Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Home to 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
No town among the 36 in South Dakota we compare has a lower share of adults with a bachelor’s degree than White Lake. Its National Register listings include Hilton House and Hofmeister House. White Lake has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Where White Lake beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census counts: 366 in 1890, a peak of 610 in 1920, 394 in 2020. The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 1918 and a map from 1986 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in White Lake, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Aug 3, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in White Lake.
Two of the 3 schools are below, and why each made the list. The White Lake School District 01-3 runs its public schools.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| White Lake Elementary - 02Largest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 62 | B− |
| White Lake High School - 01Largest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 33 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts
White Lake’s July high is 87°F, above the South Dakota town median (85°F) and near the median of U.S. towns (85°F).
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Only 5% of working residents stay in White Lake for work; the rest commute out. The share of residents in White Lake who live below the poverty line: 13%. Jobs in the town fell by 25 from 2013 to 2023, to 129. The town’s average trip to work is 18 minutes, against 17 minutes in South Dakota’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns.
| White Lake | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 5.1% | 29% | 8% |
| Median household income | $49,000 | $72,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 18 minutes | 17 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 13% | 9.5% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Among 36 South Dakota towns, just 2 have a higher share of adults who have diabetes than White Lake. For adults in the town, the share who sleep under 7 hours is 27%. The town beats the South Dakota average on 6 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 8.
| White Lake | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 31% | 35% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 19% | 16% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 30% | 36% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 15% | 17% |
| What stands out | White Lake | SD |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 8.4% | 12.7% |
| Fewer binge drinkers | 14.2% | 18.8% |
| More adults with heart disease | 10.7% | 6.8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
43% of White Lake’s expected losses from natural hazards come from cold waves, followed by inland flooding at 23%. Expected damage from storms and floods is lower here than in 52% of U.S. communities. Households in the town have drawn federal disaster aid once, in 2019.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. White Lake City Park | — | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of White Lake; the nearest are
About 0 of every 100 White Lake residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across South Dakota.
2 places in White Lake on the National Register of Historic Places.
City in South Dakota, United States
White Lake is a city in western Aurora County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 394 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
White Lake has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real. Home to 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
