Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Leola - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.
Nationally, Leola sits in the 58th percentile for household income among US cities with a population of 1,000 or more. Source: Census ACS.
58th
percentile, household income
2nd
percentile, home value
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: Leola, SD
Census ACS 2023 estimates count 363 residents in Leola, a small town within South Dakota. The typical household in Leola brings in $76,458 a year, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 2.0%. Typical homes in Leola are valued around $66,500, and the median resident age is 43.4 years. Educational attainment runs 28.5% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 63.4% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 0 residential units were authorized in 2024 (No Permits). The annual average temperature per NOAA climate normals runs 42.2°F with 21.8 inches of precipitation per year.
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. Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $929 monthly. Monthly utility costs average around $200 across South Dakota, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. Commute times here average 38.7 minutes, with 63.9% driving alone and 3.9% working from home, per Census ACS commuting data. Natural-hazard exposure scores 11.1 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Very Low).
Population
363 residents
Census ACS 2023 - South Dakota
Median Household Income
$76,458/yr
Poverty 2.0%
Cost of Living Index (state)
88.6 (US=100)
Well Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, South Dakota average
How does Leola compare to other US cities?
Where Leola sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income58% higher than other cities
Home value2% pricier than other cities
Median rent8% 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
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 Leola'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.
58th percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
How Leola's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$66,500Among the most affordablemore affordable than 98% of 15,600 US cities
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
Leola, 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 Leola, SD. Diagonal = perfect equality.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)28.5%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)2.0%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)63.4%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
363
Median Income
$76,458
Median Home Value
$66,500
Median Age
43.4
Poverty Rate
2.0%
Labor force participation
63.4%
Bachelor's Degree+
28.5%
Climate
Avg Temperature
42.2°F
Annual Precipitation
21.8"
Annual Snowfall
N/A
Schools
Total Schools
6
Public schools in this city
Population Change
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Leola's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.
Housing Supply
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
Total Permits (2024)
0
housing units authorized
Single-Family
0
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
0
0
0
-
2020
1
1
0
$0.4M
2021
0
0
0
-
2022
0
0
0
-
2023
0
0
0
-
2024
0
0
0
-
Commute Patterns
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Average Commute Time
38.7 minutes
Drive Alone
63.9%
Carpool
17.2%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
8.9%
Work from Home
3.9%
Other
6.1%
Based on 180 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 Leola sits in
Census ACS 5-year FIPS SD NOAA Normals NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01
What do people ask about Leola, SD?
What is the population of Leola, SD?+
363 people live in Leola, SD according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in Leola, SD?+
Leola households earn a median of $76,458 annually, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the cost of living in Leola?+
BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Leola; 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.
What is the median home value in Leola, SD?+
Homes in Leola carry a median value of $66,500, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the climate like in Leola?+
The average annual temperature in Leola runs 42.2°F, 21.8 inches of precipitation. Source: NOAA Climate Normals.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, 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.
Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial