Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Vermillion grades B− overall, 25th among South Dakota's 35 graded towns, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. CDC estimates put its residents' health ahead of 78% of the country and it is more walkable than 84% of U.S. towns. Its lowest everyday mark is in cost of living: homes are expensive, about $272K for a typical one and 4.8 times the Vermillion area’s $57K median household income. 48% of working residents work locally in Vermillion, against 29% in South Dakota’s towns and 8% across U.S. towns. Its National Register listings include Old Main and Inman House. Vermillion's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 93% of U.S. towns.
Where Vermillion beats most towns.
Austin-Whittemore House| Widest gap | Vermillion | SD |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with diabetes | 6.7% | 11.7% |
Census counts: 714 in 1880, 11,695 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1882 and 3 maps from 1969 on.
26 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within South Dakota), ordered by how far Vermillion is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Vermillion, 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.
Ordered by what stands out in Vermillion.
Vermillion is shaped by its college students, fares better on crime within South Dakota than nationally and is healthier than towns with similar incomes.
Its public schools are run by the Vermillion School District 13-1. Two of its 4 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Vermillion High School - 01, with 413 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vermillion Elementary - 05Largest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 625 | – |
| Vermillion High School - 01Largest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 413 | B+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within SD on state tests and graduation
Against the 5,941 U.S. towns with household incomes like Vermillion’s, it is healthier than 98%, so its A− isn’t only a matter of income. Its widest gap with South Dakota is diabetes: 6.7% of its 9,835 adults have diabetes, against 11.7% statewide.
21% of adults have high blood pressure in Vermillion. No town among the 35 in South Dakota we compare has a higher share of adults who have been diagnosed with depression than Vermillion. 6.7% of adults have diabetes in Vermillion.
| Vermillion | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 32% | 35% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 71% | 76% | 79% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 6.7% | 10% | 12% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 19% | 16% |
| What stands out | Vermillion | SD |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with diabetes | 6.7% | 11.7% |
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 5.3% | 9.2% |
| More adults in frequent mental distress | 19.5% | 15.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
2.7 miles of trail in 7 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Barstow Park, at 23 acres.
| Vermillion | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 3% | 3.3% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.6 miles per square mile | 0.6 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Prentis Park | 0.7 mi | 21 |
| 2. Barstow Park | — | 23 |
| 3. Cotton Park | 0.1 mi | 20 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
January nights average 9.8°: colder than most of the country, but milder than 79% of South Dakota places with climate records; July afternoons average 85.7°.
Vermillion has cold, snowy winters and warm summers. The January low in Vermillion is 10°F. About 36 inches of snow falls in a winter.
| Vermillion | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 10°F | 9°F | 22°F |
| July high | 86°F | 85°F | 85°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
24% of Vermillion residents live below the poverty line. Among 35 South Dakota towns, just 1 have a lower median household income than Vermillion. Vermillion’s average trip to work is 17 minutes.
| Vermillion | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 24% | 9.5% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $50,000 | $72,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 17 minutes | 17 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 6.4% | 6.8% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The typical Vermillion home is worth about $272,000, up 1.5% in a year, 15% below the South Dakota typical home.
| Vermillion | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 42% | 68% | 73% |
| Median rent | $764 a month | $963 a month | $1,185 a month |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
At 20.3 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports less crime than 59% of South Dakota’s graded towns.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 54% of U.S. communities. One flood insurance claim has been paid in Vermillion since 2011.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
1 within 15 miles of the center of Vermillion
College town 38 of every 100 Vermillion residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across South Dakota.
26 places in Vermillion on the National Register of Historic Places.
15 notable people were born in Vermillion.
City in South Dakota, United States
Vermillion (Lakota: Waséoyuze; "The Place Where Vermilion is Obtained") is a city in and the county seat of Clay County. It is in the southeastern corner of South Dakota, United States, and is the state's 12th-most populous city. According to the 2020 census, the population was 11,695. The city lies atop a bluff near the Missouri River. The area has been home to Native American tribes for centuries. French fur traders first visited in the late 18th century. Vermillion was founded in 1859 and incorporated in 1873. The name refers to the Lakota name: wa sa wak pa'la (red stream). Home to the University of South Dakota, Vermillion has a mixed academic and rural character: the university is a m…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
2 towns share a border with Vermillion.
| Town | SD rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vermillion · Vermillion Township | #25 | B− | C | B− | B− | A− |
| Fairview Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Fairview Township isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Vermillion Township and Vermillion are one community, graded once. Compare Vermillion with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Vermillion grades B− overall, better than 48% of U.S. towns and #25 of 35 in South Dakota. It grades A− for health, B− for safety and B− for schools.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.
15 notable people were born here, including Shawn Colvin and Kevin Brady.
