Work, pay and getting to work in Waubay
Waubay has 145 jobs, and 142 of its residents work somewhere. About one in ten work in Waubay; the top destination outside it is Webster (15%, 10 miles). Commuters spend 13 minutes getting to work on average; South Dakota averages 18, the U.S. 26.
Census ACS 2020–24, Census LEHD 2023, EPA Smart Location Database. How the two grades are made
Waubay on a workday afternoon
On a workday 129 residents head out to work, 13 work right here, and 132 people come in from elsewhere.
About as many people by day as by night: the people who leave are replaced by the people who come in.
About as many jobs as working residents (1.02 per resident).
Workday population = residents − those who work elsewhere + those who come in (the Census “commuter-adjusted” method). Residents: Census survey; commuters: LEHD 2023, primary jobs.
Commuting out of Waubay: the destinations
Where Waubay clocks in
6% of workersLines run between town centers. The top 10 towns each way; “Everywhere else” is the rest, including other states.
A thicker line means more commuters. Switch between where residents work and where the people who work here live.
Jobs in Waubay: what the 145 are
What kind of work
What it pays
Who does it
Jobs based in Waubay, 2013 → 2023: 74 → 145. Big swings can come from how a large employer reports its locations, not only from real openings or closings.
Primary jobs covered by unemployment insurance (not the self-employed). Pay is monthly earnings. LEHD 2023.
Here is what they are, next to the jobs Waubay’s own residents hold wherever they work.
Waubay’s commute takes about 13 minutes
Round trip, about 230 workdays a year: roughly 4.2 full days in the car, bus or train.
Average commute minutes, one way
of Waubay workers work from home, vs 10% across South Dakota. Their commute is the hallway.
Share of the 90 commuters (the 10% who work from home are left out). Across South Dakota: 85% drive alone, 1% take transit; U.S.: 81% and 4%. Census ACS 2020–24.
From the Census survey of workers who don’t work from home.
Near or far: the trip to work from Waubay
About 38% show a job over 50 miles away. Some of that is real, and some is employers that report every worker at a head office, so a few long commutes are on paper only.
Straight-line distance from each worker’s home block to their main job’s block. LEHD 2023.
Every working resident’s trip, home to work, as the crow flies. Roads add to it, so real drives run longer.
Around Waubay: the bordering towns
The biggest share goes to Waubay Township (6%).
Jobs & commute next door
| Town | Waubay workers there | Jobs & income | Walkability | Commute | Household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waubay | – | — | — | 13 min | $36,389 |
| Waubay Township | 6% | — | — | 18 min | — |
| Central Point Township | under 3% | — | — | — | — |
Same-state neighbors only. Waubay Township and Central Point Township: fewer than 1,000 residents, not graded. Commute: average minutes each way, Census ACS 2020–24.
Darker towns draw more of Waubay’s workers. Tap a town to see its commute.
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Two sources, two years. Trips, distances and jobs based here: Census LEHD 2023, primary jobs, where the employer reports them. Income, poverty, unemployment, commute time and how people travel: Census ACS 2020–24 averages.
- Straight lines, older transit. Miles are as the crow flies. EPA’s walkability and transit files use 2017–20 inputs.
Jobs and commuting in Waubay: questions
What is the median household income in Waubay?
$36,389 (±$18,592) (Census ACS 2020–24), against $75,081 across South Dakota and $80,734 nationally.
What is the poverty rate in Waubay?
24.3%, against 11.9% across South Dakota and 12.5% nationally (Census ACS 2020–24).
How long is the commute from Waubay?
13 minutes each way on average, against 18 across South Dakota and 26 nationally. 10% of workers work from home.
Where do people who live in Waubay work?
9% work in town. The top destinations elsewhere are Webster (15%, 10 mi), Watertown (6%, 30 mi), Waubay Township (6%, 4 mi) (Census LEHD 2023).
Can you get around Waubay without a car?
0% of commuters take transit and 2% of households have no car. EPA has no transit data for this county.
Commuter talk
Getting to work from Waubay, from the people who make the trip.
More of Waubay
Flows, distances and jobs: U.S. Census Bureau, LEHD Origin-Destination Employment Statistics (LODES 8), 2023, primary jobs. Commute time, working from home and working out of state: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates. Distances are straight lines between home and work; real drives run longer.