Clay County, South Dakota
Population 15,219 · Vermillion, Wakonda, Irene
- Overall cost of living: −13.3% vs the US average, lower than 70% of US counties.
- Median age: 24.9, lower than 99% of US counties.
- Lyme disease cases: 0/100k, the lowest in the US.
Cost & Housing
| Overall cost of living (vs US avg) | ≈−13.3% | lower than 70% of US counties |
|---|---|---|
| ≈ Shared figure for all of South Dakota outside its metro areas. Prices are published for areas, not single counties. | ||
| Median home price | $232,300 | higher than 67% of US counties |
| Median rent | $770 | lower than 74% of US counties |
| Electric bill | $115/mo | lower than 97% of US counties |
| Child care (preschool) | $7,093/yr | lower than 58% of US counties |
| Property tax rate | 1.26% | higher than 79% of US counties |
| Sales tax | 4.2% | lower than 82% of US counties |
| State income tax | 0% | the lowest in the US |
| Property tax paid / yr | $2,937 | higher than 84% of US counties |
Jobs & Career
| Median household income | $56,850 | lower than 74% of US counties |
|---|---|---|
| Unemployment rate | 2.1% | lower than 98% of US counties |
| Job growth (5 yr) | -0.4% | lower than 58% of US counties |
| Jobs per 1k residents | 250.3 | lower than 56% of US counties |
| Profession jobs per 1k residents | N/A |
Climate & Environment
| Sunny days / yr | ≈218 days | higher than 57% of US counties |
|---|---|---|
| ≈ Regional estimate: satellite grid cell about 100 km across. Nearby counties can share it. | ||
| July high | 86°F | lower than 57% of US counties |
| January low | 10°F | lower than 87% of US counties |
| Annual snowfall | ≈36 in | higher than 76% of US counties |
| ≈ Weather station: Newcastle, NE, 11 mi from where the county’s people live. | ||
| Hot days (90°F+) | 29 days | lower than 55% of US counties |
| Freezing days (32°F or colder) | 152 days | higher than 77% of US counties |
| Severe drought | 13.5% of weeks | higher than 68% of US counties |
| Summer dew point | ≈59.5°F | lower than 70% of US counties |
| ≈ Regional estimate: NASA grid cell about 50 km across, read at where the county’s people live. Nearby counties can share it. | ||
| Annual precipitation | 28.5 in | lower than 75% of US counties |
| Disaster damage per $100k | $138/yr | higher than 54% of US counties |
| Flood damage per $100k | $89/yr | higher than 57% of US counties |
| Hurricane damage per $100k | $0/yr | the lowest in the US |
| Earthquake damage per $100k | $0.4/yr | lower than 84% of US counties |
| Tornado damage per $100k | $34/yr | higher than 99% of US counties |
| Wildfire damage per $100k | $0.91/yr | higher than 55% of US counties |
| PM2.5 air pollution | 6.2 µg/m³ | lower than 82% of US counties |
| Distance to coast | 361.1 mi | higher than 75% of US counties |
| Terrain relief | ≈359.7 ft | lower than 59% of US counties |
| ≈ Estimated from about 75 elevation points sampled across the county, so the true range is usually somewhat larger. | ||
Education & Health
| % Adults with a high school diploma | 92.3% | higher than 68% of US counties |
|---|---|---|
| % Adults with a bachelor's degree | 45.4% | higher than 95% of US counties |
| % Adults with a graduate degree | 20.2% | higher than 96% of US counties |
| Colleges within 30 mi | 2 | lower than 49% of US counties |
| Student-teacher ratio | 14.2:1 | higher than 56% of US counties |
| On-time high school graduation | 87.5% | lower than 60% of US counties |
| 8th-grade math (grade level) | gr 9.16 | higher than 90% of US counties |
| 8th-grade reading (grade level) | gr 10.1 | higher than 99% of US counties |
| 3rd-grade math (grade level) | gr 3.03 | higher than 52% of US counties |
| Library visits per resident | 5.1 | higher than 90% of US counties |
| Primary care docs / 100k | 39/100k | lower than 57% of US counties |
