City profile · South Dakota · Census ACS 2023

Pierre, SD

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

14,008
Residents
$74,053
Median income
$219,500
Median home
$1,034
Median rent (state)

Pierre - the verdict

Nationally, Pierre sits in the 55th percentile for household income and the 22nd percentile for safety among US cities with a population of 1,000 or more. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

55th
percentile, household income
48th
percentile, home value
23rd
percentile, median rent
22nd
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: Pierre, SD

Pierre is a small town in South Dakota, home to 14,008 residents per U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here is $74,053 per year, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 6.0%. Pierre's housing stock carries a median value of $219,500, and the median resident age is 39.9 years. 34.8% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 63.3% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 120 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Building Boom), up 1900% from five years earlier. Crime here tracks close to the national norm: the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program logs 2496.0 total incidents per 100,000 residents here, near the national average (agency reporting is voluntary, so this measures reporting activity, not a definitive danger score). NOAA puts Pierre's yearly average temperature at 47.0°F with 19.6 inches of precipitation per year.

Living costs in South Dakota run below the national norm: the state registers 88.6 on a 100-equals-national-average index (Well Below Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $1,034 monthly. 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 16.5 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (Very Low).

Population

14,008 residents

Census ACS 2023 - South Dakota

Median Household Income

$74,053 /yr

Poverty 6.0%

Cost of Living Index (state)

88.6 (US=100)

Well Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, South Dakota average

How does Pierre compare to other US cities?

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

Household income 55% higher than other cities
Home value 48% pricier than other cities
Median rent 23% pricier than other cities
Safety 22% safer than other cities

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

National percentiles can mask local variation. Looking only at South Dakota, Pierre ranks #30 of 34 South Dakota cities by lowest crime rate - a narrower, more locally useful cut than the national comparison 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 Pierre'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.

55thIncome percentile
22ndSafety percentile

55th percentile nationally for median household income · 22nd percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Pierre's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Pierre'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 47 Avg. percentile National median
Pierre'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 Pierre's home value compares nationally

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

$219,500 Among the most affordable more affordable than 52% 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%). 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%). This entry sits in this band. $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. Pierre $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 - Pierre, SD Pierre, SD's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Pierre, 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 Pierre, SD median $74,053/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%
Pierre, 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 Pierre, SD. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 34.8%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 6.0%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 63.3%

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

Population
14,008
Median Income
$74,053
Median Home Value
$219,500
Median Age
39.9
Poverty Rate
6.0%
Labor force participation
63.3%
Bachelor's Degree+
34.8%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
2496.0
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
506.4
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
1989.6
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
47.0°F
Annual Precipitation
19.6"
Annual Snowfall
N/A

Schools

Total Schools
5
Public schools in this city

Population Change

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

See the fastest-growing cities →
13,700 residents13,800 residents13,900 residents14,000 residents14,100 residents 202020212022202320242025 14,061 residents 13,848 residents ▼ -1.5%
Pierre's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

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

📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
120
housing units authorized
Single-Family
5
detached homes
Multifamily
115
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
8.6
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 6
2020 17
2021 19
2022 3
2023 12
2024 120

Permit volume increased 1900% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
79.3%
Carpool
10.5%
Public Transit
1.2%
Walk
3.7%
Work from Home
4.6%
Other
0.7%

Based on 7,020 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 Pierre sits in

Cost of Living Index
88.6
Well Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,034/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
16.5 / 100
Very Low
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in South Dakota

Huron
14,347 people
Spearfish
12,551 people
Yankton
15,501 people
Box Elder
12,457 people
Mitchell
15,637 people
Vermillion
11,800 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Pierre's 14,008 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Wauconda, IL
14,010 people
Forest Park, IL
14,000 people
Destin, FL
14,018 people
Anderson Creek, NC
14,021 people
Allouez, WI
14,023 people
Midlothian, IL
14,024 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Pierre's $74,053 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Excelsior Springs, MO
$74,056 median income
Macungie, PA
$74,056 median income
Gibsonton, FL
$74,049 median income
Macon, IL
$74,063 median income
Minburn, IA
$74,063 median income
Burgin, KY
$74,063 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Pierre, 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 Pierre, SD - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 82.3% 9.0% 6.3% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 3.7% White 82.3% Black or African American 0.0% Asian 1.0% American Indian 9.0% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 1.3% Two or more races 6.3% 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 Pierre 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
Pierre (this city) 14,008 $74,053
Huron 14,347 $51,556
Spearfish 12,551 $59,731
Yankton 15,501 $69,071
Census ACS 5-year FIPS SD FBI UCR NOAA Normals NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Pierre, SD?

What is the population of Pierre, SD? +

Pierre, SD has a population of 14,008 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

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

Pierre households earn a median of $74,053 annually, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Pierre? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Pierre; 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 Pierre, SD safe? +

Pierre has a total crime rate of 2496.0 per 100,000 residents, which is near 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 Pierre, SD? +

The median home value in Pierre is $219,500, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the climate like in Pierre? +

Pierre has an average annual temperature of 47.0°F, 19.6 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

Verify with HUD →

Verify with FBI →

Verify with NOAA →

Verify with U.S. Census Bureau →

Verify with EPA →

Verify with FEMA →

Verify with BEA →

Verify with EIA →

Verify with NCES →

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.