City profile · South Dakota · Census ACS 2023

Fort Thompson, SD

Fort Thompson's Census ACS profile: residents, income, housing, and the joined public-record layers available for this place.

1,134
Residents
$45,313
Median income
$110,300
Median home
$990
Median rent (state)
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Side-by-side metrics and state or size-class ranks use the same Census and FBI fields shown on this profile. Results stay in the URL so you can bookmark or share them.

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See how it ranks

State rank, size-class rank, and four peer cities for Fort Thompson.

Place dossier plate

Sheet SD-FORT-THOMPSON-SD · Fort Thompson, SD 1,134 pop · income 13th pct · 1 tracts

POP-VILLAGE · INC-MID · COL-BELOW · SAFE-UNK · RANK-BOTTOM · PHOTO-FINISH · HOME-LOW · BOOK-ONE

  • POP-VILLAGE 1,134
  • INC-MID $45,313
  • COL-BELOW 88.6
  • SAFE-UNK Safety pending
  • RANK-BOTTOM 13th
  • PHOTO-FINISH ≈ Cameron
  • HOME-LOW $110,300
  • BOOK-ONE 1 tract

Nearest income peer: Cameron, AZ (+ $0 income $)

Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.

Income neighbourhood around Fort Thompson

Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Fort Thompson on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.

median HH income

What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2026-08-08

Compare beyond this state

Nationwide peers by population, income

Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Fort Thompson on ACS population and median household income . Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.

Similar population

Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 1,134.

4 peers

Similar household income

Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS median household income. This city: $45,313. Population peers are excluded.

4 peers

Fort Thompson - the verdict

Out of every US city with 1,000+ residents, Fort Thompson places in the 13th percentile for household income. Source: Census ACS.

13th
percentile, household income
13th
percentile, home value
13th
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: Fort Thompson, SD

1,134 people live in Fort Thompson, South Dakota - a small town by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. The typical household in Fort Thompson brings in $45,313 a year, in the lower quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 36.6%. Home values in Fort Thompson run a median of $110,300, and the median resident age is 29.6 years. 4.3% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 43.8% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Living costs in South Dakota run below the national norm: on BEA's 100-equals-national-average cost index, South Dakota scores 88.6 (Well Below Average), per the 2024 Regional Price Parities release. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $990 per month. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts South Dakota's average monthly utility costs around $200 (state average). Natural-hazard exposure scores 26.8 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Very Low).

A decision-led reading path

Useful questions to ask of Fort Thompson's data

How this reading path is ordered

This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from comparison shortlist to within-city variation to housing and income to work and mobility; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.

For Fort Thompson, city-specific coverage includes within-city Census tract profiles, commute-mode shares. No matched row is reported here for local building permits, FBI reported-crime rates, matched public-school count, annual population history; the page leaves those layers out instead of substituting a statewide or national value.

Question 1

Which cities make useful reference points for Fort Thompson?

Within South Dakota, the closest population matches are Ashland Heights (1,142 residents, $61,538 income); Ipswich (1,126 residents, $79,135 income); Britton (1,117 residents, $70,156 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Claypool, AZ (1,134 residents); Baconton, GA (1,134 residents); Rutledge, GA (1,134 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.

Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching.

Open a side-by-side comparison →

2. Within-city variation

What can 1 Census tracts reveal inside Fort Thompson?

That layer breaks the citywide income, rent, and home-value medians into smaller Census geographies, which can reveal differences that one municipal median necessarily hides. A tract is a statistical area, not a locally defined neighborhood or a promise about conditions on a particular block. Start with the city profile for the broad comparison, then use the tract layer to test whether the same housing and income pattern is consistent across the city. Large within-city spreads are a reason to avoid treating any citywide median as a universal resident experience.

PlainCities matches 1 Census tracts to this city.

Explore Fort Thompson's tract profiles →

Question 3

How far does income reach against housing in Fort Thompson?

The home-value-to-income reference is relatively compact: the ACS median home value is 2.4 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 36.6%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.

This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. The ratio makes housing the clearest place to start this profile, but a low multiple can coexist with slow demand, older stock, or household-level hardship. Compare the home-value distribution and same-state peer table before treating it as an advantage.

Compare the housing trade-off →

4. Work and mobility

What does the journey to work look like in Fort Thompson?

Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. No single mode completely explains the work trip here. The mix is more useful than a one-number commute grade, especially when comparing places where transit, walking, and remote work divide the non-driving share differently.

Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 84.1%. A reliable mean commute time is not available for this row, so the mode shares carry the comparison.

