Metzgers, William, New Emporium · National Register of Historic Places
Rouse Township’s story
Rouse Township in pictures
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Explore the history →Rouse TownshipSD
It is a town of 178 residents in South Dakota.
3 bordering townsMap →
Metzgers, William, New Emporium · Photo: Ammodramus · CC0
Population
178
2025 Census estimate · +2.9% since 2020
Household income
$62K
median
Median age
57.1
years
Jobs based here
15
A commuter town
Is Rouse Township a good place to live?
2.3% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Rouse Township, against 33% in South Dakota’s towns and 29% across U.S. towns. Only one of the 36 South Dakota towns we compare has a higher mean commuting time than Rouse Township. Rouse Township has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
178 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Raymond TownshipRee TownshipLone Tree TownshipRouse Township
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Rouse Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Rouse Township, and how to reach them.
PowerNorthWestern Energy13.3¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterRandall Community Water DistrictNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet3 providers68% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Rouse Township’s trash rules yet
SchoolsWagner School District 11-4Avon School District 04-12 districts serve Rouse Township; which school depends on your address and gradeNCES
Register to voteIn personSouth Dakota has no online registration; you can register in person until 15 days before Election Day or by mail (received 15 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereCharles Mix County AuditorCharles Mix County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2025
ZIP codes57380, 57329, 5731557380 50% · 57329 46% · 57315 4%Census 2020
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 Rouse Township.
Work & commute
Most of Rouse Township’s workers commute out: the town has 0.2 jobs for each of them
Half commute less than 17 miles. The share of residents in Rouse Township who live below the poverty line: 21%. The top destinations are Wagner (39%), Dante (9%) and Lake Andes (6%). For Rouse Township, the typical household income is $62,000.
0%work in town
| Rouse Township | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 21% | 9.5% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $62,000 | $72,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Rouse Township0%
Wagner39%
Dante9%
Lake Andes6%
Yankton6%
17 mi
median commute distance
15
jobs based in Rouse Township
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
The climate in Rouse Township brings four seasons and pleasant summers
In July, afternoons reach 87°; in January, nights fall to 12°, and about 31 inches of snow falls in a winter.
31″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter14–34°
Spring36–60°
Summer61–84°
Fall39–62°
Oct 9
typical first frost
Apr 29
typical last frost
+0.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
A larger share of adults report frequent physical distress in Rouse Township than in most of South Dakota or the rest of the country
Rouse Township beats the South Dakota average on 1 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 13. No town among the 36 in South Dakota we compare has a higher share of adults who say their health is fair or poor than Rouse Township. Just over a fifth of adults smoke cigarettes here. Among 36 South Dakota towns, just 2 have a higher share of adults who have high blood pressure than Rouse Township.
| Rouse Township | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 14% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 10% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 12% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 16% | 19% |
26 measures vs. South Dakota
1 better12 too close to call13 worse
| What stands out | Rouse Township | SD |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 78.8% | 75.9% |
| More adults with COPD | 10.3% | 6.7% |
Wagner Community Memorial Hospital - Cah
11.8 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazards
Natural hazards: moderate risk in Rouse Township, mostly cold waves
Expected damage from storms and floods is lower here than in 57% of U.S. communities. Of the losses FEMA expects in Rouse Township, 42% come from cold waves and 25% from inland flooding.
43risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Cold wavesInland floodingTornadoes
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Outdoors
Conserved land covers 3.5% of Rouse Township
11 miles of trail. The trail density in Rouse Township is 0.2 miles per square mile.
3.5%conserved
| Rouse Township | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 0.6 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 3.5% | 3.3% | 4.3% |
3.5%
conserved · 1,364 of 39,016 acres
11 mi
of trails · 0.2 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Rouse Township
16pages on Rouse Township
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Rouse Township; the nearest are
Mount Marty UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Yankton39.2 mi$34,600 tuitionMitchell Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · Mitchell52.9 mi$7,524 in-state tuitionUniversity of South DakotaUniversity or college · Public · Vermillion64.4 mi$9,432 in-state tuition
About 0 of every 100 Rouse Township residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across South Dakota.
A commuter town
100% of working residents leave Rouse Township for work
Where Rouse Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
15jobs based in Rouse Township
0%of working residents work in town
17 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Questions about Rouse Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Rouse Township, SD a good place to live?
Rouse Township has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.