Spirit Lake TownshipSD
A town of 160, settled in 1882.
Is Spirit Lake Township a good place to live?
38% of the land in Spirit Lake Township is conserved, against 3.3% in South Dakota’s towns and 4.3% across U.S. towns. Spirit Lake Township has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
160 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Moving to Spirit Lake Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Spirit Lake Township, 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 Spirit Lake Township.
More children than South Dakota overall
Children under 18 are just over half of residents (24% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 21% of residents (36% statewide). Population is up 5.3% in Spirit Lake Township since 2020, to 160 by the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 26% of Spirit Lake Township adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more, below both South Dakota’s towns (33%) and U.S. towns (29%).
Ages · share of residents
Education · adults 25 and older
Women and men · all residents
Somewhere between 38% and 59% women
The Census survey reached too few of Spirit Lake Township’s residents to say more: its margin here is ±10.4 points. Across South Dakota, 49.2% of residents are women.
| Spirit Lake Township | SD | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 29.3% | 13.1% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 21.9% | 11.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 0% | 9.3% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 14.1% | 12.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 19.1% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 0% | 10.7% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 2% | 12.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 10.2% | 11% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 3.5% | 7% | 7% |
| No diploma | 7.2% | 6.8% | 10.4% |
| High school | 39.2% | 29% | 26% |
| Some college | 23.2% | 19.9% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 4.8% | 12.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 19.2% | 21.9% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 6.4% | 10% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 200, single groups can be off by several points
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
More of Spirit Lake Township’s residents live below the poverty line than in the typical South Dakota or U.S. town
For Spirit Lake Township, the typical journey to work is 13 minutes. Between 2013 and 2023, jobs in Spirit Lake Township dropped by 54, to 5. The top destinations are De Smet (19%), Brookings (12%) and Huron (8%).
| Spirit Lake Township | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 33% | 9.5% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 13 minutes | 17 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazards: low risk in Spirit Lake Township, mostly cold waves
Expected losses in Spirit Lake Township break down as 28% from cold waves and 28% from inland flooding. On expected storm and flood damage, Spirit Lake Township sits below 70% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Snowy winters and pleasant summers in Spirit Lake Township
Spirit Lake Township’s typical July afternoon high stands at 83°F.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Spirit Lake Township stands out in South Dakota and nationally, with fewer of its adults who sleep under 7 hours
Only 2 of the 36 South Dakota towns we compare have a higher share of adults who have high blood pressure than Spirit Lake Township. 16% of adults binge drink locally. Against the South Dakota average, Spirit Lake Township comes out ahead on 3 CDC measures out of 26, and behind on 4. In Spirit Lake Township, 14% of adults report frequent mental distress, and 20% have been diagnosed with depression.
| Spirit Lake Township | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 30% | 36% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 15% | 17% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 22% | 23% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 31% | 35% |
| What stands out | Spirit Lake Township | SD |
|---|---|---|
| More adults screened for colon cancer | 70.6% | 65.5% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 81.2% | 75.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 12.2% | 9.2% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Everything we know about Spirit Lake Township
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Spirit Lake Township; the nearest are
About 0 of every 100 Spirit Lake Township residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across South Dakota.
100% of working residents leave Spirit Lake Township for work
Where Spirit Lake Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Questions about Spirit Lake Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Spirit Lake Township, SD a good place to live?
Spirit Lake Township has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.