SummersetSD
A town of 3,030, incorporated in 2005.
Is Summerset a good place to live?
Summerset grades B− overall, 26th among South Dakota's 35 graded towns, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. It is healthier than 82% of U.S. towns and the median household earns $119K. On the other side, the typical home is worth about $429K, 5.7 years of the Rapid City metro’s $75K median household income. On history, just 4 of South Dakota’s 85 towns do worse.
What makes Summerset stand out
Where Summerset beats most towns.
Summerset has grown 67% since 2010
1,814 counted in 2010 and 2,972 in 2020; an estimated 3,030 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
How Summerset grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within South Dakota), ordered by how far Summerset is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Moving to Summerset: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Summerset, 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 Summerset.
Summerset fares better on crime within South Dakota than nationally and has colder winter nights than most of the country, though not than most of South Dakota; it also carries more natural-hazard risk than most of South Dakota (mostly wildfires).
For health, Summerset earns an A−
Against the 5,840 U.S. towns with household incomes like Summerset’s, it is healthier than 61%, a smaller edge than it has nationally: part of it comes with its incomes.
20% of Summerset adults binge drink, above both South Dakota’s towns (19%) and U.S. towns (16%). 29% of Summerset adults sleep under 7 hours. Summerset beats the South Dakota average on 11 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 1.
| Summerset | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 19% | 16% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 30% | 36% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 8.4% | 10% | 12% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 32% | 35% |
| What stands out | Summerset | SD |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with diabetes | 8.4% | 11.7% |
| Fewer adults who have had a stroke | 2.6% | 3.5% |
| Fewer adults treating high blood pressure | 70.9% | 75.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
On state tests, Summerset’s schools trail 70% of South Dakota districts
Its public schools are run by the Meade School District 46-1. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stagebarn Middle School - 10Largest public middle schoolGrades 5–8 | Grades 5–8 | 432 | C |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within SD on state tests and graduation
Very high risk in Summerset, with wildfire at the top
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 94% of South Dakota towns; that rating is what its C for hazard risk is built on.
At 84 of 100, Summerset’s FEMA risk score is above both the South Dakota town median (53 of 100) and the median of U.S. towns (44 of 100).
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
For cost of living, Summerset earns a C−
59.3% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, against 39.8% across South Dakota. The median property tax bill is $4,204, against $2,724 across South Dakota, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
Only 2 of the 33 South Dakota towns we compare have a higher median rent than Summerset. The typical Summerset home is worth about $429,000, up 1.4% in a year, 35% above the South Dakota typical home. 79% of households own their home in Summerset.
| Summerset | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 79% | 68% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,288 a month | $958 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
More than half of Summerset’s working residents commute to Rapid City
Most working residents leave Summerset for work: only 3% work in town. Since 2013, Summerset has added 252 jobs, to 521 in 2023. Summerset’s average trip to work is 20 minutes.
| Summerset | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 2.9% | 31% | 8% |
| Median household income | $119,000 | $71,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 20 minutes | 17 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 8.6% | 9.6% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Less crime per resident than 70% of U.S. towns
At 11.4 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports less crime than 86% of South Dakota’s graded towns. Violent crime is rare: 2 reported in 2025, 0.7 per 1,000 residents.
Summerset reports less crime per resident than 70% of the U.S. towns and cities we grade.
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Property crime per 1,000 residents
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Younger than South Dakota overall
The median household earns $119,271, against $75,081 across South Dakota, one input to its A− for jobs and income.
People 65 and older are 8% of residents (18% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 42% of residents (36% statewide). Only 3 of the 35 South Dakota towns we compare have a higher share of children under 18 than Summerset. Summerset has grown 2% since 2020, to 3,030 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate.
| Summerset | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 8.2% | 19% | 18% |
| Under 18 | 29% | 22% | 22% |
| Median age | 35.1 years | 39.6 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 38% | 32% | 29% |
Ages · share of residents
Education · adults 25 and older
Women and men · all residents
52% women, 48% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±5.1 points. Across South Dakota, 49.2% of residents are women.
| Summerset | SD | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 12.6% | 13.1% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 16.6% | 11.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 10.7% | 9.3% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 9.9% | 12.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 17.7% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 14% | 10.7% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 10.3% | 12.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 4.2% | 11% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 4% | 7% | 7% |
| No diploma | 1.7% | 6.8% | 10.4% |
| High school | 20.8% | 29% | 26% |
| Some college | 25.9% | 19.9% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 13.2% | 12.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 25.9% | 21.9% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 12.5% | 10% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 3,000, single groups can be off by several points
In Summerset, expect four seasons and pleasant summers
January nights average 14.1°: colder than most of the country, but milder than 99% of South Dakota places with climate records; July afternoons average 83.9°.
Summerset has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with very little rain. The January low in Summerset is 14°F. About 36 inches of snow falls in a winter.
| Summerset | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 14°F | 9°F | 22°F |
| July high | 84°F | 85°F | 85°F |
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Mount Rushmore National Memorial and 17 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Summerset. Close and well known come first.
Big draw22 mi National MemorialMount Rushmore National Memorial1.9M visitors a year
Big draw28 mi LandmarkCrazy Horse Memorial
24 mi MountainBlack Elk Peak
31 mi State parkCuster State Park
39 mi National ParkWind Cave National Park606K visitors a year
9 mi MuseumDinosaur ParkPhoto credits
Mount Rushmore National Memorial: Thomas Wolf, www.foto-tw.de, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Crazy Horse Memorial: Jeffreylcooke, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Black Elk Peak: BHrock at English Wikipedia, Public domain · Custer State Park: Guimir, Public domain · Wind Cave National Park: USGS/USGov, Public domain · Dinosaur Park: Minnesota Jones at en.wikipedia, Public domain
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
Everything we know about Summerset
Colleges nearby
2 within 15 miles of the center of Summerset
About 3 of every 100 Summerset residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across South Dakota.
97% of working residents leave Summerset for work
Where Summerset’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
About Summerset
City in South Dakota, United States
Summerset is a city in Meade County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 2,972 at the 2020 census. Located in the western part of the state, it is the first city to incorporate in the state since 1985. Summerset was incorporated in an election that was held on June 7, 2005. Opponents of the city's dissolution insist a population of more than one thousand, despite the formal pre-incorporation census indicating 597 residents. The city is located west of Interstate 90, between the towns of Blackhawk and Piedmont. The city shares its zip codes of 57718 and 57769 with these two towns. During its first year, Summerset faced a few challenges. There was confusion about the location of t…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 2.2 sq mi
- Elevation
- 3,579 ft
- Area code
- 605
Summerset’s neighbors
3 towns share a border with Summerset.
| Town | SD rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summerset | #26 | B− | C− | B+ | C | A− |
| Blackhawk | #29 | C+ | B | — | C | A− |
| Piedmont | — | — | C− | — | B | A− |
| Wonderland Homes | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Piedmont has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Blackhawk and Piedmont report no FBI crime data of their own. Wonderland Homes isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Summerset with a neighbor →
Questions about Summerset
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Summerset, SD a good place to live?
Summerset grades B− overall, better than 46% of U.S. towns and #26 of 35 in South Dakota. It grades A− for health, B+ for safety and C for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a C−.
Is Summerset, SD expensive?
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C−.