Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Sisseton’s best subject grades are an A for cost of living and an A− for walkability; its weakest is a D for health. 51% of working residents work locally in Sisseton, above both South Dakota’s towns (29%) and U.S. towns (8%). Only 7 of South Dakota’s 85 towns score lower on health. The median household income is $49K, and 19% of residents live below the poverty line. Sisseton has 4 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Roberts County Courthouse and Sisseton Carnegie Library. Sisseton has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Sisseton beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Roberts County Courthouse| Widest gap | Sisseton | SD |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 21.9% | 12.7% |
Where Sisseton’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 Sisseton is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 928 in 1900, 2,479 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1909 and a map from 1970 on.
4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Sisseton, 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.
Ordered by what stands out in Sisseton.
23% of adults smoke cigarettes in Sisseton, above both the South Dakota town median (14%) and the median of U.S. towns (14%). 35% of adults get no exercise outside work in Sisseton. No town among the 36 in South Dakota we compare has a higher share of adults who sleep under 7 hours than Sisseton.
| Sisseton | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 14% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 10% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 12% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 35% | 22% | 25% |
| What stands out | Sisseton | SD |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 14.8% | 18.8% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 21.9% | 12.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by the Sisseton School District 54-2. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Sisseton High School - 01, with 304 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Westside Elementary - 03Largest public elementary schoolGrades PK–4 | Grades PK–4 | 380 | C+ |
| Sisseton High School - 01Largest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 304 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within SD on state tests and graduation
Only 1 of the 36 South Dakota towns we compare have a lower median household income than Sisseton. The average trip to work in Sisseton is 12 minutes. The top destinations are Greendale Township (6%), Agency Village (5%) and Bryant Township (3%).
| Sisseton | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 12 minutes | 17 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $49,000 | $72,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 73% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 5 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Sisseton.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Sisseton has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Sisseton’s July high is 82°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Among 26 South Dakota towns, just 2 have a higher violent crime rate than Sisseton.
| Sisseton | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 5 per 1,000 residents | 1.9 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 16.5 per 1,000 residents | 9.8 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
1 within 15 miles of the center of Sisseton
About 3 of every 100 Sisseton residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across South Dakota.
4 places in Sisseton on the National Register of Historic Places.
4 notable people were born in Sisseton.
City in South Dakota, United States
Sisseton is a city in Roberts County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 2,479 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Roberts County. Sisseton is home to several tourist attractions, including the Nicollet Tower, and is near the "Song to the Great Spirit" building on the Sisseton Wahpeton College campus. The city is named for the Sisseton division of the Sioux people. It also serves as an important part of the Lake Traverse Indian Reservation.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
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 A.
4 notable people were born here, including Joe Robbie and Gary D. Hanson.
