WakpalaSD
A town of 144, settled in 1898.
Is Wakpala a good place to live?
Wakpala has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
144 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Moving to Wakpala: who provides what
Wakpala is unincorporated, so Corson County and regional agencies provide most services.
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.
Natural hazards: high risk in Wakpala, mostly cold waves
The FEMA hazard score in Wakpala is 78 of 100. Of the losses FEMA expects here, 68% come from cold waves and 19% from inland flooding.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
In Wakpala, expect four seasons and pleasant summers
July afternoons reach 86°, January nights drop to 5° and about 36 inches of snow falls in a winter.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Wakpala stands out in South Dakota and nationally: a larger share of its residents live below the poverty line
Jobs in Wakpala fell by 92 from 2013 to 2023, to 44. Of the 36 South Dakota towns we compare, none has a lower median household income than Wakpala. Also worth knowing: among working residents here, 1.9% work locally, below both South Dakota’s towns (29%) and U.S. towns (8%). The median commute is under 17 miles.
| Wakpala | 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 | 1.9% | 29% | 8% |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
A larger share of adults have diabetes in Wakpala than in most of South Dakota or the rest of the country
No town among the 36 in South Dakota we compare has a higher share of adults who report frequent physical distress than Wakpala. Among adults here, 45% have obesity, against 35% in South Dakota’s towns and 35% across U.S. towns. Wakpala: 25% of adults have been diagnosed with depression. Only 2 of the 36 South Dakota towns we compare have a lower share of adults who had a checkup this year than Wakpala.
| Wakpala | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 34% | 16% | 19% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 14% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 10% | 12% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 15% | 17% |
| What stands out | Wakpala | SD |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 5.1% | 9.2% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 39.3% | 12.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Everything we know about Wakpala
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Wakpala; the nearest are
About 0 of every 100 Wakpala residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across South Dakota.
Questions about Wakpala
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Wakpala, SD a good place to live?
Wakpala has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.