Where Surprise Valley Township earns its living
The Census job records count 4 working residents of Surprise Valley Township and no jobs based in it. For 86% of workers, the job is at home, against 10% across South Dakota.
Census ACS 2020–24, Census LEHD 2023, EPA Smart Location Database. How the two grades are made
In and out of Surprise Valley Township on a workday
On a workday 4 residents head out to work, none work right here, and 0 people come in from elsewhere.
About 14 people are in Surprise Valley Township on a workday afternoon, 22% fewer than live here.
0.00 jobs for every working resident, so most people commute out.
Workday population = residents − those who work elsewhere + those who come in (the Census “commuter-adjusted” method). Residents: Census survey; commuters: LEHD 2023, primary jobs.
25% of working residents work in Murdo
Where Surprise Valley Township clocks in
25% of workersLines run between town centers. The top 10 towns each way; “Everywhere else” is the rest, including other states.
A thicker line means more commuters. Switch between where residents work and where the people who work here live.
Working from home in Surprise Valley Township
of Surprise Valley Township workers work from home, vs 10% across South Dakota. Their commute is the hallway.
Share of the 6 commuters (the 86% who work from home are left out). Across South Dakota: 85% drive alone, 1% take transit; U.S.: 81% and 4%. Census ACS 2020–24.
From the Census survey of workers who don’t work from home.
How far it is to work from Surprise Valley Township
Straight-line distance from each worker’s home block to their main job’s block. LEHD 2023.
Every working resident’s trip, home to work, as the crow flies. Roads add to it, so real drives run longer.
Surprise Valley Township and its neighbors: 25% work next door
Jobs & commute next door
| Town | Surprise Valley Township workers there | Jobs & income | Walkability | Commute | Household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Surprise Valley Township | – | — | — | — | — |
| Blackpipe Township | 25% | — | — | — | — |
| New Surprise Valley Township | under 25% | — | — | — | — |
Same-state neighbors only. Blackpipe Township and New Surprise Valley Township: fewer than 1,000 residents, not graded. Commute: average minutes each way, Census ACS 2020–24.
The biggest share goes to Blackpipe Township. Darker towns draw more of Surprise Valley Township’s workers. Tap a town to see its commute.
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Two sources, two years. Trips, distances and jobs based here: Census LEHD 2023, primary jobs, where the employer reports them. Income, poverty, unemployment, commute time and how people travel: Census ACS 2020–24 averages.
- Straight lines, older transit. Miles are as the crow flies. EPA’s walkability and transit files use 2017–20 inputs.
Jobs and commuting in Surprise Valley Township: questions
What is the poverty rate in Surprise Valley Township?
0.0%, against 11.9% across South Dakota and 12.5% nationally (Census ACS 2020–24).
Where do people who live in Surprise Valley Township work?
0% work in town. The top destinations elsewhere are Murdo (25%, 34 mi), Curlew Township (25%, 42 mi), Blackpipe Township (25%, 6 mi) (Census LEHD 2023).
Can you get around Surprise Valley Township without a car?
0% of commuters take transit and 0% of households have no car. EPA has no transit data for this county.
Commuter talk
Getting to work from Surprise Valley Township, from the people who make the trip.
More of Surprise Valley Township
Flows, distances and jobs: U.S. Census Bureau, LEHD Origin-Destination Employment Statistics (LODES 8), 2023, primary jobs. Commute time, working from home and working out of state: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates. Distances are straight lines between home and work; real drives run longer.