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Shafer Round BarnSplit Rock Township, #1 on this list · Shafer Round Barn · Photo: AlexiusHoratius · CC BY-SA 3.0
South Dakota rankings · Hazard risk

Towns with the lowest natural-hazard risk in South Dakota

Split Rock Township ranks first on hazard risk among South Dakota’s 35 towns of 2,500+; 2 of the 35 grade A− or better on hazard risk nationally.

The Hazard risk grade: FEMA’s expected yearly loss to buildings from natural hazards, where residents live (National Risk Index). How grades work

#1

Split Rock Township

Minnehaha County · 3,086 people
A−

Hazard risk grade, better than 75% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #6 of 35 in SD

#2

Hartford

Minnehaha County · 3,635 people
A−

Hazard risk grade, better than 75% of U.S. towns·Overall A+ · #4 of 35 in SD

#3

Rapid Valley

unincorporated, Pennington County · 6,975 people
B

Hazard risk grade, better than 63% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #20 of 35 in SD

All 35 towns

Hazard risk grade, best first (the letter is national). Towns with the same score share a rank; the overall grade and state rank are beside each.

35 towns ranked. Not here? See why a town may be missing.

#TownGradeOverall
1Split Rock TownshipMinnehaha County · 3,086 peopleA−better than 75% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #6 of 35
2HartfordMinnehaha County · 3,635 peopleA−better than 75% of U.S. towns·Overall A+ · #4 of 35
3Rapid Valleyunincorporated, Pennington County · 6,975 peopleBbetter than 63% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #20 of 35
4Rapid CityPennington County · 80,589 peopleBbetter than 62% of U.S. towns·Overall D · #35 of 35
5TeaLincoln County · 8,019 peopleBbetter than 62% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #7 of 35
6Sioux FallsMinnehaha County · 213,748 peopleBbetter than 62% of U.S. towns·Overall C+ · #27 of 35
7AberdeenBrown County · 27,961 peopleBbetter than 57% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #21 of 35
8MadisonLake County · 6,065 peopleBbetter than 57% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #12 of 35
9BrookingsBrookings County · 25,355 peopleBbetter than 56% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #17 of 35
10WinnerTripp County · 2,969 peopleBbetter than 56% of U.S. towns·Overall C · #31 of 35
11LennoxLincoln County · 2,657 peopleB−better than 55% of U.S. towns·Overall A+ · #2 of 35
12MitchellDavison County · 15,756 peopleB−better than 52% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #19 of 35
13HarrisburgLincoln County · 10,405 peopleB−better than 49% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #8 of 35
14Blackhawkunincorporated, Meade County · 2,934 peopleB−better than 49% of U.S. towns·Overall C+ · #29 of 35
15MilbankGrant County · 3,512 peopleB−better than 47% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #5 of 35
16BrandonMinnehaha County · 11,306 peopleC+better than 44% of U.S. towns·Overall A+ · #1 of 35
17VermillionClay County · 11,720 peopleC+better than 42% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #25 of 35
18SpearfishLawrence County · 14,154 peopleC+better than 42% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #22 of 35
19PierreHughes County · 13,848 peopleC+better than 42% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #15 of 35
20YanktonYankton County · 15,816 peopleC+better than 38% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #16 of 35
21LeadLawrence County · 3,064 peopleC+better than 37% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #13 of 35
22Dell RapidsMinnehaha County · 3,852 peopleCbetter than 34% of U.S. towns·Overall A+ · #3 of 35
23HuronBeadle County · 14,607 peopleCbetter than 32% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #33 of 35
24SummersetMeade County · 3,030 peopleCbetter than 32% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #26 of 35
25WatertownCodington County · 23,736 peopleCbetter than 31% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #18 of 35
26MobridgeWalworth County · 3,192 peopleCbetter than 27% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #14 of 35
27Box ElderPennington County · 13,936 peopleC−better than 25% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #34 of 35
28SturgisMeade County · 6,922 peopleC−better than 24% of U.S. towns·Overall C+ · #30 of 35
29Colonial Pine Hillsunincorporated, Pennington County · 2,609 peopleC−better than 22% of U.S. towns·Overall C+ · #28 of 35
30CantonLincoln County · 3,001 peopleC−better than 22% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #9 of 35
31Belle FourcheButte County · 5,791 peopleC−better than 21% of U.S. towns·Overall C · #32 of 35
32Hot SpringsFall River County · 3,670 peopleDbetter than 15% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #23 of 35
33North Sioux CityUnion County · 3,036 peopleDbetter than 11% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #24 of 35
34Big Sioux TownshipUnion County · 5,152 peopleDbetter than 9% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #11 of 35
35Dakota Dunesunincorporated, Union County · 3,936 peopleDbetter than 9% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #10 of 35
Quick answers

Questions people ask

Which South Dakota town has the lowest natural-hazard risk?

Split Rock Township (Minnehaha County) ranks first on hazard risk among 35 towns, with an A−; Hartford and Rapid Valley follow.

How are these towns ranked?

The Hazard risk grade: FEMA’s expected yearly loss to buildings from natural hazards, where residents live (National Risk Index). Towns are sorted on the grade’s score; the letter and rank are the same as on each town’s page. How grades work.

Why isn’t my town on this list?

The list covers towns of 2,500+ residents with a hazard risk grade (35 in South Dakota). Smaller towns have the grade on their page but no rank. Every town is on the South Dakota page.

Go deeper

More South Dakota lists

Every list ranks the same 2,500+ towns, so a town’s rank means the same thing on each.

All South Dakota rankings →
Other states

Towns with the lowest natural-hazard risk in other states