Blizzard '66, 1966
Wagner’s story
130 years in pictures
Census counts: 964 in 1910, 1,490 in 2020. The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 1919 and 2 maps from 1964 on.
- 1896Wagner is settled
WagnerSD
A town of 1,422, settled in 1896.
2 bordering townsMap →
Photo: skua47 · CC BY 2.0
Population
1,422
2025 Census estimate · −4.7% since 2020
Median home value
$136K
Census ACS
Household income
$47K
median
Median age
34.3
years
Jobs based here
1,047
A job hub
Is Wagner a good place to live?
The best of Wagner’s subject grades are an A for cost of living and an A− for walkability; the weakest is a D for safety. Wagner has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Wagner stand out
Where Wagner beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Jobs vs. working residents
Jobs here1,047
Residents who work508
Work
2.1 jobs for every working resident
A regional job hub: more jobs per worker than 94% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023.
WalkabilityA−
More walkable than 82% of U.S. towns
5.7% of workers walk, bike or ride transit
EPA National Walkability Index; Census ACS.
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Wagner9.9
South Dakota3.3
U.S.3.3
Worth knowing · SafetyD
3 times the violent crime than SD
FBI data, 2025. Crimes reported to police.
Small town
1,422 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Bryan TownshipLawrence TownshipWagner
How Wagner grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within South Dakota), ordered by how far Wagner is from typical.
SafetyDOpen →Jobs & income$47K median household incomeDOpen →HealthWagner Community Memorial Hospital - Cah 0.5 miles awayDOpen →Cost of livingAOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 8.2 of 20; 11.4% of households have no carA−Open →SchoolsCOpen →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 43% of U.S. communities; cold waves tops the listB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsConserved land, trails and parksDOpen →History1 notable person born hereC+Open →Civic life4.1 library visits per resident; 5.4 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsB−Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Wagner: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Wagner, and how to reach them.
PowerNorthWestern Energy13.3¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterWagner water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet3 providers75% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Wagner’s trash rules yet
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.govWho runs elections hereCharles Mix County AuditorCharles Mix County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2025
ZIP code5738057380 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 Wagner.
SafetyD
Compared with most of South Dakota and the rest of the country, violent crime in Wagner is higher
Among 26 South Dakota towns, just one has a higher property offense rate than Wagner. This South Dakota town reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 95% report less.
5%of U.S. towns report more crimeDSafety Grade
| Wagner | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 9.9 per 1,000 residents | 1.9 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 23.3 per 1,000 residents | 9.8 | 9.9 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Wagner9.9
South Dakota3.3
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Wagner23.3
South Dakota14.3
U.S.15.5
5th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
14
violent crimes reported in 2025
33
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
SchoolsC
Wagner’s schools rank behind 67% of South Dakota districts
Two of the 4 schools are below, and why each made the list. Public schools: the Wagner Community School District 11-4. Also worth knowing: the 4 public schools in Wagner teach 919 students between them.
33%of SD districts it outscoresCSchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wagner Elementary - 02Largest public elementary schoolGrades K–4 | Grades K–4 | 333 | C− |
| Wagner High School - 01Largest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 201 | B |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within SD on state tests and graduation
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D
In Wagner, the median household income runs lower than in the typical South Dakota or U.S. town
Among residents in Wagner, 16% live below the poverty line. In Wagner, 43% of working residents work locally, above both South Dakota’s towns (29%) and U.S. towns (8%). Its average commute stands at 12 minutes. Since 2013, Wagner has lost 80 jobs, to 1,047 in 2023.
43%work in town
| Wagner | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 43% | 29% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 12 minutes | 17 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 16% | 9.5% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $47,000 | $72,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Wagner43%
Dante11%
Sioux Falls7%
Bryan Township4%
Lake Andes3%
6 mi
median commute distance
1,047
jobs based in Wagner
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
A−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 82% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HealthD
Wagner is less healthy than 90% of U.S. towns
Wagner: 22% of adults smoke cigarettes. No town among the 36 in South Dakota we compare has a higher share of adults who get no exercise outside work than Wagner. Two figures for adults in the town: 17% have diabetes, 17% report frequent physical distress. Among 36 South Dakota towns, just one has a higher share of adults 18 to 64 who have no health insurance than Wagner.
10%healthier than U.S. townsDHealth Grade
| Wagner | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 14% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 10% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 12% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 34% | 22% | 25% |
26 measures vs. South Dakota
1 better10 too close to call15 worse
| What stands out | Wagner | SD |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 79% | 75.9% |
| More adults who have had a stroke | 5.6% | 3.5% |
Wagner Community Memorial Hospital - Cah
0.5 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Climate
Expect four seasons and pleasant summers in Wagner
Wagner’s typical July afternoon high is 87°F.
31″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter13–34°
Spring36–60°
Summer61–85°
Fall38–62°
Oct 9
typical first frost
Apr 29
typical last frost
+0.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Who lives here
Fewer middle-aged adults than South Dakota overall
30% of residents are under 18 in Wagner. Adults 35 to 64 are 30% of residents (36% statewide); children under 18 are 30% of residents (24% statewide). The midpoint age for Wagner comes to 34.3 years. The Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate puts Wagner at 1,422 residents, down 4.7% since 2020.
34.3median age · SD 38
| Wagner | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 30% | 22% | 22% |
| Median age | 34.3 years | 39.5 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 23% | 33% | 29% |
| Aged 65 or older | 20% | 19% | 18% |
WagnerSouth DakotaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
17%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma12%
High school42%
Some college14%
Associate’s10%
Bachelor’s15%
Graduate7%
Women and men · all residents
53% women, 47% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±4.4 points. Across South Dakota, 49.2% of residents are women.
| Wagner | SD | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 16.5% | 13.1% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 13.3% | 11.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 9.5% | 9.3% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 11.5% | 12.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 9.2% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 5.8% | 10.7% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 14.6% | 12.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 8.3% | 11% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 11.3% | 7% | 7% |
| No diploma | 11.9% | 6.8% | 10.4% |
| High school | 41.7% | 29% | 26% |
| Some college | 14.3% | 19.9% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 9.5% | 12.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 15.4% | 21.9% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 7.2% | 10% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,400, single groups can be off by several points
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B−
Moderate risk in Wagner, with cold waves at the top
Federal aid has come to Wagner households in 6 declared disasters; the latest was in 2019. Storm and flood damage is expected to run lower than in 57% of U.S. communities. Of the losses FEMA expects in the town, 42% come from cold waves and 25% from inland flooding.
43risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Cold wavesInland floodingTornadoes
6
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Wagner
18pages on Wagner
The big questions
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Wagner; the nearest are
Mitchell Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · Mitchell44.7 mi$7,524 in-state tuitionUniversity of South DakotaUniversity or college · Public · Vermillion72 mi$9,432 in-state tuition
About 2 of every 100 Wagner residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across South Dakota.
A job hub
Every workday, about 830 people come to Wagner for work
Where Wagner’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
1,047jobs based in Wagner
43%of working residents work in town
6 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Wagner
City in South Dakota, United States
Wagner is a city in Charles Mix County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 1,490 at the 2020 census. The city is served by Wagner Municipal Airport as well as YST Transit buses.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.9 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,447 ft
- ZIP code
- 57380
- Area code
- 605
Questions about Wagner
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Wagner, SD expensive?
Not for the area. The typical home is worth about $136,000. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A.