"Little," the instigator of Indian Revolt at Pine Ridge, 1890, 1891
Pine Ridge’s story
133 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1891.
- 1893Pine Ridge is settled
Pine RidgeSD
A town of 2,246, settled in 1893.
Photo: U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Breanna Carter · Public domain
Population
2,246
Census survey, 2020–24
Household income
$53K
median
Median age
29.6
years
Jobs based here
283
A commuter town
Is Pine Ridge a good place to live?
Pine Ridge’s weakest subject grade is a D− for schools. Pine Ridge’s average trip to work is 11 minutes, below both the South Dakota town median (17 minutes) and the median of U.S. towns (25 minutes). Only 2 of South Dakota’s 84 towns score lower on cost of living. On CDC health estimates it is near the bottom nationally. Pine Ridge has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
A commuter town
90% of working residents leave Pine Ridge for work
Where Pine Ridge’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
283jobs based in Pine Ridge
10%of working residents work in town
12 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Pine Ridge grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within South Dakota), ordered by how far Pine Ridge is from typical.
SchoolsBehind 100% of South Dakota districts on tests and graduationD−Open →HealthNear the bottom of U.S. towns on CDC estimates; Pine Ridge Ihs Hospital 2.9 miles awayD−Open →Jobs & income$53K median household incomeDOpen →Hazard riskwildfire tops the listDOpen →Cost of livingHome prices against what area households earnC−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 2.9 of 20; 20.2% of households have no car; 12.4% of workers walk, bike or ride transitB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
Moving to Pine Ridge: who provides what
Pine Ridge is unincorporated, so Oglala Lakota County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerNebraska Public Power District10.1¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterPine Ridge Water SystemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet1 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesOglala Lakota CountyOglala Lakota County provides services here
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 hereOglala Lakota County AuditorOglala Lakota County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2023
ZIP code5777057770 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 Pine Ridge.
SchoolsD−
Pine Ridge’s public schools rank near the bottom of South Dakota
Its public schools are run by Pine Ridge School. Its one school is below. The largest public high school is Pine Ridge School, with 674 students.
1%of SD districts it outscoresD−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pine Ridge SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades K–12 | Grades K–12 | 674 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within SD on state tests and graduation
HealthD−
Pine Ridge stands out in South Dakota and nationally: a larger share of its adults say their health is fair or poor
35% of Pine Ridge adults say their health is fair or poor, where South Dakota’s towns sit at 16% and U.S. towns at 19%. 24% of adults report frequent mental distress in Pine Ridge. No town among the 36 in South Dakota we compare has a higher share of adults who report frequent physical distress than Pine Ridge.
1%healthier than U.S. townsD−Health Grade
| Pine Ridge | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 35% | 16% | 19% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 35% | 14% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 10% | 12% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 15% | 17% |
26 measures vs. South Dakota
3 better2 too close to call21 worse
| What stands out | Pine Ridge | SD |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 5.4% | 9.2% |
| Fewer binge drinkers | 15.6% | 18.8% |
| More smokers | 35.4% | 15.2% |
Pine Ridge Ihs Hospital
2.9 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D
Pine Ridge faces a high natural-hazard risk, led by wildfire
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 79% of U.S. communities.
79risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
WildfireCold wavesInland flooding
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D
Pine Ridge has 0.7 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Most working residents leave Pine Ridge for work: only 10% work in town. Jobs based in Pine Ridge fell to 283 in 2023, 348 fewer than in 2013. 15% of Pine Ridge residents live below the poverty line.
10%work in town
| Pine Ridge | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 10% | 29% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 15% | 9.5% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Pine Ridge10%
Wounded Knee10%
Batesland10%
Rapid City5%
Sioux Falls2%
12 mi
median commute distance
283
jobs based in Pine Ridge
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
B−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 48% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Snowy winters and hot summers in Pine Ridge
Pine Ridge has cold, snowy winters and warm summers, with very little rain. The July high in Pine Ridge is 88°F.
46″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter14–38°
Spring33–60°
Summer56–85°
Fall34–63°
Sep 27
typical first frost
May 16
typical last frost
+1.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
OutdoorsC
Pine Ridge has set aside 0.3% of its land for conservation
2.5 miles of trail in 0 parks and preserves. Only 3 of the 33 South Dakota towns we compare have a lower share of conserved land than Pine Ridge. Pine Ridge’s trail density is 0.9 miles per square mile.
0.3%conserved
| Pine Ridge | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.9 miles per square mile | 0.6 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 0.3% | 3.3% | 4.3% |
0.3%
conserved · 5 of 1,799 acres
2.5 mi
of trails · 0.9 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Pine Ridge
17pages on Pine Ridge
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Pine Ridge; the nearest are
Chadron State CollegeUniversity or college · Public · Chadron, NE26.9 mi$8,290 in-state tuitionWestern Dakota Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · Rapid City79 mi$8,294 in-state tuition
About 3 of every 100 Pine Ridge residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across South Dakota.
Famous people from Pine Ridge
9 notable people were born in Pine Ridge.
B
Bobby RobertsonAmerican football player · 1917–2009T
Theresa Two BullsAmerican politician · 1956–2020D
David MichaudUnited States mixed martial artist · born 1988
About Pine Ridge
CDP in South Dakota, United States
Pine Ridge (Lakota: Wazíbló) is a census-designated place (CDP) and the most populous community in Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 3,138 at the 2020 census. It is the tribal headquarters of the Oglala Sioux Tribe on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 2.8 sq mi
- Elevation
- 3,235 ft
- ZIP code
- 57770
- Area code
- 605
Questions about Pine Ridge
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Are Pine Ridge schools good?
The public schools Pine Ridge children attend trail 100% of South Dakota districts on state tests and graduation, a D− School Grade.
What is Pine Ridge, SD known for?
9 notable people were born here, including Billy Mills and Arthur Amiotte.