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South Dakota›Lawrence County
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St. OngeSD

40 people live in this town, settled in 1881.

Population
40
Census survey, 2020–24
Jobs based here
4
A commuter town
Settled
1881
145 years ago

Is St. Onge a good place to live?

100% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in St. Onge, above both the South Dakota town median (33%) and the median of U.S. towns (29%). Of the 36 South Dakota towns we compare, none has a higher share of homes lived in by their owners than St. Onge. St. Onge has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.

Small town

40 people, and everyone knows the way

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

Nearby towns
St. Onge Township · 2 miSpearfish · 6 miWhitewood · 7 miFruitdale · 9 miBelle Fourche · 11 miDeadwood · 11 mi

The data

Ordered by what stands out in St. Onge.

Work & commute

With only 0.1 jobs per working resident, most people in St. Onge work out of town

1%work in town

For most workers, St. Onge is a place to come home to: only 1% work in town. The top destinations are Spearfish (25%), Rapid City (23%) and Sturgis (9%). The median commute is under 13 miles.

Where working residents work

In St. Onge1%
Spearfish25%
Rapid City23%
Sturgis9%
Deadwood6%
13 mi
median commute distance
4
jobs based in St. Onge
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Full pageSt. Onge’s work & commute pageOpen the full Work & commute page
The jobs here4 jobs based here · A commuter townWhere people work1% work in St. OngeCommute timesCommute timesHow far they goHalf commute less than 13 miles

Census LEHD 2023 · ACS

Natural hazards

The biggest natural risk in St. Onge is inland flooding, at a high overall level

70risk score of 100

40% of St. Onge’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by wildfires at 26%. Compared with 70% of U.S. communities, expected storm and flood damage in the town is higher.

FEMA risk score
70High riskLowerHigher
Inland floodingWildfireCold waves
Full pageSt. Onge’s hazards pageOpen the full Hazards page
What it facesHigh riskFlood claims0 paid flood claims · No paid flood claims on recordPast disasters15 disaster declarations · Declared for the countyGet ready0.8 events a year, on average · Ready for inland flooding

FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA

Climate

Expect snowy winters and pleasant summers in St. Onge

71″snow a winter

The July high for St. Onge comes to 87°F.

Typical low → high °F

Winter15–37°
Spring33–58°
Summer56–83°
Fall35–61°
Oct 2
typical first frost
May 12
typical last frost
+1.1°
vs. the 20th-century average
Full pageSt. Onge’s climate pageOpen the full Climate page
A year of weatherJuly highs 87°, January lows 14°Rain & snow71″ of snow a winter · 22 inches of rain and snow a yearHeating & coolingMostly a heating billThen and now+1.1° vs. the 20th century · Warmer than the 20th-century average

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020

Health

St. Onge stands out in South Dakota and nationally: a smaller share of its adults have been diagnosed with depression

CDC measures, 26 in all: St. Onge beats South Dakota on 3 and trails on 2. In St. Onge, 32% of adults have obesity. Only 2 of the 36 South Dakota towns we compare have a lower share of adults who report frequent mental distress than St. Onge.

St. OngeSouth Dakota townsU.S. towns
Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES)13%15%17%
Depression (CDC PLACES)19%22%23%
Binge drink (CDC PLACES)19%19%16%
Obesity (CDC PLACES)32%35%35%
26 measures vs. South Dakota
3 better21 too close to call2 worse
What stands outSt. OngeSD
Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth7.4%12.7%
Fewer adults in frequent mental distress12.5%15.3%
More adults who have had cancer11.3%9.2%
Monument Health Spearfish Hospital
7.7 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
Full pageSt. Onge’s health reportOpen the full Health report
Everyday habitsFewer smokersHospitals & doctors nearby7.7 miles to an ER · Monument Health Spearfish HospitalHow adults are doingFewer adults in frequent mental distressEvery CDC estimateBetter than SD on 3 of 26

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA

Keep exploring

Everything we know about St. Onge

14pages on St. Onge
The big questions
HealthBetter than SD on 3 of 26 CDC measuresWork & commute4 jobs hereNatural hazardsFEMA risk higher than 70% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
PlacesAttractions18 nearby · Adams Museum & House 12 miLibraryWhitewood Public LibraryCollegesBlack Hills State University is 8.2 mi away
The story
HistorySettled 1881Climate87° summer highs · 71″ of snow
Day to day
NewsWeatherHandbookZIP code 57779Town SquareNeighbors
Nearby attractions

Terry Peak Ski Area and 4 more within 40 miles

Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around St. Onge. Close and well known come first.

All 18 attractions →
16 mi Ski areaTerry Peak Ski Area28 runs · 1,075 ft vertical40 mi Stadium & arenaRushmore Plaza Civic Center40 mi MuseumDinosaur Park17 mi Ski areaDeer Mountain Village52 runs · 615 ft vertical12 mi MuseumAdams Museum & House
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits

Rushmore Plaza Civic Center: Mr. Satterly, WTFPL · Dinosaur Park: Minnesota Jones at en.wikipedia, Public domain

Getting set up

Moving to St. Onge: who provides what

St. Onge is unincorporated, so Lawrence County and regional agencies provide most services.

PowerBlack Hills Energy15.1¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterSaint Onge Sewer & Water CoNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers84% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesLawrence CountyLawrence County provides services here
SchoolsSpearfish School District 40-2Which 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 hereLawrence County AuditorLawrence County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2023
ZIP code5777957779 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.

A commuter town

99% of working residents leave St. Onge for work

Where St. Onge’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.

25% → Spearfish Spearfish 25% 23% → Rapid City Rapid City 23% 9% → Sturgis Sturgis 9% 6% → Deadwood Deadwood 6% 4% → Lead Lead 4% 4% → North Spearfish North Spearfish 4% St. Onge · 1% stay
4jobs based in St. Onge
1%of working residents work in town
13 mimedian commute distance

Census LEHD 2023

After high school

Colleges nearby

1 within 15 miles of the center of St. Onge

Black Hills State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Spearfish8.2 mi$8,764 in-state tuition

About 0 of every 100 St. Onge residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across South Dakota.

Prices by family income, graduation and earnings →

About St. Onge

Census-designated place in South Dakota, United States

Saint Onge (pronounced "saynt AHNJ'") is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Lawrence County, South Dakota, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 170.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Area
1.3 sq mi
Elevation
3,432 ft
ZIP code
57779

Questions about St. Onge

Short answers, built from the data on this page.

Is St. Onge, SD a good place to live?

St. Onge has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.

St. Onge is in here

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