Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 1,230, settled in 1885. Public schools that outperform most of South Dakota.
Platte’s best subject grades are an A for schools, walkability, and cost of living; its weakest is a C− for incomes. Platte’s average trip to work is 8 minutes, against 17 minutes in South Dakota’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. No town in South Dakota scores higher than Platte on walkability. Platte has 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Farmers State Bank of Platte and Pratt & Cjolme Building. Platte has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Platte beats most towns.
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Platte - Geddes Elementary - 02 | K–5 | 230 |
| Platte - Geddes Jr. High - 03 | 6–8 | 94 |
| Platte - Geddes High School - 01 | 9–12 | 132 |
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within South Dakota), ordered by how far Platte is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,115 in 1910, 1,296 in 2020. The archive holds 7 old photos and papers going back to 1872 and 2 maps from 1979 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Platte, 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 Platte.
Its public schools are run by the Platte - Geddes School District 11-5. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Platte - Geddes Elementary - 02Largest public elementary schoolGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 230 | A+ |
| Platte - Geddes High School - 01Largest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 132 | C |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within SD on state tests and graduation
Platte has cold, snowy winters and warm summers. Platte’s July high is 88°F, above both the South Dakota town median (85°F) and the median of U.S. towns (85°F).
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Platte beats the South Dakota average on 1 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 4. 28% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Platte. Only 2 of the 36 South Dakota towns we compare have a lower share of adults who have been diagnosed with depression than Platte.
| Platte | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 30% | 36% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 15% | 17% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 22% | 23% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 31% | 35% |
| What stands out | Platte | SD |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 80.3% | 75.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 12% | 9.2% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
About one in 3 of Platte’s working residents works in town. 15% of Platte residents live below the poverty line. Jobs based in Platte fell to 696 in 2023, 76 fewer than in 2013.
| Platte | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 37% | 29% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 15% | 9.5% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
No broad age group is more than 4 points off the South Dakota average. Platte’s median age is 35.6 years. Platte has lost 4.6% of its people since 2020, down to 1,230 in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate.
| Platte | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 35.6 years | 39.5 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 23% | 33% | 29% |
| Under 18 | 25% | 22% | 22% |
44% women, 56% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±5.7 points. Across South Dakota, 49.2% of residents are women.
| Platte | SD | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 16% | 13.1% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 8.6% | 11.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 6.3% | 9.3% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 17.8% | 12.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 13.4% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 9.9% | 10.7% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 8.7% | 12.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 10.9% | 11% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 8.4% | 7% | 7% |
| No diploma | 4.7% | 6.8% | 10.4% |
| High school | 42% | 29% | 26% |
| Some college | 10.8% | 19.9% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 20% | 12.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 18% | 21.9% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 4.5% | 10% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,200, single groups can be off by several points
No town among the 26 in South Dakota we compare has a lower violent crime rate than Platte. The property crime rate in Platte is 2.4 per 1,000 residents. Platte's reported crime rate is well below South Dakota's.
| Platte | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0 per 1,000 residents | 1.9 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2.4 per 1,000 residents | 9.8 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
The typical Platte home is worth about $347,000, up 7.2% in a year, 9% above the South Dakota typical home.
| Platte | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $832 a month | $962 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 71% | 68% | 73% |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
0.0 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. American Legion Field Park | — | 14 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 51% of U.S. communities. Since 2016, 2 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Platte.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
None within 15 miles of Platte; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Platte residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across South Dakota.
2 places in Platte on the National Register of Historic Places.
6 notable people were born in Platte.
City in South Dakota, United States
Platte is a city in Charles Mix County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 1,311 at the 2022 census. The community is named after the Platte Creek, a tributary of the Missouri River reservoir Lake Francis Case. Platte is located 15 miles east of Lake Francis Case on the Missouri River.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Public schools that outperform most of South Dakota.
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.
6 notable people were born here, including Charles Arnold Anderson and Larry Lucas.
