City profile · South Dakota · Census ACS 2023

North Spearfish, SD

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

2,201
Residents
$69,792
Median income
$321,800
Median home
$990
Median rent (state)
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See how it ranks

State rank, size-class rank, and four peer cities for North Spearfish.

Place dossier plate

Sheet SD-NORTH-SPEARFISH-SD · North Spearfish, SD 2,201 pop · income 49th pct

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

  • POP-VILLAGE 2,201
  • INC-MID $69,792
  • COL-BELOW 88.6
  • SAFE-UNK Safety pending
  • RANK-MID 49th
  • PHOTO-FINISH ≈ Dyer
  • HOME-MID $321,800
  • BOOK-UNK Tracts pending

Nearest income peer: Dyer, AR (+ $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 North Spearfish

Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest North Spearfish 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 North Spearfish 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: 2,201.

4 peers

Similar household income

Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS median household income. This city: $69,792. Population peers are excluded.

4 peers

North Spearfish - the verdict

Nationally, North Spearfish sits in the 49th percentile for household income among US cities with a population of 1,000 or more. Source: Census ACS.

49th
percentile, household income
68th
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: North Spearfish, SD

South Dakota's North Spearfish is a small town, with 2,201 residents per the latest Census Bureau ACS figures. Households in North Spearfish report a median income of $69,792 per year, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 17.8%. Home values in North Spearfish run a median of $321,800, and the median resident age is 38.9 years. 38.5% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 71.3% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

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). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $990 per month. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in South Dakota run around $200, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 26.8 out of 100 (Very Low).

A decision-led reading path

Useful questions to ask of North Spearfish'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 work and mobility to housing and income to comparison shortlist; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.

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

Question 1

What does the journey to work look like in North Spearfish?

Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 87.3%. A reliable mean commute time is not available for this row, so the mode shares carry the comparison.

Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. The profile is strongly car-oriented, so a relocation comparison should put trip distance, vehicle access, and household fuel costs ahead of a citywide commute average. The same-state peer links offer a more relevant benchmark than a national label.

Compare commute patterns →

2. Housing and income

How far does income reach against housing in North Spearfish?

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. Housing value is high relative to the citywide income median. That flags a question for comparison, not a verdict: tenure, household composition, financing costs, and the age of the ACS estimate can all change what a resident actually pays.

The home-value-to-income reference is comparatively stretched: the ACS median home value is 4.6 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 17.8%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.

Compare the housing trade-off →

3. Comparison shortlist

Which cities make useful reference points for North Spearfish?

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.

Within South Dakota, the closest population matches are Redfield (2,230 residents, $60,586 income); Volga (2,246 residents, $75,417 income); Custer (2,148 residents, $80,188 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Burnt Store Marina, FL (2,201 residents); Lebanon Junction, KY (2,201 residents); Judson, SC (2,201 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.

Open a side-by-side comparison →

Population

2,201 residents

Micro place (under 10k)

Median Household Income

$69,792 /yr

Below median income · poverty 17.8% (High poverty)

Cost of Living Index (state)

88.6 (US=100)

Very affordable · BEA RPP 2024, South Dakota average

City profile score · North Spearfish, SD

56/100

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.

Bachelor's+ share B
38.5%

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

Household income D
$69,792

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

Poverty rate F
17.8%

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

Violent crime N/A
N/A

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

North Spearfish profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions) 4-axis radar comparing 1 series across Cost of living, Bachelor's+ share, Household income, Poverty rate. Cost of livingBachelor's+ shareHousehold incomePoverty rate 56 C
North Spearfish profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)
Read the chart values
  • Cost of living: 91/100 (A+) · 88.6 index
  • Bachelor's+ share: 73/100 (B) · 38.5%
  • Household income: 49/100 (D) · $69,792
  • Poverty rate: 17/100 (F) · 17.8%

How does North Spearfish compare to other US cities?

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

Household income 49% higher than other cities
Home value 68% 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 North Spearfish 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 North Spearfish near the bottom of South Dakota's cities

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

Median Household Income
#100 of 285
65th percentile in South Dakota
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 303
0th percentile in South Dakota
Median Home Value
#17 of 263
94th percentile in South Dakota
Poverty Rate
#64 of 302
79th percentile in South Dakota
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#25 of 303
92nd 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.

49thIncome percentile
Gauge source note

49th percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

How North Spearfish's home value compares nationally

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

$321,800 32nd percentile more affordable than 32% 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%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Below this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). This entry sits in this band. $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. North Spearfish $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

North Spearfish's home-value-to-income ratio: 4.6×

ACS median home value divided by median household income.

Band
moderate
3.0–5.0×
National rank
#12,197 of 15,516
More affordable than 21% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#9,312 of 11,323
Micro cities (under 10,000)

At 4.6×, North Spearfish sits in the moderate band: national rank #12,197 of 15,516 and #9,312 of 11,323micro cities (under 10,000). Income and home value move in the same broad scale; check same-state peers before treating the multiple as an advantage or a warning.

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

$69,792 North Spearfish, SD median household income (Census ACS)

Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Household income distribution - North Spearfish, SD North Spearfish, SD's median household income ($69,792) against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern. The Lorenz curve and quintile bars are national context, not North Spearfish, SD-specific shares. $ Household Income Distribution North Spearfish, SD median $69,792/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%
North Spearfish, 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 North Spearfish, SD.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 38.5%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 17.8%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 71.3%

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

Population
2,201
Median Income
$69,792
Median Home Value
$321,800
Median Age
38.9
Poverty Rate
17.8%
Labor force participation
71.3%
Bachelor's Degree+
38.5%

Commute Patterns

Commute source

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
87.3%
Carpool
4.7%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
0.0%
Work from Home
4.2%
Other
3.8%

Based on 1,259 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 North Spearfish. 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 North Spearfish 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 North Spearfish sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.

How North Spearfish 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
North Spearfish (this city) 2,201 $69,792
Redfield 2,230 $60,586
Volga 2,246 $75,417
Custer 2,148 $80,188
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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