South Dakota Department of Transportation Bridge No. 52-824-300 · National Register of Historic Places
Wasta Township’s story
Wasta Township in pictures
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Explore the history →
Wasta TownshipSD
Some 37 people live in this town, in South Dakota.
4 bordering townsMap →
Wasta Rest Stop Tipi-Eastbound · Photo: Jeffrey Beall · CC BY 4.0
Is Wasta Township a good place to live?
No town among the 36 in South Dakota we compare has a higher share of households owning their home than Wasta Township. Wasta Township has 3 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Wasta Rest Stop Tipi-Eastbound and Wasta Rest Stop Tipi-Westbound. Wasta Township has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
37 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Crooked Creek TownshipShyne TownshipOwanka TownshipLake Flat TownshipWasta Township
Nearby attractions
All 13 attractions →Badlands National Park and 2 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Wasta Township. Close and well known come first.
Big draw9 mi National ParkBadlands National Park1.1M visitors a year
25 mi National Historic SiteMinuteman Missile National Historic Site102K visitors a year
33 mi MuseumSouth Dakota Air and Space MuseumSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Badlands National Park: Martin Kraft, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Minuteman Missile National Historic Site: Spencer, CC BY-SA 3.0 · South Dakota Air and Space Museum: User:Jaydec, CC BY-SA 3.0
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Wasta Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Wasta Township, and how to reach them.
PowerBlack Hills Energy15.1¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterWasta water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet3 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Wasta Township’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 herePennington County AuditorPennington County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2025
ZIP codes57791, 5779057791 67% · 57790 33%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 Wasta Township.
Natural hazards
Top of a high hazard risk in Wasta Township: inland flooding
In Wasta Township, the risk rating from FEMA is 74 of 100, above both the South Dakota town median (54 of 100) and the median of U.S. towns (44 of 100). Expected losses in Wasta Township break down as 52% from inland flooding and 15% from wildfires. Flood insurance has paid out on 2 claims in the town since 2008.
74risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingWildfireCold waves
2
paid flood claims since 2008
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Wasta Township stands out in South Dakota and nationally, with a typical July afternoon hotter than most
Wasta Township brings cold, snowy winters and warm summers, with very little rain. July afternoons reach 89°, January nights drop to 11° and about 30 inches of snow falls in a winter.
30″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter13–37°
Spring33–59°
Summer57–86°
Fall35–63°
Oct 1
typical first frost
May 10
typical last frost
+1.3°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Wasta Township is
This South Dakota town does better than the South Dakota average on 2 of 26 CDC measures and worse on 4. In Wasta Township, 13% of adults have diabetes, and 30% sleep under 7 hours. Only 2 of the 36 South Dakota towns we compare have a higher share of adults who have high blood pressure than Wasta Township. Among adults in the town, 15% report frequent mental distress.
| Wasta Township | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 31% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 10% | 12% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 30% | 36% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 15% | 17% |
26 measures vs. South Dakota
2 better20 too close to call4 worse
| What stands out | Wasta Township | SD |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 78.6% | 75.9% |
| More adults getting cholesterol checked | 86.8% | 84.8% |
| More adults with heart disease | 7.8% | 6.8% |
Hans P Peterson Memorial Hospital - Cah
36.8 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Outdoors
Open space protected for good: 3.6% of Wasta Township
Walkers can cover 9.6 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve. In Wasta Township, the density of trails is 0.3 miles per square mile, below South Dakota’s towns (0.6) and close to U.S. towns (0.4). The town has one park or preserve, 4 acres in all.
3.6%conserved
| Wasta Township | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.3 miles per square mile | 0.6 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 3.6% | 3.3% | 4.3% |
3.6%
conserved · 812 of 22,745 acres
9.6 mi
of trails · 0.3 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Buffalo Gap National Grassland | — | 4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Wasta Township
15pages on Wasta Township
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Wasta Township; the nearest are
Western Dakota Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · Rapid City38.2 mi$8,294 in-state tuitionSouth Dakota School of Mines and TechnologyUniversity or college · Public · Rapid City39.5 mi$10,500 in-state tuition
About 0 of every 100 Wasta Township residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across South Dakota.
Landmarks
3 places in Wasta Township on the National Register of Historic Places.
About Wasta Township
Town in South Dakota, United States
Wasta (Lakota: wašté) is a town in Pennington County, South Dakota, United States, situated along the Cheyenne River. It had a population of 65 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.2 sq mi
- Elevation
- 2,320 ft
- ZIP code
- 57791
- Area code
- 605
Questions about Wasta Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Wasta Township, SD a good place to live?
Wasta Township has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real. Some 37 people live in this town, in South Dakota.