#1Canton
Lincoln County · 3,001 peopleVisits per resident a year·Canton Public Library, FY 2024
Canton, #1 on this list · Photo: AlexiusHoratius · CC BY-SA 3.0South Dakota rankings · Libraries
Towns with the most-used libraries in South Dakota
Canton has the most-used library of South Dakota’s 15 towns of 2,500+ with a library of their own: 9.7 visits per resident a year at Canton Public Library (IMLS Public Libraries Survey). The typical library here counts 4.7.
IMLS Public Libraries Survey: a year’s visits divided by the people the library serves. Only a library that serves one town (80–125% of its population) and reported its own count is ranked; IMLS estimates never are. A described list: no letters. How grades work
#19.7visits
#2Hot Springs
Fall River County · 3,670 peopleVisits per resident a year·Hot Springs Public Library, FY 2024
#3Yankton
Yankton County · 15,816 peopleVisits per resident a year·Yankton Community Library, FY 2024
All 15 towns
Visits per resident, highest first.
15 towns ranked. Not here? See why a town may be missing.
#TownVisits per residentPeople servedLibrary
Quick answers
Questions people ask
Which South Dakota town has the most-used library?
Canton (Lincoln County): Canton Public Library counts 9.7 visits per resident a year. Hot Springs (7.7) and Yankton (6.8) follow.
How are these towns ranked?
By library visits per resident in the IMLS Public Libraries Survey: the visits a town’s own library reported, divided by the population it serves, highest first. It is the same rank as on each town’s Library & civic life page. How grades work.
Why isn’t my town on this list?
The list covers towns of 2,500+ with a library of their own that reported its visits (15 in South Dakota). Towns served by a county or regional system share its figure and aren’t ranked one by one; figures IMLS estimated for a library that didn’t report aren’t ranked; in states with strong townships the township, not a village inside it, is ranked. Every town is on the South Dakota page.
Go deeper
All South Dakota rankings →More South Dakota lists
Every list ranks the same 2,500+ towns, so a town’s rank means the same thing on each.
Best places to live35 towns · #1 BrandonBest small towns21 towns · #1 LennoxMost affordable towns35 towns · #1 MilbankSafest towns23 towns · #1 Hot SpringsTowns with the best schools35 towns · #1 Brandon and Split Rock TownshipHealthiest towns35 towns · #1 Dakota DunesBest towns for jobs & income35 towns · #1 Split Rock TownshipMost walkable towns35 towns · #1 SturgisTowns with the lowest natural-hazard risk35 towns · #1 Split Rock TownshipBest towns for the outdoors35 towns · #1 SpearfishMost historic towns35 towns · #1 LeadTowns with the most civic life31 towns · #1 CantonTowns with the least snow35 towns · #1 Hot SpringsDescribed, no lettersSnowiest towns35 towns · #1 LeadDescribed, no lettersTowns with the mildest winters37 towns · #1 SpearfishDescribed, no lettersTowns with the hottest summers37 towns · #1 WinnerDescribed, no lettersTowns with the coolest summers37 towns · #1 LeadDescribed, no lettersTowns with the highest incomes35 towns · #1 Split Rock TownshipDescribed, no lettersTowns with the lowest property taxes35 towns · #1 WinnerDescribed, no lettersFastest-growing towns30 towns · #1 HarrisburgDescribed, no letters
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