Population
285 residents
Census ACS 2023 - South Dakota
City profile · South Dakota · Census ACS 2023
Bullhead, SD
Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Bullhead - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.
- 285
- Residents
- $32,614
- Median income
- $929
- Median rent (state)
Bullhead - the verdict
Bullhead ranks in the 3rd percentile for household income nationally, out of every US city with at least 1,000 residents. Source: Census ACS.
- 3rd
- percentile, household income
- 8th
- percentile, median rent
📝 How we sourced this
Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.
Data Snapshot: Bullhead, SD
Bullhead is a small town in South Dakota, home to 285 residents per U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. The typical household in Bullhead brings in $32,614 a year, in the lower quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 56.5%. The median resident age is 21.1 years. 7.8% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 31.3% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
Living costs in South Dakota run below the national norm: the state registers 88.6 on a 100-equals-national-average index (Well Below Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $929 per month. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in South Dakota run around $200, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 38.1 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (Very Low).
Median Household Income
$32,614 /yr
Poverty 56.5%
Cost of Living Index (state)
88.6 (US=100)
Well Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, South Dakota average
How does Bullhead compare to other US cities?
Where Bullhead sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income 3% higher than other cities
Median rent 8% pricier than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares Bullhead against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to South Dakota only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.
South Dakota-relative analysis
Median Gross Rent places Bullhead near the bottom of South Dakota's cities
Among the 303 South Dakota cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Bullhead ranks #145 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Bullhead only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#269 of 285
6th percentile in South Dakota
Median Gross Rent
#145 of 303
0th percentile in South Dakota
Poverty Rate
#20 of 302
93rd percentile in South Dakota
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#258 of 303
14th percentile in South Dakota
Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within South Dakota only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.
3rd percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Income distribution context
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 7.8%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL) 56.5%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+) 31.3%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
285
Median Income
$32,614
Median Home Value
N/A
Median Age
21.1
Poverty Rate
56.5%
Labor force participation
31.3%
Bachelor's Degree+
7.8%
Commute Patterns
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
46.2%
Carpool
7.7%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
15.4%
Work from Home
26.9%
Other
3.8%
Based on 52 workers 16 and over.
Monthly Utility Costs
State-average estimates for South Dakota - EIA 2023 residential energy data
Electricity
$95
avg/month
Natural Gas
$65
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$40
avg/month
Total Utilities
$200
estimated/month
Estimates reflect South Dakota state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.
Living Costs & Risk
Cost of living is a South Dakota state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Bullhead sits in
Cost of Living Index
88.6
Well Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$929/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
38.1 / 100
Very Low
FEMA NRI composite score (county)
Similar Cities in South Dakota
Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide
Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Bullhead's 285 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).
Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide
Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Bullhead's $32,614 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).
Race & Ethnicity Composition
City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.
How Bullhead compares to nearby South Dakota cities
Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).
Census ACS 5-year FIPS SD OMB Bulletin 23-01
What do people ask about Bullhead, SD?
What is the population of Bullhead, SD? +
285 people live in Bullhead, SD according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in Bullhead, SD? +
Bullhead households earn a median of $32,614 annually, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the cost of living in Bullhead? +
BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Bullhead; the closest available measure is the South Dakota state average, a cost of living index of 88.6 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Well Below Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within South Dakota vary by metro area.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.
Citation & verification links
Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCitiesEvery figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.