William Havens House · National Register of Historic Places
Webster’s story
145 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1915.
7 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1881Webster is settled
WebsterSD
A town of 1,681, settled in 1881.
2 bordering townsMap →
Anton and Mary Agnes Karpen House · Photo: Jon Roanhaus · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
1,681
2025 Census estimate · −2.7% since 2020
Typical home
$234K
+8.5% in a year
Household income
$55K
median
Median age
40.5
years
Jobs based here
836
Balanced
Is Webster a good place to live?
The best of Webster’s subject grades are an A for cost of living and schools; the weakest is a D for incomes. 44% of working residents work locally in Webster, above both South Dakota’s towns (29%) and U.S. towns (8%). Only 2 of South Dakota’s 85 towns score higher on hazard risk. Webster is more walkable than 70% of U.S. towns. Webster has 7 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them William Havens House and Waddel Mansion. Webster has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Webster stand out
Where Webster beats most towns.
Typical home value
Webster$234K
South Dakota$318K
Cost of livingA
3.5 years of income buys a home
More affordable than 90% of U.S. towns
Zillow Home Value Index; area median household income, Census ACS.
Webster Area School District 18-5
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Webster Area Elementary - 03 | PK–5 | 274 |
| Webster Area Middle School - 02 | 6–8 | 108 |
| Webster Area High School - 01 | 9–12 | 164 |
SchoolsA
On state tests and graduation
NCES · EDFacts.
Natural hazardsA−
Lower risk than 77% of U.S. communities
Low risk of storm and flood damage
FEMA National Risk Index.
How Webster grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within South Dakota), ordered by how far Webster is from typical.
Jobs & income$55K median household incomeDOpen →Cost of livingAOpen →SchoolsAOpen →Hazard riskcold waves tops the listA−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 8.3 of 20; 11.6% of households have no car; 2.7% of workers walk, bike or ride transitB+Open →HealthSanford Hospital Webster - Cah 0.2 miles awayBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors2 miles of trailsBOpen →History7 notable people born hereB+Open →Civic life4.9 library visits per resident; 14.2 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsB+Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 40.5; 21% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Webster: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Webster, and how to reach them.
PowerNorthWestern Energy13.3¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterWebster 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 Webster’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 hereDay County AuditorDay County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2023
ZIP code5727457274 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 Webster.
SchoolsA
Webster’s public schools outperform 87% of South Dakota districts
Its public schools are run by the Webster Area School District 18-5. Its three schools are below.
87%of SD districts it outscoresASchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webster Area Elementary - 03Largest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 274 | A |
| Webster Area High School - 01Largest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 164 | C− |
| Webster Area Middle School - 02Top results in townGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 108 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within SD on state tests and graduation
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade A−
In Webster, the FEMA risk score runs lower than in the typical South Dakota or U.S. town
Webster’s FEMA risk score is 23 of 100, against 54 of 100 in South Dakota’s towns and 44 of 100 across U.S. towns. One flood insurance claim has been paid in Webster since 1999.
23risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Cold wavesInland floodingStrong wind
1
paid flood claims since 1999
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
HousingCost of living grade A
Webster stands out in South Dakota and nationally: the median rent there is lower
The median rent in Webster is $653 a month. Typical home values rose 8.5% in the year to September 2026.
$234KZillow home value
| Webster | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $653 a month | $962 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 67% | 68% | 73% |
Typical home value
Webster$234K
South Dakota$318K
+8.5%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Climate
Snowy winters and pleasant summers in Webster
Webster has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Webster’s July high is 80°F.
43″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter5–23°
Spring31–52°
Summer57–78°
Fall34–55°
Oct 6
typical first frost
May 4
typical last frost
+1.0°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D
About one in two working residents works right in Webster
15% of Webster residents live below the poverty line. Only 3 of the 36 South Dakota towns we compare have a lower median household income than Webster. Jobs based in Webster fell to 836 in 2023, 62 fewer than in 2013.
44%work in town
| Webster | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 15% | 9.5% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $55,000 | $72,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 19 minutes | 17 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Webster44%
Webster Township9%
Watertown5%
Aberdeen5%
Sioux Falls4%
1 mi
median commute distance
836
jobs based in Webster
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
B+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 70% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HealthB
Webster is healthier than 57% of U.S. towns
Webster beats the South Dakota average on 2 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 5. 28% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Webster. Among 36 South Dakota towns, just 2 have a higher share of adults who have high blood pressure than Webster.
57%healthier than U.S. townsBHealth Grade
| Webster | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 30% | 36% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 10% | 12% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 31% | 35% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 22% | 23% |
26 measures vs. South Dakota
2 better19 too close to call5 worse
| What stands out | Webster | SD |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 80.7% | 75.9% |
| More adults getting cholesterol checked | 87.4% | 84.8% |
| More adults with heart disease | 8.8% | 6.8% |
Sanford Hospital Webster - Cah
0.2 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 1,032 acres
1.6 mi
of trails · 1 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Webster
19pages on Webster
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Webster; the nearest are
Sisseton Wahpeton CollegeUniversity or college · Public · Sisseton27.3 mi$4,330 in-state tuitionLake Area Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · Watertown36.5 mi$6,718 in-state tuition
About 4 of every 100 Webster residents are enrolled in college, about the same as South Dakota.
Landmarks
7 places in Webster on the National Register of Historic Places.
Famous people from Webster
7 notable people were born in Webster.
B
Brock LesnarAmerican professional wrestler, mixed martial artist and football player · born 1977T
Tom BrokawAmerican broadcast journalist and author · born 1940D
David B. WakeAmerican evolutionary biologist · 1936–2021
K
Kenneth M. HarknessAmerican football coach · 1899–1988Webster’s neighbors
2 towns share a border with Webster.
Webster TownshipRusk TownshipWebster
How the neighbors grade
| Town | SD rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Webster · Webster Township | — | — | A | — | A | B |
| Rusk Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Webster has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Webster reports no FBI crime data of its own. Rusk Township isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Webster Township and Webster are one community, graded once. Compare Webster with a neighbor →
Questions about Webster
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Webster, SD expensive?
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A.
What is Webster, SD known for?
7 notable people were born here, including Brock Lesnar and Tom Brokaw.