South Dakota›Lyman County

VivianSD

This town of 50 people was settled in 1906.

Population

Census survey, 2020–24

Is Vivian a good place to live?

Vivian’s median age is 60.3 years, above both the South Dakota town median (39.5 years) and the median of U.S. towns (40.5 years). No town among the 36 in South Dakota we compare has a lower share of adults with a bachelor’s degree than Vivian. Vivian has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.

Small town

50 people, and everyone knows the way

In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.

Nearby towns

Vivian Township · 3 mi Mussman Township · 6 mi Williams Creek Township · 9 mi Draper Township · 12 mi Draper · 12 mi Dunkel Township · 12 mi

Getting set up

Moving to Vivian: who provides what

Vivian is unincorporated, so Lyman County and regional agencies provide most services.

PowerWest Central Electric CoopEIAHIFLD · EIA

Internet3 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC

Trash & county servicesLyman CountyLyman County provides services here

SchoolsLyman School District 42-1Which school depends on your addressNCES

Register to voteIn personSouth Dakota has no online registration; you can register in person until 15 days before Election Day or by mail (received 15 days before).vote.gov

Who runs elections hereLyman County AuditorLyman County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2023

ZIP code5757657576 100%Census 2020

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 Vivian.

Natural hazards

The biggest natural risk in Vivian is inland flooding, at a very high overall level

Expected damage from storms and floods is higher here than in 85% of U.S. communities. 48% of Vivian’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by cold waves at 33%.

85risk score of 100

FEMA risk score

Inland floodingCold wavesHail

Full pageVivian’s hazards pageOpen the page

What it facesVery high risk Flood claims0 paid flood claims · No paid flood claims on record Past disasters14 disaster declarations · Declared for the county Get ready1.1 events a year, on average · Ready for inland flooding

FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA

Climate

In Vivian, a typical July afternoon runs hotter than in the typical South Dakota or U.S. town

Vivian brings cold, snowy winters and warm summers, with very little rain. July afternoons reach 88°, January nights drop to 10° and about 40 inches of snow falls in a winter.

40″snow a winter

Typical low → high °F

Winter12–34°

Spring33–59°

Summer58–85°

Fall36–62°

Oct 7

typical first frost

May 6

typical last frost

+0.9°

vs. the 20th-century average

Full pageVivian’s climate pageOpen the page

A year of weatherJuly highs 88°, January lows 10°Rain & snow40″ of snow a winter · 20 inches of rain and snow a year Heating & coolingMostly a heating bill Then and now+0.9° vs. the 20th century · Warmer than the 20th-century average

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020

Health

Vivian stands out in South Dakota and nationally: a smaller share of its adults report frequent mental distress

The share of adults in Vivian who sleep under 7 hours: 26%. Of the 36 South Dakota towns we compare, none has a higher share of adults who had a checkup this year than Vivian. Two figures for adults locally: 16% have been diagnosed with depression, 42% have high blood pressure.

	Vivian	South Dakota towns	U.S. towns
Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES)	11%	15%	17%
Depression (CDC PLACES)	16%	22%	23%
High blood pressure (CDC PLACES)	42%	31%	35%
Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES)	26%	30%	36%