Most of Summerset was built recently: 2% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 2007. Below: maps from 1953 on and the census since 2000.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Summerset is more historic than 3% of U.S. towns. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its age pulls it down.
D−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Summerset’s overall grade.
South Dakota towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical South Dakota town has 37.3 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Summerset’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (15% of South Dakota towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.
NoteThe founding year comes from Wikipedia alone; no second source gives 2005.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from D− to D. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±3.8 points).
Founding year: Wikipedia (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Summerset’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Summerset yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.
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…
Summerset was established in 2005. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population grew from 1,814 to 2,972 (+64%).
Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.
By decade
No old photos in the archives yet
Weddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Be the first to add onePhotograph a print flat, in daylight, no flash.
In 2005, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. the census of 2000 counted 335 people here.
How does Summerset rank for history?
Summerset is more historic than 3% of U.S. towns. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
How old are the homes in Summerset?
2% of Summerset’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±3.8 points), against a typical 10% for a South Dakota town; the median home was built in 2007.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
