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South Dakota›Brookings County

Preston TownshipSD

A town of 167.

Is Preston Township a good place to live?

The biggest park or preserve is Oakwood Lakes State Park, at 45 acres. Preston Township has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.

Small town

167 people, and everyone knows the way

In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.

Nearby towns
Estelline TownshipLaketon TownshipEureka TownshipOakwood TownshipEstelline TownshipLaketon TownshipEureka TownshipOakwood TownshipPreston Township
Getting set up

Moving to Preston Township: who provides what

Who provides power, water and the rest in Preston Township, and how to reach them.

The full setup list →
PowerSioux Valley SW Elec Coop13.9¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterKingbrook I Rural Water SystemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet8 providers98% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Preston Township’s trash rules yet
SchoolsEstelline School District 28-2Sioux Valley School District 05-52 districts serve Preston Township; which school depends on your address and gradeNCES
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.gov
Who runs elections hereBrookings County AuditorBrookings County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2023
ZIP codes57220, 5723457220 99% · 57234 1%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 Preston Township.

Work & commute

Most of Preston Township’s workers head elsewhere: there are 0.2 jobs for each of them

For half of commuters, work is under 17 miles away. Preston Township’s average commute is 18 minutes, where South Dakota’s towns sit at 17 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. The top destinations are Brookings (32%), Sioux Falls (15%) and Volga (11%). 12% of residents live below the poverty line locally.

0%work in town
Preston TownshipSouth Dakota townsU.S. towns
Average trip to work18 minutes17 minutes25 minutes
Below the poverty line12%9.5%9.6%

Where working residents work

In Preston Township0%
Brookings32%
Sioux Falls15%
Volga11%
Volga Township10%
17 mi
median commute distance
11
jobs based in Preston Township
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents

Census LEHD 2023 · ACS

Climate

Four seasons and pleasant summers in Preston Township

Preston Township’s midsummer high is 82°F, below both South Dakota’s towns (85°F) and U.S. towns (85°F).

36″snow a winter

Typical low → high °F

Winter7–26°
Spring32–54°
Summer57–79°
Fall35–57°
Oct 1
typical first frost
May 6
typical last frost
+0.9°
vs. the 20th-century average

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020

Health

How healthy Preston Township is

Among adults in Preston Township, 19% get no exercise outside work and 30% sleep under 7 hours. Of 26 CDC measures, Preston Township beats the South Dakota average on 9 and trails it on 1. For adults locally, the share who report frequent mental distress is 13%.

Preston TownshipSouth Dakota townsU.S. towns
Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES)13%15%17%
Get no exercise (CDC PLACES)19%22%25%
Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES)30%30%36%
Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES)11%12%14%
26 measures vs. South Dakota
9 better16 too close to call1 worse
What stands outPreston TownshipSD
Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth6.5%12.7%
Fewer uninsured adults6.7%8.8%
More adults who have had cancer10.5%9.2%
Brookings Health System
16.2 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA

Outdoors

Preston Township has set aside 8.7% of its land for conservation

2.3 miles of trail wind through 1 park or preserve. Only 2 of the 33 South Dakota towns we compare have a lower concentration of trails than Preston Township.

8.7%conserved
Preston TownshipSouth Dakota townsU.S. towns
Miles of trail per square mile0.1 miles per square mile0.60.4
Conserved land8.7%3.3%4.3%
8.7%
conserved · 1,983 of 22,730 acres
2.3 mi
of trails · 0.1 per sq mi
Biggest places to walkTrailsAcres
1. Oakwood Lakes State Park—45

Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US

Natural hazards

Top of a moderate hazard risk in Preston Township: inland flooding

Compared with 57% of U.S. communities, expected storm and flood damage in Preston Township is higher. FEMA puts nearly half of the town’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 19% to tornadoes.

57risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
57Moderate riskLowerHigher
Inland floodingTornadoesCold waves

FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Preston Township

16pages on Preston Township
After high school

Colleges nearby

None within 15 miles of Preston Township; the nearest are

A commuter town

100% of working residents leave Preston Township for work

Where Preston Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.

32% → Brookings Brookings 32% 15% → Sioux Falls Sioux Falls 15% 11% → Volga Volga 11% 10% → Volga Township Volga Township 10% 3% → Toronto Toronto 3% 1% → Steamboat Springs Steamboat Springs 1% Preston Township · 0% stay
11jobs based in Preston Township
0%of working residents work in town
17 mimedian commute distance

Census LEHD 2023

Questions about Preston Township

Short answers, built from the data on this page.

Is Preston Township, SD a good place to live?

Preston Township has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.