30% of residents are 65 or older in Selby, above both the South Dakota town median (19%) and the median of U.S. towns (18%). Of the 31 South Dakota towns we compare, none has a lower typical home value than Selby. Selby has 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Selby Opera House and Walworth County Courthouse. Selby has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.

Small town

600 people, and everyone knows the way

In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.

Nearby towns

Java · 7 mi Glenham · 12 mi Akaska · 13 mi Lowry · 13 mi Mound City · 15 mi Bowdle · 19 mi

Selby Opera House · National Register of Historic Places

Selby’s story

126 years in pictures

The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1909.

2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.

1900Selby is settled

Explore the history →

Getting set up

Moving to Selby: who provides what

Who provides power, water and the rest in Selby, and how to reach them.

The full setup list →

PowerMontana-Dakota Utilities13.0¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA

WaterSelby water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA

Internet3 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC

Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Selby’s trash rules yet

SchoolsSelby School District 62-5Which school depends on your addressNCES

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.gov

Who runs elections hereWalworth County AuditorWalworth County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Aug 2025

ZIP code5747257472 100%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 Selby.

Housing

Homes in Selby are worth about $128K, by Zillow’s estimate

The typical Selby home is worth about $128,000, up 5.7% in a year, 60% below the South Dakota typical home. At $709 a month, Selby’s median rent is against $962 a month in South Dakota’s towns and $1,185 a month across U.S. towns. 81% of households own their home in Selby.

$128KZillow home value

	Selby	South Dakota towns	U.S. towns
Median rent	$709 a month	$962 a month	$1,185 a month
Households that own their home	81%	68%	73%

Typical home value

Selby$128K

South Dakota$318K

+5.7%

value change, 1 year

Full pageSelby’s housing & cost-of-living pageOpen the page

Prices over the yearsUp 5.7% in a year Years of income to buyA typical home costs 2.6 years of income Rents$709 a month · Median rent

Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center

Schools

The schools Selby’s kids attend

Its public schools are run by the Selby Area School District 62-5. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.

School	Level	Students	Letter
Selby Elementary - 02Largest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5	Grades PK–5	93	A
Selby High School - 01Largest public high schoolGrades 9–12	Grades 9–12	55	B⁺

Full pageSelby’s schools pageOpen the page

The districtsSelby Area School District 62-5 Every school3 schools · Selby Elementary - 02 Questions“Are Selby’s schools good?”

NCES · EDFacts

Natural hazards

Compared with most of South Dakota and the rest of the country, the FEMA risk score in Selby is higher

The FEMA risk score in Selby is 89 of 100.

89risk score of 100

FEMA risk score

Inland floodingCold wavesWildfire

Full pageSelby’s hazards pageOpen the page

What it facesVery high risk Flood claims0 paid flood claims · No paid flood claims on record Past disasters10 disaster declarations · Declared for the county Get ready0.6 events a year, on average · Ready for inland flooding

FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA

Climate

In Selby, expect four seasons and pleasant summers

Selby has cold, snowy winters and warm summers, with very little rain. July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 4° and about 33 inches of snow falls in a winter.

33″snow a winter

Typical low → high °F

Winter8–26°

Spring31–55°

Summer56–82°

Fall34–57°

Oct 1

typical first frost

May 8

typical last frost

+0.8°

vs. the 20th-century average

Full pageSelby’s climate pageOpen the page

A year of weatherJuly highs 84°, January lows 4°Rain & snow33″ of snow a winter · 19 inches of rain and snow a year Heating & coolingMostly a heating bill Then and now+0.8° vs. the 20th century · Warmer than the 20th-century average

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020

Work & commute

In Selby, the average trip to work runs longer than in the typical South Dakota or U.S. town

Selby’s average trip to work is 31 minutes. Among 36 South Dakota towns, just 1 have a lower median household income than Selby. 20% of Selby working residents work locally.

20%work in town

	Selby	South Dakota towns	U.S. towns
Average trip to work	31 minutes	17 minutes	25 minutes
Median household income	$49,000	$72,000	$80,000
Working residents who work in town	20%	29%	8%
Below the poverty line	8.3%	9.5%	9.6%

Where working residents work

In Selby20%

Mobridge15%

Sioux Falls6%

Aberdeen5%

Bowdle4%

20 mi

median commute distance

295

jobs based in Selby

Balanced

jobs vs. working residents

Full pageSelby’s work & commute pageOpen the page

The jobs here295 jobs based here · Balanced Where people work20% work in Selby Commute times31 minutes · The average commute How far they goHalf commute less than 20 miles

Census LEHD 2023 · ACS

Health

How healthy Selby is

Selby beats the South Dakota average on 4 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 9. Among 36 South Dakota towns, just 1 have a lower share of adults who binge drink than Selby.

	Selby	South Dakota towns	U.S. towns
High blood pressure (CDC PLACES)	41%	31%	35%
Binge drink (CDC PLACES)	15%	19%	16%
Diabetes (CDC PLACES)	14%	10%	12%
Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES)	14%	15%	17%