Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 777, settled in 1882.
Plankinton has 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Aurora County Courthouse and Sweep Hotel. Plankinton has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 2004.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Plankinton, 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 Plankinton.
Most people who work leave Plankinton to do it: just 12% work in town. Between 2013 and 2023, jobs here rose by 27, to 228. Among residents here, 16% live below the poverty line, against 9.5% in South Dakota’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. The town’s average trip to work comes in at 22 minutes.
| Plankinton | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 16% | 9.5% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 12% | 29% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 17 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 12% | 6.6% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Its public schools are run by the Plankinton School District 01-1. Below: Two of its 3 schools, each with why it was picked.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plankinton Elementary - 02Largest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 132 | A |
| Plankinton High School - 01Largest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 86 | D |
NCES · EDFacts
The town’s midsummer high stands at 86°F, where South Dakota’s towns sit at 85°F and U.S. towns at 85°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
College graduates make up 28% of adults 25 and older, against 32% across South Dakota. Adults 35 to 64 are just over two in five residents (36% statewide). The share of residents in Plankinton who are 65 or older: 14%.
| Plankinton | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 14% | 19% | 18% |
| Median age | 42.4 years | 39.5 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 24% | 22% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 28% | 33% | 29% |
50% women, 50% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±2.5 points. Across South Dakota, 49.2% of residents are women.
| Plankinton | SD | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 8.6% | 13.1% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 15.1% | 11.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 7% | 9.3% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 12.8% | 12.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 17.4% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 14.1% | 10.7% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 10.9% | 12.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 7.8% | 11% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 6.3% | 7% | 7% |
| No diploma | 7.2% | 6.8% | 10.4% |
| High school | 26.8% | 29% | 26% |
| Some college | 15.6% | 19.9% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 23% | 12.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 24.6% | 21.9% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 2.9% | 10% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 800, single groups can be off by several points
Among adults in Plankinton, 15% report frequent mental distress. Only 2 of the 36 South Dakota towns we compare have a lower share of adults who have been diagnosed with depression than Plankinton. Against the South Dakota average, Plankinton comes out ahead on 1 CDC measures out of 26, and behind on 1.
| Plankinton | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 22% | 23% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 8.4% | 8.1% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 10% | 12% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 15% | 17% |
| What stands out | Plankinton | SD |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 9.4% | 12.7% |
| More uninsured adults | 11.8% | 8.8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Since 2019, 2 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Plankinton. Storm and flood damage is expected to run lower than in 52% of U.S. communities. Of the losses FEMA expects here, 43% come from cold waves and 23% from inland flooding. Households here have drawn federal disaster aid in 6 declared disasters, most recently in 2022.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Count the trails in 3 parks and preserves and they come to 0.7 miles. The trail density in Plankinton is 0.9 miles per square mile. Parks and preserves here: 3, covering 9 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Westside Park | — | 6 |
| 2. Pool Side Park | — | 2 |
| 3. Memorial Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Plankinton; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 Plankinton residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across South Dakota.
Where Plankinton’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
2 places in Plankinton on the National Register of Historic Places.
City in South Dakota, United States
Plankinton, colloquially known as Plank, is a city in and the county seat of Aurora County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 781 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Plankinton has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
