Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Home to 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
The best of Rosebud’s subject grades is a B+ for cost of living; the weakest is a D− for health. 38% of residents live below the poverty line in Rosebud, above both South Dakota’s towns (9.5%) and U.S. towns (9.6%). No town in South Dakota scores lower than Rosebud on health. The median household income is $55K, and 38% of residents live below the poverty line. Only 4 of South Dakota’s 85 towns score lower on the outdoors. Its National Register listings include Spotted Tail Gravesite and Rosebud Hotel. Rosebud has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Rosebud beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Spotted Tail Gravesite| Widest gap | Rosebud | SD |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 46.1% | 12.7% |
Where Rosebud’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within South Dakota), ordered by how far Rosebud is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 2004.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Rosebud is unincorporated, so Todd County and regional agencies provide most services.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Aug 3, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in Rosebud.
42% of Rosebud adults say their health is fair or poor, where South Dakota’s towns sit at 16% and U.S. towns at 19%. 27% of adults report frequent mental distress in Rosebud. No town among the 36 in South Dakota we compare has a higher share of adults who report frequent physical distress than Rosebud.
| Rosebud | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 16% | 19% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 14% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 52% | 35% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 10% | 12% |
| What stands out | Rosebud | SD |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 4.7% | 9.2% |
| Fewer binge drinkers | 15.2% | 18.8% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 46.1% | 12.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by the Todd County School District 66-1. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rosebud Elementary - 04Largest public elementary schoolGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 292 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within SD on state tests and graduation
Most working residents leave Rosebud for work: only 2% work in town. The average trip to work in Rosebud is 12 minutes. Jobs based in Rosebud grew to 54 in 2023, 41 more than in 2013.
| Rosebud | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 12 minutes | 17 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 1.8% | 29% | 8% |
| Median household income | $55,000 | $72,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Rosebud has cold, snowy winters and warm summers, with very little rain. Rosebud’s July high is 87°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 63% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
1 within 15 miles of the center of Rosebud
About 1 of every 100 Rosebud residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across South Dakota.
CDP in South Dakota, United States
Rosebud also Sicanġu (Lakhota Sicanġu; "Scorched Thigh") is a census-designated place (CDP) in Todd County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 1,455 at the 2020 census. Rosebud is located on the Rosebud Indian Reservation. It is home to the Rosebud Sioux tribe. Rosebud also has many tribal agencies such as the Indian Health Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Tribal Land Enterprise, Tribal BIA Police, and the Division of Forestry and Wildland Fire Management.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with Rosebud.
| Town | SD rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rosebud | — | — | B+ | — | D− | D− |
| Two Strike | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Rosebud has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Rosebud reports no FBI crime data of its own. Two Strike isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Rosebud with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Home to 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B+.
2 notable people were born here, including Mary Brave Bird and Nellie Star Boy Menard.