Compare commute patterns →

Population

1,134 residents

Micro place (under 10k)

Median Household Income

$45,313 /yr

Low income · poverty 36.6% (Highest-decile poverty)

Cost of Living Index (state)

88.6 (US=100)

Very affordable · BEA RPP 2024, South Dakota average

City profile score · Fort Thompson, SD

27/100

4 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2023

Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians (income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out and redistribute weight. How it is calculated.

Cost of living A+
88.6 index

BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.

Household income F
$45,313

Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.

Poverty rate F
36.6%

Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.

Bachelor's+ share F
4.3%

Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.

Violent crime N/A
N/A

No FBI UCR violent-crime rate for this place (coverage is incomplete).

Fort Thompson profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions) 4-axis radar comparing 1 series across Cost of living, Household income, Poverty rate, Bachelor's+ share. Cost of livingHousehold incomePoverty rateBachelor's+ share 27 F
Fort Thompson profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)
Read the chart values
  • Cost of living: 91/100 (A+) · 88.6 index
  • Household income: 14/100 (F) · $45,313
  • Poverty rate: 0/100 (F) · 36.6%
  • Bachelor's+ share: 0/100 (F) · 4.3%

How does Fort Thompson compare to other US cities?

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

Household income 13% higher than other cities
Home value 13% pricier than other cities
Median rent 13% 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 Fort Thompson 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 Fort Thompson near the bottom of South Dakota's cities

Among the 303 South Dakota cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Fort Thompson ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Fort Thompson only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.

Median Household Income
#239 of 285
16th percentile in South Dakota
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 303
0th percentile in South Dakota
Median Home Value
#158 of 263
40th percentile in South Dakota
Poverty Rate
#33 of 302
89th percentile in South Dakota
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#276 of 303
9th percentile in South Dakota
How in-state ranks are ordered

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.

13thIncome percentile
Gauge source note

13th percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

How Fort Thompson's home value compares nationally

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

$110,300 Among the most affordable more affordable than 87% of 15,600 US cities

Show national distribution $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%). This entry sits in this band. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Above this entry. $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. Fort Thompson $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

Fort Thompson's home-value-to-income ratio: 2.4×

ACS median home value divided by median household income.

Band
affordable
< 3.0×
National rank
#3,671 of 15,516
More affordable than 76% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#3,334 of 11,323
Micro cities (under 10,000)

At 2.4×, Fort Thompson sits in the affordable band: national rank #3,671 of 15,516 and #3,334 of 11,323micro cities (under 10,000). The multiple is comparatively compact among tracked cities, but a low ratio can still coexist with slow demand or household-level hardship.

How this ratio is calculated

Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000. Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0). This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.

Income distribution context

$45,313 Fort Thompson, SD median household income (Census ACS)

Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Household income distribution - Fort Thompson, SD Fort Thompson, SD's median household income ($45,313) against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern. The Lorenz curve and quintile bars are national context, not Fort Thompson, SD-specific shares. $ Household Income Distribution Fort Thompson, SD median $45,313/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%
Fort Thompson, SD median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for Fort Thompson, SD.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 4.3%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 36.6%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 43.8%

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

Population
1,134
Median Income
$45,313
Median Home Value
$110,300
Median Age
29.6
Poverty Rate
36.6%
Labor force participation
43.8%
Bachelor's Degree+
4.3%

Commute Patterns

Commute source

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
84.1%
Carpool
2.7%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
6.2%
Work from Home
3.8%
Other
3.2%

Based on 370 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

South Dakota statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $200

EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across South Dakota at $200 (electricity about $95 , water and sewer about $40 ).

These are South Dakota statewide averages, not a meter reading for Fort Thompson. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

South Dakota's BEA cost-of-living index is 88.6 (Well Below Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around Fort Thompson is $990/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to South Dakota statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 26.8 / 100 (Very Low).

Cost/risk geography note

Cost of living is a South Dakota statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county Fort Thompson sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.

How Fort Thompson compares to similar-size South Dakota cities

Same-state peer method

Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.

City Population Median Household Income
Fort Thompson (this city) 1,134 $45,313
Ashland Heights 1,142 $61,538
Ipswich 1,126 $79,135
Britton 1,117 $70,156
Primary sources on this page

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.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES. Joins use OMB Bulletin 23-01 / FIPS keys.

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Estimate caveats

ACS and UCR figures are citywide estimates with vintage lags; they do not replace a local visit, school visit, or insurance quote.

Editorial standards, provenance, and how to cite this page

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.

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