#1Hot Springs
Fall River County · 3,670 people5.89 weighted crimes per 1,000 a year·violent 1.2, property 1.2
Hot Springs, #1 on this list · Photo: devriesm · CC BY 2.0South Dakota rankings · Safety
Safest towns in South Dakota
Hot Springs reports the least crime per resident of South Dakota’s 23 towns with crime figures for 2023–2025; 2 of the 23 grade A− or better on safety nationally.
Crimes reported by each town’s own police, 2023–2025, per 1,000 residents, violent crimes counted four times. The same measure as the Safety grade. For 1 of them one year isn’t in the FBI’s published tables and comes from the FBI Crime Data Explorer or the state’s own reports (named in the row). How grades work
#1A
#2Lennox
Lincoln County · 2,657 people8.45 weighted crimes per 1,000 a year·violent 1.4, property 2.6
#3Lead
Lawrence County · 3,064 people11.16 weighted crimes per 1,000 a year·violent 1.5, property 5.0
All 23 towns
Weighted crimes per 1,000 residents a year, lowest first, to two decimals (the sort uses the exact rate, so there are no rounding ties). Grade = the national Safety grade.
23 towns ranked. Not here? See towns without their own figures.
#TownWeighted rateViolentPropertyGrade
Per 1,000 residents a year, 2023–2025. Last on the list: Rapid City, 67.46. The rate counts crimes reported to police, not how safe any one street feels.
Not ranked
12 towns without figures of their own
These towns of 2,500+ are not on the list because there are no police figures for them alone for all of 2023–2025, from the FBI or the state. In 2025 the FBI’s tables list State Police figures for 0 of South Dakota’s counties and county sheriff figures for 44; those cover many towns at once and can’t be split by town, so they aren’t ranked here. Their other grades stand; the overall grade uses the rest.
- Big Sioux Township Union County · 5,152 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
- Blackhawk Meade County · 2,934 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
- Brandon Minnehaha County · 11,306 people: figures for 2024 and 2025 only (all three years are needed).
- Colonial Pine Hills Pennington County · 2,609 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
- Dakota Dunes Union County · 3,936 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
- Dell Rapids Minnehaha County · 3,852 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
- Harrisburg Lincoln County · 10,405 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
- Hartford Minnehaha County · 3,635 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
- Milbank Grant County · 3,512 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
- Mobridge Walworth County · 3,192 people: figures for 2024 and 2025 only (all three years are needed).
- Rapid Valley Pennington County · 6,975 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
- Split Rock Township Minnehaha County · 3,086 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
Quick answers
Questions people ask
Which is the safest town in South Dakota?
Hot Springs (Fall River County) reports the least crime per resident: 5.89 weighted crimes per 1,000 a year over 2023–2025 (1.18 violent and 1.18 property crimes per 1,000), from its police department’s reports to the FBI. Lennox (8.45) and Lead (11.16) follow.
How are these towns ranked?
By crimes reported by each town’s police per 1,000 residents over three years (FBI figures, or the state’s own where the FBI table lacks a year), with violent crimes counted four times as heavily as property crimes. It is the same measure as the Safety grade on each town’s page. How grades work.
Why isn’t my town on this list?
The list needs 2,500+ residents and the town’s own police figures for all three years. 12 South Dakota towns of 2,500+ lack them; they are listed above with the reason. Smaller towns have a Safety grade on their page but no rank.
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 MilbankTowns 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 lettersTowns with the most-used libraries15 towns · #1 CantonDescribed, no letters
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