West BruleSD
A town of 471 in South Dakota.
Is West Brule a good place to live?
50% of residents live below the poverty line in West Brule, against 9.5% in South Dakota’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. No town among the 36 in South Dakota we compare has a lower share of adults with a bachelor’s degree than West Brule. West Brule has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
471 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in West Brule.
Compared with most of South Dakota and the rest of the country, the average trip to work in West Brule is shorter
4% of West Brule working residents work locally. No town among the 36 in South Dakota we compare has a lower middle household income than West Brule. The top destinations are Lower Brule (21%), Fort Thompson (5%) and Chamberlain (4%).
| West Brule | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 9 minutes | 17 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 4% | 29% | 8% |
| Median household income | $38,000 | $72,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazards: high risk in West Brule, mostly cold waves
For West Brule, the natural-hazard score from FEMA is 70 of 100. FEMA puts 62% of the town’s expected hazard losses down to cold waves, and 15% to inland flooding.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The climate in West Brule brings four seasons and pleasant summers
The typical July afternoon high in West Brule is 88°F.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
A larger share of adults in West Brule report frequent mental distress than in the typical South Dakota or U.S. town
Among adults in West Brule, 72% had a checkup this year. Of the 36 South Dakota towns we compare, none has a higher share of adults who say their health is fair or poor than West Brule. Two figures for adults in the town: 42% smoke cigarettes, 52% have obesity. This South Dakota town does better than the South Dakota average on 1 of 26 CDC measures and worse on 20.
| West Brule | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 16% | 19% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 14% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 52% | 35% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 10% | 12% |
| What stands out | West Brule | SD |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 4.7% | 9.2% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 38.6% | 12.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Everything we know about West Brule
Moving to West Brule: who provides what
West Brule is unincorporated, so Lyman 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.
96% of working residents leave West Brule for work
Where West Brule’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of West Brule; the nearest are
About 1 of every 100 West Brule residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across South Dakota.
About West Brule
Census-designated place in South Dakota, United States
West Brule is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) within the Lower Brule Indian Reservation in Lyman County, South Dakota, United States. It was first listed as a CDP prior to the 2020 census. The population of the CDP was 538 at the 2020 census. It is in the northeast part of the county, 3 miles (5 km) west of Lower Brule and 1 mile (1.6 km) south of Lake Sharpe on the Missouri River.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Elevation
- 1,778 ft
Questions about West Brule
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is West Brule, SD a good place to live?
West Brule has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
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