Perkins County, South Dakota
Among the top 1% of US counties for safety & wellbeing.
AffordabilityAffordability: grade A, better than 91% of US counties
WeatherWeather: grade D, better than 12% of US counties
Safety & WellbeingSafety & Wellbeing: grade A+, better than 99% of US counties
Getting AroundGetting Around: grade B, better than 56% of US counties
Lifestyle & ConnectivityLifestyle & Connectivity: grade C, better than 37% of US counties
- top 3% for estimated total tax burden
- top 5% for school quality
- bottom 4% for park & nature access
Perkins County is a county in South Dakota with about 2,970 residents. It grades A+ for safety & wellbeing and D for weather. Standout strengths include estimated total tax burden, school quality, and natural disaster risk. It rates lower on airport distance and park & nature access.
Official websiteperkinscounty.org (opens in new tab)
Climate
Warm, dry summers · Harsh winters · Dry · Heavy snow
freez.
very cold
cool
comf.
warm
hot
warm
cool
very cold
80%58%clearovercast
Precipitation 2.5 in0.5 in
dry
Livability factors
Affordability
Median Household Income$64k61st percentile — neutral, not ranked
Cost of Living$44kbetter than 60% of US counties
Home Value$109k18th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Monthly Rent$685better than 83% of US counties
Monthly Owner Costs$1kbetter than 75% of US counties
Property Tax Rate1.27%better than 24% of US counties
Income Tax0.00%better than 91% of US counties
Sales Tax6.11%better than 78% of US counties
Estimated total tax burden4.16%better than 97% of US counties
Unemployment4.2%better than 61% of US counties
Weather
Winter Temp (Jan)19°F11th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Summer Temp (Jul)72°F19th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Precipitation18.6 in11th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Snowfall46.6 inbetter than 14% of US counties
Sunny Days229 daysbetter than 40% of US counties
Summer Humidity55°Fbetter than 86% of US counties
Comfortable Days51 daysbetter than 12% of US counties
Safety & Wellbeing
Natural Disaster Risk2.6better than 95% of US counties
School Quality100.0better than 96% of US counties
Violent Crime226/100kbetter than 87% of US counties
Property Crime50/100kbetter than 93% of US counties
Community
Population2,9706th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Median Age45.480th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Racial Diversity0.086th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Male/Female Ratio1.0158th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Political LeaningR+7193rd percentile — neutral, not ranked
White (%)95.4%96th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Black (%)0.0%2nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Hispanic (%)0.4%2nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Asian (%)0.7%58th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Other / Multiracial (%)3.4%50th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Getting Around
Commute Time17 minbetter than 93% of US counties
Walkability6.5/20better than 64% of US counties
Airport Distance405 mibetter than 4% of US counties
Lifestyle & Connectivity
Broadband Access86.7%better than 72% of US counties
Amenities Nearby3.37better than 57% of US counties
Park & Nature AccessLimitedbetter than 4% of US counties
Frequently asked questions
- Is Perkins County an affordable place to live?
- Perkins County is about average in cost. Its cost-of-living index is $44k, better than 60% of comparable areas.
- What is the median home value in Perkins County?
- The median home value in Perkins County is $109k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- What is the median household income in Perkins County?
- Median household income in Perkins County is $64k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- How much is rent in Perkins County?
- Median gross rent in Perkins County is $685 a month, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Is Perkins County safe?
- Perkins County is safer than most comparable areas, with a violent crime rate of 226/100k (better than 87%). Property crime is 50/100k.
- What is the weather like in Perkins County?
- Perkins County averages 72°F in July and 19°F in January, with 18.6 in of annual precipitation and about 229 sunny days a year.
- How are the schools in Perkins County?
- Public-school quality in Perkins County is above average, scoring better than 96% of comparable areas on a composite of graduation rates, spending, and student-teacher ratio.
- How long is the commute in Perkins County?
- The average one-way commute in Perkins County is 17 min.
Other counties in South Dakota
Explore South Dakota
Data sources
- EPA Smart Location Database
- EPI Family Budget Calculator
- FAA airport enplanements
- FBI Uniform Crime Reports
- FEMA National Risk Index
- MIT Election Data Lab (2020)
- NCES School Finance Survey
- NOAA Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA nClimGrid
- OpenStreetMap
- Tax Foundation + state revenue depts
- U.S. Census ACS (5-Year)
- USGS Protected Areas (PAD-US)