City profile · South Dakota · Census ACS 2023

Hot Springs, SD

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

3,506
Residents
$49,688
Median income
$168,200
Median home
$990
Median rent

Data Snapshot: Hot Springs, SD

Hot Springs is a city in South Dakota with a population of 3,506 residents based on U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here reaches $49,688 per year, while the poverty rate sits at 26.2%. Typical homes in Hot Springs are valued around $168,200, and the median resident age is 59.3 years. About 18.2% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 46.0% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 9 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Slowing), down 10% from five years earlier. FBI UCR reporting places total crime at 217.0 incidents per 1,000 residents, above the national average, indicating elevated public-safety concerns. NOAA climate normals record an annual average temperature of 48.6°F with 18.6 inches of precipitation per year and 32.0 inches of snowfall.

On a cost-of-living index where 100 equals the national average, South Dakota registers 88.6 (Below Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $990 per month. Average monthly utility bills run around $200 based on EIA 2023 residential energy data. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 26.8 out of 100 (Very Low).

According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2023 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, PlainCities renders standardized city-level demographic, income, education, employment, and housing indicators across more than 19,000 incorporated places nationwide. Population counts and median household income figures are sourced directly from Census Table B01003 and B19013 respectively, with poverty rates from B17001 and cost-of-living adjustments from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) Regional Price Parities (RPP) 2024 release. Every value displayed in this snapshot links back to the official upstream tables and is refreshed on the ACS annual release cadence (typically December of the survey year + 1).

Methodology: city boundaries follow the Census Bureau's place-level geography (incorporated places, census-designated places, and consolidated city-county governments), with FIPS codes ensuring consistent identifiers across decennial and annual surveys. Cost-of-living comparisons use BEA's Regional Price Parities (RPP) indexed to the national average (100), enabling cross-city purchasing-power comparisons. See our methodology page for full source attribution, refresh cadence, and known data quality limitations including margin-of-error disclosure and sample-size thresholds.

Population

3,506 residents

Census ACS 2023 — South Dakota

Median Household Income

$49,688 /yr

Poverty 26.2%

Cost of Living Index

88.6 (US=100)

Below Average — BEA RPP 2024

How does Hot Springs compare to other US cities?

Where Hot Springs sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure — computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 19% higher than other cities
Home value 33% pricier than other cities
Median rent 13% pricier than other cities
Safety 95% safer than other cities

Percentiles compare Hot Springs against every US city with at least 1,000 residents. "Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

Income distribution context

Household income distribution — Hot Springs, SD Quintile shares of aggregate household income for Hot Springs, SD. The Lorenz curve traces cumulative income share against cumulative population share — perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Hot Springs, SD — median $49,688/yr — Census ACS quintile shares 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%
Household income distribution for Hot Springs, SD — Census ACS 5-year estimates. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 18.2%

Census ACS S1501 — educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 26.2%

Census ACS S1701 — poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 46.0%

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

Population
3,506
Median Income
$49,688
Median Home Value
$168,200
Median Age
59.3
Poverty Rate
26.2%
Labor force participation
46.0%
Bachelor's Degree+
18.2%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
217.0
per 1,000 residents
Violent Crime
189.9
per 1,000 residents
Property Crime
27.1
per 1,000 residents

Climate

Avg Temperature
48.6°F
Annual Precipitation
18.6"
Annual Snowfall
32.0"

Schools

Total Schools
3
Public schools in this city

Housing Supply

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

🏗️ Slowing
Total Permits (2024)
9
housing units authorized
Single-Family
9
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
2.6
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 10
2020 11
2021 13
2022 10
2023 10
2024 9

Permit volume decreased 10% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work — Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
80.3%
Carpool
0.3%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
7.0%
Work from Home
9.0%
Other
3.4%

Based on 1,309 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

South Dakota state-level data from PlainCost, PlainRent, and PlainHazard

Cost of Living Index
88.6
Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$990/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
State-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
26.8 / 100
Very Low
FEMA NRI composite score

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity — Hot Springs, 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 Hot Springs, SD — Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE — sums to 100% 59.5% 12.1% 6.1% 10.6% 10.3% ETHNICITY — Hispanic or Latino (any race) 18.7% White 59.5% Black or African American 12.1% Asian 6.1% American Indian 1.2% Native Hawaiian 0.2% Some other race 10.6% 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.

National-average reference values shown when city-level race/ethnicity table is not loaded. Source: Census ACS 5-year, OMB Directive 15 race-and-ethnicity categories.

How Hot Springs compares to nearby South Dakota cities

Census ACS 2023 — population and median income benchmarks

Side-by-side population + income comparison anchored on the current city (Hot Springs) plus the nearest peer cities in South Dakota, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).
Selected

SD

Hot Springs

49.69% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$49,688
Brackets
4
Selected

SD

Milbank

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$350
Brackets
4
Selected

SD

Hartford

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$340
Brackets
3
Selected

SD

Dell Rapids

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$390
Brackets
4
Census ACS 5-year FIPS SD FBI UCR NOAA Normals NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Hot Springs, SD?

What is the population of Hot Springs, SD? +

Hot Springs, SD has a population of 3,506 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Hot Springs, SD? +

The median household income in Hot Springs is $49,688 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Hot Springs? +

Hot Springs has a cost of living index of 88.6 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Below Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data.

Is Hot Springs, SD safe? +

Hot Springs has a total crime rate of 217.0 per 1,000 residents, which is above the national average. Source: FBI UCR data.

What is the median home value in Hot Springs, SD? +

The median home value in Hot Springs is $168,200, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the climate like in Hot Springs? +

Hot Springs has an average annual temperature of 48.6°F, 18.6 inches of precipitation, and 32.0 inches of snowfall per year. 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.

Related

Data sourced from official U.S. government datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial

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