City profile · South Dakota · Census ACS 2023

Clark, SD

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Clark - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

1,181
Residents
$49,464
Median income
$125,700
Median home
$929
Median rent (state)

Clark - the verdict

Measured against every US city with at least 1,000 residents, Clark lands in the 19th percentile for household income and the 81st percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

19th
percentile, household income
20th
percentile, home value
8th
percentile, median rent
81st
percentile, safety
📝 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: Clark, SD

1,181 people live in Clark, South Dakota - a small town by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Clark households earn a median of $49,464 annually, in the lower quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 7.3%. Home values in Clark run a median of $125,700, and the median resident age is 55.1 years. About 12.7% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 53.0% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

The Census Building Permit Survey recorded 4 residential units authorized here in 2024 (Low Activity). Clark reports a comparatively low crime rate: FBI UCR reporting places total crime at 602.4 incidents per 100,000 residents, below the national average (voluntary agency reporting, reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score). The annual average temperature per NOAA climate normals runs 43.1°F with 24.4 inches of precipitation per year.

Living costs in South Dakota run below the national norm: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts South Dakota at 88.6 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Well Below Average). A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $929 per month statewide. 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 4.5 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (Very Low).

Population

1,181 residents

Census ACS 2023 - South Dakota

Median Household Income

$49,464 /yr

Poverty 7.3%

Cost of Living Index (state)

88.6 (US=100)

Well Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, South Dakota average

How does Clark compare to other US cities?

Clark measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.

Household income 19% higher than other cities
Home value 20% pricier than other cities
Median rent 8% pricier than other cities
Safety 81% safer than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

Zoom in to just South Dakota and the picture shifts: Clark ranks #7 of 34 South Dakota cities by lowest crime rate, a different read than the national percentile above.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

For each metric we count every US city with population 1,000+ and a non-null value, then compute what share of them fall below Clark's value: round(cities-below ÷ total × 100). Safety is inverted (percentile = share of cities with a higher crime rate) so a higher number always means safer. The in-state rank narrows that same crime-rate comparison to only the cities PlainCities tracks in South Dakota, breaking ties alphabetically. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.

19thIncome percentile
81stSafety percentile

19th percentile nationally for median household income · 81st percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Clark's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Clark's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown. 3-axis radar comparing 1 series across Income, Affordability, Safety. IncomeAffordabilitySafety 62 Avg. percentile National median
Clark's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.

How Clark's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$125,700 Among the most affordable more affordable than 80% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). This entry sits in this band. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Above this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Above this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Above this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Above this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Clark $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Clark, SD Clark, SD's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Clark, SD-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Clark, SD median $49,464/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Clark, SD's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Clark, SD. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 12.7%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 7.3%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 53.0%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
1,181
Median Income
$49,464
Median Home Value
$125,700
Median Age
55.1
Poverty Rate
7.3%
Labor force participation
53.0%
Bachelor's Degree+
12.7%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
602.4
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
344.2
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
258.2
per 100,000 residents

Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.

Climate

Avg Temperature
43.1°F
Annual Precipitation
24.4"
Annual Snowfall
N/A

Schools

Total Schools
4
Public schools in this city

Population Change

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
1,140 residents1,160 residents1,180 residents1,200 residents 202020212022202320242025 1,149 residents 1,183 residents ▲ +3.0%
Clark's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

🏗️ Low Activity
Total Permits (2024)
4
housing units authorized
Single-Family
2
detached homes
Multifamily
2
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
3.4
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 0
2020 0
2021 0
2022 0
2023 0
2024 4

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
76.9%
Carpool
13.3%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
5.3%
Work from Home
4.0%

Based on 527 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 Clark 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
4.5 / 100
Very Low
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in South Dakota

Garretson
1,166 people
Salem
1,201 people
Tyndall
1,206 people
Lemmon
1,214 people
Crooks
1,216 people
Ashland Heights
1,142 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Clark's 1,181 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Marine, IL
1,181 people
Somers, MT
1,181 people
Wurtsboro, NY
1,181 people
Deer Trail, CO
1,180 people
Ten Mile Creek, MD
1,180 people
Richton, MS
1,180 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Clark's $49,464 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Somers, IA
$49,464 median income
Scandia, KS
$49,464 median income
Paris, KY
$49,464 median income
Richville, NY
$49,464 median income
Woodmere, OH
$49,464 median income
Hopkins, SC
$49,464 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Clark, SD Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Clark, SD - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 88.9% 10.3% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 9.7% White 88.9% Black or African American 0.0% Asian 0.0% American Indian 0.2% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 0.7% Two or more races 10.3% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Clark compares to nearby South Dakota cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Clark (this city) 1,181 $49,464
Garretson 1,166 $66,375
Salem 1,201 $71,655
Tyndall 1,206 $51,719
Census ACS 5-year FIPS SD FBI UCR NOAA Normals NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Clark, SD?

What is the population of Clark, SD? +

Clark, SD has a population of 1,181 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Clark, SD? +

Median annual household income in Clark runs $49,464, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Clark? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Clark; 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.

Is Clark, SD safe? +

Clark has a total crime rate of 602.4 per 100,000 residents, which is below the national average. This reflects incidents reported to the FBI UCR program, not a definitive safety score -- agency reporting is voluntary and completeness varies by jurisdiction.

What is the median home value in Clark, SD? +

A typical home in Clark is worth $125,700, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the climate like in Clark? +

The average annual temperature in Clark runs 43.1°F, 24.4 inches of precipitation. Source: NOAA Climate Normals.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, 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 PlainCities Editorial

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Every 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.