City · Minnehaha County, South Dakota

Garretson, South Dakota

Garretson is a city in Minnehaha County, South Dakota, part of the Sioux Falls, SD-MN metro area. It has 1,176 residents. Garretson, South Dakota has a quality-of-life score of 87 out of 100 (very high), ranking #2,109 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within South Dakota it ranks #27 of 75 cities and towns. It ranks best on distance to an airport (low), rent-burdened households (low) and rent as share of income (low). It ranks worst on drought exposure (high), distance to an Amtrak station (high) and property crime rate (high).

87Very high

Quality-of-life score: #2,109 of 15,651 cities and towns
South Dakota: #27 of 75 in SD
Population: 1,176 (2020-2024)
Land area: 1 mi²
Density: 807.7 /mi²
FIPS code: 4623820

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 73 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

Open in the map

Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety34#10,395/15,637
Economy63#5,707/15,631
Housing97#425/14,977
Health60#6,219/15,609
Healthcare84#2,449/15,650
Environment91#1,358/15,453
Education67#5,088/15,649
Infrastructure56#6,871/15,650
Community89#1,711/15,651
Leisure & amenities84#2,566/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Garretson, South Dakota ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Minnehaha County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Distance to an airport · low6 mi
100/100South Dakota 114 miUnited States 33 mi2025Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauMinnehaha County value
Rent-burdened households · low27.0%
100/100South Dakota 39.8%United States 51.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25070
Rent as share of income · low19.8%
98/100South Dakota 25.9%United States 30.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25071
Hospital quality rating · high4.7
96/100South Dakota 3.9United States 3.2Jul 2026Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesMinnehaha County value
Flu vaccinations · high56.0%
96/100South Dakota 45.0%United States 44.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteMinnehaha County value
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) · low5.3 µg/m³
95/100South Dakota 5.1 µg/m³United States 8.0 µg/m³2022Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyMinnehaha County value

Weaknesses

Drought exposure · high98%
3/100South Dakota 38%United States 43%Oct 2025–Sep 2026National Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAAMinnehaha County value
Distance to an Amtrak station · high165 mi
4/100South Dakota 185 miUnited States 43 mi2026Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauMinnehaha County value
Property crime rate · high1,849 /100k
17/100South Dakota 1,312 /100kUnited States 1,535 /100k2025Federal Bureau of InvestigationMinnehaha County value
Comfortable days · low23.9%
22/100South Dakota 22.8%United States 26.8%2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationMinnehaha County value
Mental health care shortage · high17.0
24/100South Dakota 18.0United States 9.9Oct 2026Health Resources and Services AdministrationMinnehaha County value
Preventable hospital stays · high3,334 /100k
26/100South Dakota 2,787 /100kUnited States 2,769 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteMinnehaha County value

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

PopulationFalling
1,263 (2015-2019) → 1,176 (2020-2024)
−6.9%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Uninsured residents (under 65)Improving
21.9% (2015-2019) → 2.0% (2020-2024)
−20 pts5 yearsCensus table B27010US 10.8% → 9.8%
Home price to income ratioWorsening
2.3× (2015-2019) → 3.4× (2020-2024)
+48%5 yearsCensus table B25077US 3.5× → 4.1×
Bachelor's degree or higherImproving
22.8% (2015-2019) → 28.2% (2020-2024)
+5.3 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 32.1% → 35.7%
Average commute timeWorsening
21.1 min (2015-2019) → 25.9 min (2020-2024)
+23%5 yearsCensus table B08013US 26.9 min → 26.4 min
Unemployment rateWorsening
2.0% (2015-2019) → 6.4% (2020-2024)
+4.4 pts5 yearsCensus table B23025US 3.7% → 4.0%

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Garretson, South Dakota improved on 1 of 11 measures with a comparison and declined on 1. 9 moved within the margin of error and 0 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved1

Property tax−0.7 points1.47% → 0.78%

Declined1

Price / income+1.1×2.3× → 3.4×

All 11 measures

Change of every measure of Garretson, South Dakota between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	21.1 min2015-2019	25.9 min2020-2024	+4.8 min	Within the margin of error	11%
Bachelor's degree or higher	22.8%2015-2019	28.2%2020-2024	+5.3 points	Within the margin of error	70%
Broadband subscriptions	85.9%2015-2019	88.0%2020-2024	+2.2 points	Within the margin of error	16%
Effective property tax rate	1.47%2015-2019	0.78%2020-2024	−0.7 points	Improved	97%
High school diploma or higher	96.8%2015-2019	92.8%2020-2024	−4 points	Within the margin of error	8%
Home price to income ratio	2.3×2015-2019	3.4×2020-2024	+1.1×	Declined	19%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.3452015-2019	0.3602020-2024	+0.016	Within the margin of error	37%
Median household income	$65,8752015-2019	$59,7412020-2024	−9.3%	Within the margin of error	3%
Public transit commuters	0.0%2015-2019	0.0%2020-2024	0 points	Within the margin of error	60%
Rent as share of income	19.2%2015-2019	19.8%2020-2024	+0.6 points	Within the margin of error	50%
Rent-burdened households	29.9%2015-2019	27.0%2020-2024	−2.9 points	Within the margin of error	66%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Garretson, South Dakota five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Garretson, South Dakota in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Garretson, South Dakota itself moved −12.4 points in standing on average over the same 10 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

1,176 residents (±236)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79†
60–69†

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

568 households (±109)

Garretson, South Dakota
South Dakota share

Under $25k11%†62
$25k–50k20%†113
$50k–75k

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

568 households (±109)

Garretson, South Dakota
South Dakota share

Own63%356
Rent37%†212

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (−8.6 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

541 workers (±107)

Garretson, South Dakota
South Dakota share

Drive alone85%462
Carpool4.6%†25
Public transit0.0%0

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes pay by metro area, not by county or city. The metro area page lists its largest occupations and lets you look up any job.

Pay in the Sioux Falls, SD-MN

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Minnehaha County, the county holding most of Garretson's residents.

Minnehaha County has 6,262 employer establishments, 304 for every 10,000 residents (1.22× the US rate of 248; 0.96× South Dakota's), with 125,353 paid employees at an average annual pay of $58,623. The Census Bureau also counts 17,477 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 6,262; 17,477 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 304; US 248 · South Dakota 317
Paid employees: 125,353
Average annual pay: $58,623; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Minnehaha County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Specialty trade contractors	501	24.3	1.57×More than typical	5,225	$72,166	1,095
Restaurants and other eating places	405	19.6	1.07×About typical	9,038	$21,215	62
Ambulatory health care services	334	16.2	0.78×Fewer than typical	6,878	$120,324	558
Lessors of real estate	268	13	1.06×About typical	1,005	$52,338	2,244
Construction of buildings	226	11	1.45×More than typical	1,489	$68,034	399
Truck transportation	199	9.6	1.91×More than typical	1,766	$62,823	473
Limited-service restaurants	193	9.4	1.17×About typical	4,304	$19,144	20
Services to buildings and dwellings	184	8.9	1.32×More than typical	1,564	$29,467	779
Building finishing contractors	156	7.6	1.99×More than typical	772	$62,650	485
Offices of other health practitioners	153	7.4	1.22×About typical	664	$48,078	311
Religious organizations	152	7.4	1.33×More than typical	1,475	$26,981	—
Building equipment contractors	150	7.3	1.21×About typical	2,833	$72,180	131

Rank places for an industry Open Minnehaha County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 206,220 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

In FY2026, an estimated $0 of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Garretson, South Dakota: $0 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $0
Per resident: $0; US $1,994
Sole-source: —; US 30%
Single offer: —; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

2.9KFY2017
17KFY2018
4.9KFY2019
-62.5FY2020
-4.7FY2021
6.8FY2022
135FY2024

What was bought

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

How this is estimated

Agencies report each contract action's place of performance as a county and a ZIP code. A ZIP code's money is split among the cities it covers by the share of its land inside each (Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation areas); the part outside city limits stays with the county.

The place of performance is what the contracting agency reports, often the contractor's office rather than where the work happens.
Shares are of land, not of people or businesses: a ZIP code that is mostly rural land but has its offices in town gives the town less than it should.
ZIP codes that are not mapped areas (post office boxes, the unique ZIP codes of large federal sites and companies) stay with their county, unless one city covers nearly all of it.
Counts of actions and awards include those only partly in Garretson, South Dakota, so they do not add up across cities.

Garretson, South Dakota's figures are part of those of Minnehaha County, SD ($127.2M in FY2026), never added to them: 0.0% of that total.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Garretson is mostly in Minnehaha County.

See federal money in Minnehaha County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Garretson, South Dakota is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.

House

Dusty JohnsonR-SD · 100% of residentsWith party 99%Missed 4.7%

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Minnehaha County96100% of residents

Metro area

The metro or micro area the city belongs to.

Sioux Falls, SD-MN98

Other cities and towns in Minnehaha County

Largest first.

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/4623820

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends