VeblenSD
A town of 313, settled in 1893.
Is Veblen a good place to live?
Of the 36 South Dakota towns we compare, none has a lower January low than Veblen. Veblen has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
313 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Moving to Veblen: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Veblen, 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 Veblen.
More children than South Dakota overall
The midpoint age for Veblen comes to 27.3 years. Children under 18 are 43% of residents (24% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 24% of residents (36% statewide). Among residents here, 13% are 65 or older, against 19% in South Dakota’s towns and 18% across U.S. towns. Just over a quarter of adults 25 and older hold at least a bachelor’s degree, against 32% across South Dakota.
| Veblen | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 27.3 years | 39.5 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 13% | 19% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 26% | 33% | 29% |
Ages · share of residents
Education · adults 25 and older
Women and men · all residents
43% women, 57% men
About 135 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±4.3 points). Across South Dakota, 49.2% of residents are women. Among residents 25 to 34, 85% are men (SD 52%).
| Veblen | SD | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 27.3% | 13.1% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 15.8% | 11.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 5.5% | 9.3% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 14.7% | 12.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 12.7% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 4.6% | 10.7% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 6.6% | 12.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 7.3% | 11% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 5.5% | 7% | 7% |
| No diploma | 21.8% | 6.8% | 10.4% |
| High school | 34.6% | 29% | 26% |
| Some college | 11.5% | 19.9% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 5.6% | 12.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 17.9% | 21.9% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 8.5% | 10% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 300, single groups can be off by several points
Zillow puts the typical Veblen home at about $194K
In Veblen, the typical rent is $713 a month, where South Dakota’s towns sit at $962 a month and U.S. towns at $1,185 a month. For households here, the share who are owner-occupiers is 56%.
| Veblen | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 56% | 68% | 73% |
| Median rent | $713 a month | $962 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Most of Veblen’s workers commute out: the town has 0.2 jobs for each of them
Veblen’s mean commuting time stands at 16 minutes. Commuting out is the norm here: 2% of working residents work locally. Among residents here, 14% live below the poverty line. The top destinations are Veblen Township (25%), Britton (18%) and Sisseton (7%).
| Veblen | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 1.8% | 29% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 16 minutes | 17 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 14% | 9.5% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $64,000 | $72,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Veblen stands out in South Dakota and nationally: the FEMA risk score there is lower
Federal disaster aid has reached households in Veblen once, in 2007. Of the losses FEMA expects here, 37% come from cold waves and 23% from inland flooding. Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 78% of U.S. communities.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Veblen has snowy winters and pleasant summers
Veblen’s typical July afternoon high comes in at 82°F.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
A larger share of adults 18 to 64 have no health insurance in Veblen than in most of South Dakota or the rest of the country
Among 36 South Dakota towns, just 2 have a lower share of adults who had a checkup this year than Veblen. In Veblen, a fifth of adults binge drink. The town beats the South Dakota average on 7 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 3.
| Veblen | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 8.4% | 8.1% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 22% | 23% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 73% | 76% | 79% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 19% | 16% |
| What stands out | Veblen | SD |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 6.9% | 9.2% |
| Fewer adults with COPD | 5.1% | 6.7% |
| More uninsured adults | 16% | 8.8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Everything we know about Veblen
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Veblen; the nearest are
About 4 of every 100 Veblen residents are enrolled in college, about the same as South Dakota.
98% of working residents leave Veblen for work
Where Veblen’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
About Veblen
City in South Dakota, United States
Veblen is a city in Marshall County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 317 at the 2020 census. Sioux country singer and actor Floyd Red Crow Westerman is buried here at Saint Matthew's Catholic Cemetery.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1900
- Area
- 0.3 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,280 ft
- ZIP code
- 57270
Questions about Veblen
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Veblen, SD a good place to live?
Veblen has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What is Veblen, SD known for?
2 notable people were born here, including Leonard C. Hanson and O. W. Wilson.