| Hospitals within 25 mi | 3 | lower than 45% of US counties |
| Hospital quality (avg stars) | N/A | |
| Life expectancy | 77.3 yrs | higher than 69% of US counties |
| % Uninsured (under 65) | 12.2% | higher than 71% of US counties |
| Mental health providers / 100k | 112/100k | lower than 58% of US counties |
| Dentists / 100k | 52/100k | higher than 62% of US counties |
| Lyme disease cases | 0/100k | the lowest in the US |
| % Near parks or rec facilities | 85.6% | higher than 84% of US counties |
Transit & Connectivity
| Airport drive time | 65 min | higher than 62% of US counties |
|---|---|---|
| Int'l airport drive time | 78 min | lower than 69% of US counties |
| Avg commute | 20 min | lower than 75% of US counties |
| Broadband coverage | 90.6% | higher than 78% of US counties |
| Transit commute share | 1.5% | higher than 91% of US counties |
| Work-from-home share | 6.6% | lower than 70% of US counties |
| Drive to a big city | 154 min | higher than 63% of US counties |
| Street intersections | 44 per sq mi | higher than 73% of US counties |
Community & Safety
| Violent crime | 2.4 per 1k | higher than 58% of US counties |
|---|---|---|
| Property crime | 10.8 per 1k | higher than 67% of US counties |
| Population | 15,219 | lower than 66% of US counties |
| Median age | 24.9 | lower than 99% of US counties |
| Net domestic migration | -1.5 per 1k/yr | lower than 70% of US counties |
| % Democratic vote | 52% Dem | higher than 88% of US counties |
| % Republican vote | 45.5% Rep | lower than 89% of US counties |
| % Third-party vote | 2.5% | higher than 90% of US counties |
| % White | 84.2% | higher than 58% of US counties |
| % Hispanic or Latino | 3.3% | lower than 66% of US counties |
| % Black | 1.8% | lower than 52% of US counties |
| % Asian | 3% | higher than 89% of US counties |
| % American Indian & Alaska Native | 2.6% | higher than 92% of US counties |
| % Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander | 0% | the lowest in the US |
| % Two or more races | 5.1% | higher than 82% of US counties |
| % Some other race | 0% | the lowest in the US |
Recreation & Lifestyle
| Parks & protected areas | 12 parks | lower than 77% of US counties |
|---|---|---|
| Restaurants / 10k | 18.4 | higher than 77% of US counties |
| Arts & rec venues / 10k | 3.3 | higher than 55% of US counties |
| Drive to dark skies | Dark here | the lowest in the US |
| Lakes & rivers | 1.3% | higher than 54% of US counties |
| Ski areas within 90 mi | 0 | the lowest in the US |
| Golf courses within 30 mi | 14 | higher than 55% of US counties |
| Marinas & boat tours within 90 mi | 0 | the lowest in the US |
| Trails (km) within 30 mi | 85 km | lower than 65% of US counties |
| Named paved greenways (km) within 15 mi | 0 km | the lowest in the US |
| Gyms & fitness centers within 30 mi | 3 | lower than 68% of US counties |
| Bars within 30 mi | 35 | higher than 66% of US counties |
| Music & theater companies within 30 mi | 0 | the lowest in the US |
| Museums within 30 mi | 0 | the lowest in the US |
| Breweries within 30 mi | 0 | the lowest in the US |
| Wineries within 30 mi | 0 | the lowest in the US |
| Theme parks & arcades within 90 mi | 4 | lower than 75% of US counties |
| Casinos & casino hotels within 90 mi | 8 | higher than 90% of US counties |
| Campgrounds & RV parks within 30 mi | 3 | higher than 58% of US counties |
| Sports teams & arenas within 90 mi | 5 | lower than 68% of US counties |
| Bike paths (km) within 15 mi | 6 km | lower than 54% of US counties |
Most similar counties
Closest across all well-covered metrics.
Every number is from a public dataset; N/A means the source doesn't cover this county. Percentages compare against all US counties. ≈ marks a value not measured in the county itself; the line under it says where it comes from. Report bad data