Census-designated place · Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota

Oglala, South Dakota

Oglala is a census-designated place in Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota. It has 1,071 residents. Oglala, South Dakota has a quality-of-life score of 0 out of 100 (very low), ranking #15,645 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within South Dakota it ranks #75 of 75 cities and towns. It ranks best on home price to income ratio (low), average commute time (low) and rent-burdened households (low). It ranks worst on voter turnout (low), adult smoking (high) and premature death (high).

0Very low

Quality-of-life score: #15,645 of 15,651 cities and towns
South Dakota: #75 of 75 in SD
Population: 1,071 (2020-2024)
Land area: 13 mi²
Density: 85.7 /mi²
FIPS code: 4646540

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 62 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.

Safety1#15,429/15,637
Economy2#15,368/15,631
Housing—
Health2#15,326/15,609
Healthcare1#15,505/15,650
Environment—
Education28#11,328/15,649
Infrastructure32#10,596/15,650
Community1#15,561/15,651
Leisure & amenities0#15,638/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Oglala, South Dakota ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Oglala Lakota 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

Home price to income ratio · low1.0×
100/100South Dakota 3.4×United States 4.1×2019-2023U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077High uncertainty
Average commute time · low14.4 min
97/100South Dakota 17.8 minUnited States 26.4 min2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08013High uncertainty
Rent-burdened households · low31.7%
97/100South Dakota 39.8%United States 51.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25070High uncertainty
Rent as share of income · low22.9%
94/100South Dakota 25.9%United States 30.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25071
High school diploma or higher · high86.2%
90/100South Dakota 93.2%United States 89.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B15003
Drinking water violations · low0
86/100South Dakota 0United States 02024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteOglala Lakota County value

Weaknesses

Voter turnout · low34.8%
0/100South Dakota 65.2%United States 65.2%2024U.S. Election Assistance CommissionOglala Lakota County value
Adult smoking · high45.9%
0/100South Dakota 16.3%United States 16.1%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteModel-based estimate
Premature death · high38,427 /100k
0/100South Dakota 8,706 /100kUnited States 8,123 /100k2021-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteOglala Lakota County value
Life expectancy · low58.4 yrs
0/100South Dakota 77.4 yrsUnited States 77.6 yrs2021-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteOglala Lakota County value
Median household income · low$21,330
0/100South Dakota $77,494United States $81,6042020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B19013
Injury deaths · high281 /100k
0/100South Dakota 90 /100kUnited States 87 /100k2019-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteOglala Lakota County value

Trends

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

PopulationFalling
1,612 (2015-2019) → 1,071 (2020-2024)
−34%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
39.1% (2015-2019) → 70.7% (2020-2024)
+32 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Poverty rateWorsening
42.2% (2015-2019) → 68.8% (2020-2024)
+27 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 12.3% → 12.1%
Child poverty rateWorsening
53.8% (2015-2019) → 74.9% (2020-2024)
+21 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Bachelor's degree or higherImproving
5.4% (2015-2019) → 16.8% (2020-2024)
+11 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 32.1% → 35.7%
Rent-burdened householdsWorsening
20.6% (2015-2019) → 31.7% (2020-2024)
+11 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%

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, Oglala, South Dakota improved on 0 of 8 measures with a comparison and declined on 0. 8 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.

Improved0

No measure improved by more than its margin of error.

Declined0

No measure declined by more than its margin of error.

All 8 measures

Change of every measure of Oglala, South Dakota between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Broadband subscriptions	39.1%2015-2019	70.7%2020-2024	+32 points	Within the margin of error	98%
Child poverty rate	53.8%2015-2019	74.9%2020-2024	+21 points	Within the margin of error	4%
High school diploma or higher	76.6%2015-2019	86.2%2020-2024	+9.6 points	Within the margin of error	95%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.5492015-2019	0.4892020-2024	−0.061	Within the margin of error	88%
Median household income	$26,3132015-2019	$21,3302020-2024	−19%	Within the margin of error	1%
Poverty rate	42.2%2015-2019	68.8%2020-2024	+27 points	Within the margin of error	0%
Rent as share of income	19.8%2015-2019	22.9%2020-2024	+3.1 points	Within the margin of error	32%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	43.5%2015-2019	47.0%2020-2024	+3.5 points	Within the margin of error	16%

“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 Oglala, South Dakota five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Oglala, 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.

No place that looked like Oglala, South Dakota five years ago has more measures that improved than declined, with a higher standing among its peers today.

For comparison, Oglala, South Dakota itself moved +3.3 points in standing on average over the same 5 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

1,071 residents (±540)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79†
60–69†
50–59†
40–49†
30–39†
20–29†
10–19†
Under 10†

Share of all residents, each sex

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: 20–29 men (−7.3 points).

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

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

1,071 residents (±540)

Oglala, South Dakota
South Dakota share

White2.3%†25
Black0.0%0
Hispanic or Latino2.8%†30

Education

625 residents (±277)

Oglala, South Dakota
South Dakota share

No high school diploma14%†86
High school or GED44%†273
Some college19%

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Income

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

Household income

297 households (±115)

Oglala, South Dakota
South Dakota share

Under $25k67%†200
$25k–50k9.1%†27
$50k–75k2.4%†7
$75k–100k0.0%0
$100k–150k21%†63
$150k–200k0.0%0
$200k or more0.0%0

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: $25k–50k (−30.0 points).

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

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B19001View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Homes

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

Owners and renters

297 households (±115)

Oglala, South Dakota
South Dakota share

Own52%†155
Rent48%†142

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

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

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

142 households (±87)

Oglala, South Dakota
South Dakota share

Under $75095%†135
$750–1,0000.0%0
$1,000–1,5000.0%0

Home values

155 homes (±107)

Oglala, South Dakota
South Dakota share

Under $150k100%†155
$150k–250k0.0%0
$250k–400k0.0%0

Age of homes

351 homes (±118)

Oglala, South Dakota
South Dakota share

2010 or later0.0%0
2000–200917%†60
1980–199941%†145

Size of homes

351 homes (±118)

Oglala, South Dakota
South Dakota share

Studio0.0%0
1 bedroom0.0%0
2 bedrooms65%†228

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Getting to work

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

How people get to work

278 workers (±212)

Oglala, South Dakota
South Dakota share

Drive alone95%†263
Carpool0.0%0
Public transit0.0%0
Walk2.5%†7
Bike0.0%0
Work from home2.9%†8
Other0.0%0

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Drive alone (+43.9 points).

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

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

270 workers (±208)

Oglala, South Dakota
South Dakota share

Under 15 min31%†83
15–29 min61%†164
30–44 min8.5%†

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

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 Oglala Lakota County, the county holding most of Oglala's residents.

Oglala Lakota County has 84 employer establishments, 62.6 for every 10,000 residents (0.25× the US rate of 248; 0.20× South Dakota's), with 1,963 paid employees at an average annual pay of $43,623. The Census Bureau also counts 476 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 84; 476 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 62.6; US 248 · South Dakota 317
Paid employees: 1,963
Average annual pay: $43,623; US $68,342

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

Schools, colleges and instruction	9	6.7	1.91×Too few to compare	833	$51,005	47
Elementary and secondary schools	7	5.2	7.57×Too few to compare	829	$51,185	—
Ambulatory health care services	5	3.7	0.18×Too few to compare	137	$30,190	20
Gasoline stations	5	3.7	1.15×Too few to compare	119	$21,790	—
Restaurants and other eating places	5	3.7	0.20×Too few to compare	63	$18,063	6
Construction of buildings	4	3	0.39×Too few to compare	22	$36,227	30
Grocery and convenience stores	4	3	1.00×Too few to compare	98	$21,806	—
Limited-service restaurants	4	3	0.37×Too few to compare	58	$18,345	—
Religious organizations	3	2.2	0.40×Too few to compare	11	$30,000	—
Specialty trade contractors	3	2.2	0.14×Too few to compare	18	$42,278	18
Accounting, tax preparation and payroll services	0	0	0.00×Too few to compare	0	—	3
Advertising, public relations and related services	0	0	0.00×Too few to compare	0	—	—

Rank places for an industry Open Oglala Lakota County

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 13,423 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 $29.6K of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Oglala, South Dakota: $27.60 per resident (US $1,995).

Obligations: $29.6K
Per resident: $27.60; US $1,995
Sole-source: 0.0%; US 30%
Single offer: 0.0%; 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

Bureau of Indian Affairs and Bureau of Indian Education$29.6K100%

Top recipients

KOMADA LLC$29.6K100%

Spending by fiscal year

0FY2017
56KFY2020
5.7KFY2021
2.3KFY2022
2.6MFY2023
439.7KFY2024
-79.7KFY2025
29.6KFY2026

Top industries (NAICS)

Other heavy and civil engineering construction · 2379$29.6K100%

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 6, 2026, loaded Oct 6, 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 Oglala, South Dakota, so they do not add up across cities.

Oglala, South Dakota's figures are part of those of Oglala Lakota County, SD ($55.8M in FY2026), never added to them: 0.1% of that total.

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

See federal money in Oglala Lakota 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.

Oglala, 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.

Oglala Lakota County6100% of residents

Other cities and towns in Oglala Lakota 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
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/4646540

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends