Wakpala TownshipSD
A town of 271, settled in 1898.
Is Wakpala Township a good place to live?
13% of the land in Wakpala Township is conserved, where South Dakota’s towns sit at 3.3% and U.S. towns at 4.3%. Wakpala Township has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
271 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Moving to Wakpala Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Wakpala Township, 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 Wakpala Township.
High risk in Wakpala Township, with cold waves at the top
One declared disaster, in 2009, has brought federal aid to Wakpala Township households. FEMA expects more storm and flood damage in the town than in 78% of U.S. communities.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Four seasons and pleasant summers: that is Wakpala Township’s year
A winter brings about 35 inches of snow, with January nights at 5° and July afternoons at 86°.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
In Wakpala Township, 12.8% of the land is conserved
Wakpala Township’s density of trails is 0.1 miles per square mile, against 0.6 in South Dakota’s towns and 0.4 across U.S. towns. 1.4 miles of trail.
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
More of Wakpala Township’s residents live below the poverty line than in the typical South Dakota or U.S. town
Employers in Wakpala Township shed 92 jobs between 2013 and 2023, to 44. No town among the 36 in South Dakota we compare has a lower income of the median household than Wakpala Township. Among working residents locally, 1.8% work locally. The top destinations are McLaughlin (16%), Mobridge (5%) and McIntosh (4%).
| Wakpala Township | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 75% | 9.5% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $21,000 | $72,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 1.8% | 29% | 8% |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Wakpala Township stands out in South Dakota and nationally: a larger share of its adults report frequent physical distress
Of the 36 South Dakota towns we compare, none has a higher share of adults who say their health is fair or poor than Wakpala Township. The share of adults in Wakpala Township who smoke cigarettes: 33%. CDC measures, 26 in all: Wakpala Township beats South Dakota on 1 and trails on 20.
| Wakpala Township | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 35% | 16% | 19% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 14% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 10% | 12% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 15% | 17% |
| What stands out | Wakpala Township | SD |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 5.6% | 9.2% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 31.9% | 12.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Everything we know about Wakpala Township
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Wakpala Township; the nearest are
About 0 of every 100 Wakpala Township residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across South Dakota.
About Wakpala Township
Unincorporated community in South Dakota, United States
Wakpala is an unincorporated community in Corson County, South Dakota, United States, on the west side of the Missouri River, north-northwest of Mobridge. Wakpala is within the boundaries of the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation, and its name loosely translates to "creek" in the Lakota language, with Oak Creek running south on its eastern edge. As of the 2020 census, Wakpala had a population of 267. Chief Gall (Piji, Phizí) is buried at Saint Elizabeth Episcopal Cemetery here and Chief Sitting Bull (Tȟatȟáŋka Íyotake) is possibly buried under a concrete bust bearing his name a few miles south of town in the Mobridge area. Sitting Bull was originally buried at Fort Yates, North Dakota, but an …
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 19 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,726 ft
- ZIP code
- 57658
Questions about Wakpala Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Wakpala Township, SD a good place to live?
Wakpala Township has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.