South ShoreSD
A town of 189, settled in 1888.
Is South Shore a good place to live?
South Shore has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
189 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Moving to South Shore: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in South Shore, 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 South Shore.
The median rent in South Shore is lower than in most of South Dakota or the rest of the country
Over the 12 months to September 2026, the typical home lost 6% of its value. For households in South Shore, the share who own their home is 87%.
| South Shore | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 87% | 68% | 73% |
| Median rent | $642 a month | $962 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
More than half of South Shore’s working residents commute to Watertown
Jobs based in South Shore fell to 14 in 2023, 51 fewer than in 2013. In South Shore, 20% of residents live below the poverty line, against 9.5% in South Dakota’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. The town’s average trip to work is 24 minutes. The top destinations are Watertown (61%), Sioux Falls (14%) and Brookings (5%).
| South Shore | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 20% | 9.5% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 24 minutes | 17 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $57,000 | $72,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
A typical July afternoon in South Shore is cooler than in the typical South Dakota or U.S. town
Winters in South Shore are cold, snowy and summers pleasant. July afternoons reach 80°, January nights drop to 3° and about 59 inches of snow falls in a winter.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
How healthy South Shore is
CDC measures, 26 in all: South Shore beats South Dakota on 6 and trails on 3. 13% of adults report frequent mental distress in the town. Also worth knowing: among 36 South Dakota towns, just 2 have a higher share of adults who had a checkup this year than South Shore.
| South Shore | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 30% | 36% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 15% | 17% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 22% | 23% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 19% | 16% |
| What stands out | South Shore | SD |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 7.3% | 12.7% |
| More women getting mammograms | 84.5% | 76.6% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 11.3% | 9.2% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
South Shore has a moderate natural-hazard risk, chiefly from inland flooding
Households in South Shore have drawn federal disaster aid in 2 declared disasters, most recently in 2016. Compared with 59% of U.S. communities, expected storm and flood damage in the town is higher. Expected losses in South Shore break down as 54% from inland flooding and 14% from cold waves.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Everything we know about South Shore
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of South Shore; the nearest are
About 1 of every 100 South Shore residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across South Dakota.
100% of working residents leave South Shore for work
Where South Shore’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
About South Shore
Town in South Dakota, United States
South Shore is a town in Codington County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 189 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Watertown, South Dakota Micropolitan Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.4 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,877 ft
- ZIP code
- 57263
- Area code
- 605
Questions about South Shore
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is South Shore, SD a good place to live?
South Shore has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.