Is Roscoe a good place to live?
Roscoe has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
281 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Moving to Roscoe: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Roscoe, and how to reach them.
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 Roscoe.
Compared with most of South Dakota and the rest of the country, the FEMA risk score in Roscoe is lower
FEMA puts 31% of Roscoe’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 26% to cold waves. Households in the town have drawn federal disaster aid in 4 declared disasters, most recently in 2016. Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in three quarters of U.S. communities.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The schools Roscoe’s kids attend
Two of the 3 schools are below, and why each made the list. Public schools: the Edmunds Central School District 22-5. 3 public schools serve Roscoe, with 132 students in all.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Edmunds Central Elementary - 05Largest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 61 | B− |
| Edmunds Central High School - 01Largest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 43 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Roscoe stands out in South Dakota and nationally, with more of its residents who live below the poverty line
Half the trips to work are shorter than 31 miles. 11% of working residents work locally in Roscoe. Its mean commuting time is 17 minutes, close to South Dakota’s towns (17 minutes) and below U.S. towns (25 minutes). The top destinations are Bowdle (15%), Aberdeen (10%) and Sioux Falls (10%).
| Roscoe | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 32% | 9.5% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 11% | 29% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 17 minutes | 17 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
How healthy Roscoe is
The share of adults in Roscoe who binge drink: 17%. Among adults in the town, 21% have been diagnosed with depression and 15% report frequent mental distress.
| Roscoe | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 30% | 36% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 22% | 23% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 15% | 17% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 19% | 16% |
| What stands out | Roscoe | SD |
|---|---|---|
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.6% | 9.2% |
| Fewer adults seeing a dentist | 64.2% | 69.2% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Everything we know about Roscoe
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Roscoe; the nearest are
About 1 of every 100 Roscoe residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across South Dakota.
About Roscoe
City in South Dakota, United States
Roscoe is a city in central Edmunds County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 269 at the 2020 census. Roscoe was laid out in 1877, and named in honor of Roscoe Conkling, a United States Senator from New York.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1877
- Area
- 0.4 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,831 ft
- ZIP code
- 57471
- Area code
- 605
Questions about Roscoe
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Roscoe, SD a good place to live?
Roscoe has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.