Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Settled in 1893, this town now has 424 residents.
80% of residents live below the poverty line in Porcupine, where South Dakota’s towns sit at 9.5% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. No town among the 36 in South Dakota we compare has a lower share of adults with a bachelor’s degree than Porcupine. Porcupine has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Census counts: 783 in 1990, a low of 407 in 2000, 925 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1914 and 2 maps from 1967 on.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Ordered by what stands out in Porcupine.
Its one school is below. The public schools here belong to the Pahin Sinte Owayawa school district. Enrollment at Porcupine’s public school: 155 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pahin Sinte OwayawaLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–8 | Grades K–8 | 155 | – |
NCES · EDFacts
FEMA puts 39% of Porcupine’s expected hazard losses down to wildfires, and 15% to inland flooding. Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 93% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Porcupine’s typical July afternoon high stands at 87°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The top destinations are Rapid City (7%), Wounded Knee (7%) and Batesland (6%). Half of commuters travel less than 20 miles.
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Only one of the 36 South Dakota towns we compare has a lower share of adults who binge drink than Porcupine. The town does better than the South Dakota average on 2 of 26 CDC measures and worse on 22. In Porcupine, nearly a quarter of adults have diabetes.
| Porcupine | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 46% | 16% | 19% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 45% | 14% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 49% | 35% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 10% | 12% |
| What stands out | Porcupine | SD |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 4.7% | 9.2% |
| Fewer binge drinkers | 14.7% | 18.8% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 52.5% | 12.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
5.5 miles of trail. The trail network density for Porcupine comes to 0.6 miles per square mile.
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Porcupine is unincorporated, so Oglala Lakota County and regional agencies provide most services.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Aug 3, 2026.
1,062 counted in 2010 and 925 in 2020.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts
1 within 15 miles of the center of Porcupine
About 1 of every 100 Porcupine residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across South Dakota.
CDP in South Dakota, United States
Porcupine (Lakota: Pȟahíŋ siŋté, 'porcupine tail') is a census-designated place (CDP) in Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 925 at the 2020 census. The community most likely was named after Porcupine Butte. Porcupine has been noted for its unusual place name, and for its designation as the unofficial capital of the unrecognized Republic of Lakotah.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Porcupine has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
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