffin Park | 0.1 mi | 32 |
| 2. Steamboat Park | 0.1 mi | 24 |
| 3. Devine Park | — | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by the Pierre School District 32-2. Two of its 7 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia Morse Middle School - 02Largest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 672 | B− |
| T F Riggs High School - 01Largest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 855 | B |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within SD on state tests and graduation
The violent crime rate in Pierre is 5.6 per 1,000 residents. Pierre reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 84% report less. The property crime rate in Pierre is 17.6 per 1,000 residents.
| Pierre | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 5.6 per 1,000 residents | 1.9 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 17.6 per 1,000 residents | 9.4 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
30% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Pierre. Pierre tracks South Dakota closely on all 26 CDC measures. 19% of adults binge drink in Pierre.
| Pierre | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 30% | 36% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 19% | 16% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 15% | 17% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 22% | 23% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Among 35 South Dakota towns, just 1 have a higher July high than Pierre. Pierre has cold, snowy winters and warm summers, with very little rain.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The top destinations are Fort Pierre (6%), Sioux Falls (6%) and Rapid City (1%). Half commute less than 2 miles.
| Pierre | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 13 minutes | 17 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $78,000 | $71,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 60% of U.S. communities. Since 1982, 40 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Pierre.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
No broad age group is more than 4 points off the South Dakota average. 39% of Pierre adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more.
| Pierre | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 39% | 32% | 29% |
| Under 18 | 23% | 22% | 22% |
51% women, 49% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±1.4 points. Across South Dakota, 49.2% of residents are women. Median age: women 40.4, men 38.1.
| Pierre | SD | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 10.3% | 13.1% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 12.6% | 11.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 6.8% | 9.3% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 13.4% | 12.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 14.4% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 10.9% | 10.7% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 13.5% | 12.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 10.6% | 11% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 7.6% | 7% | 7% |
| No diploma | 3% | 6.8% | 10.4% |
| High school | 28% | 29% | 26% |
| Some college | 19.9% | 19.9% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 10.2% | 12.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 24.7% | 21.9% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 14.3% | 10% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
The typical Pierre home is worth about $298,000, up 3.1% in a year, 6% below the South Dakota typical home.
| Pierre | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $983 a month | $958 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 69% | 68% | 73% |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
None within 15 miles of Pierre; the nearest are
About 4 of every 100 Pierre residents are enrolled in college, about the same as South Dakota.
32 places in Pierre on the National Register of Historic Places.
13 notable people were born in Pierre.
Capital city of South Dakota, United States
Pierre ( PEER) is the capital city of the U.S. state of South Dakota and the county seat of Hughes County. As of the 2020 census, its population was 14,091. Pierre is the eleventh-most populous city of South Dakota, and the second-least populous U.S. state capital (after only Montpelier, Vermont). Founded in 1880 on the Missouri River, the city was selected to be the state capital when South Dakota was admitted as a state in 1889. Near the center of the state, the then-new settlement was across the river from the settlement of Fort Pierre, and near what became an important railroad crossing of the river.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. Pierre grades B+ overall, better than 68% of U.S. towns and #15 of 35 in South Dakota. It grades A− for health, C− for safety and B+ for schools. Safety is its weak spot, with a C−.
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 B+.
13 notable people were born here, including John Thune and Dusty Johnson.
