City · Roberts County, South Dakota

Sisseton, South Dakota

Sisseton is a city in Roberts County, South Dakota. It has 2,670 residents. Sisseton, South Dakota has a quality-of-life score of 41 out of 100 (moderate), ranking #9,172 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within South Dakota it ranks #67 of 75 cities and towns. It ranks best on time spent in the emergency room (low), average commute time (low) and dentists (high). It ranks worst on access to exercise opportunities (low), adult smoking (high) and premature death (high).

41Moderate

Quality-of-life score: #9,172 of 15,651 cities and towns
South Dakota: #67 of 75 in SD
Population: 2,670 (2020-2024)
Land area: 2 mi²
Density: 1,678.0 /mi²
FIPS code: 4659260

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 71 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.

Safety71#4,566/15,637
Economy23#12,107/15,631
Housing89#1,687/14,977
Health12#13,679/15,609
Healthcare18#12,830/15,650
Environment98#298/15,453
Education33#10,560/15,649
Infrastructure36#10,062/15,650
Community25#11,768/15,651
Leisure & amenities51#7,595/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

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

Time spent in the emergency room · low44 min
100/100South Dakota 115 minUnited States 170 minOct 2024–Sep 2025Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesRoberts County value
Average commute time · low11.7 min
100/100South Dakota 17.8 minUnited States 26.4 min2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08013
Dentists · high127 /100k
98/100South Dakota 65 /100kUnited States 75 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteRoberts County value
Rent-burdened households · low36.2%
98/100South Dakota 39.8%United States 51.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25070
Rent as share of income · low22.8%
96/100South Dakota 25.9%United States 30.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25071
Public libraries · high2.9 /10k
95/100South Dakota 1.4 /10kUnited States 0.5 /10k2024Institute of Museum and Library ServicesRoberts County value

Weaknesses

Access to exercise opportunities · low8.8%
0/100South Dakota 73.1%United States 84.5%2022 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteRoberts County value
Adult smoking · high24.6%
2/100South Dakota 16.3%United States 16.1%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteModel-based estimate
Premature death · high16,042 /100k
3/100South Dakota 8,706 /100kUnited States 8,123 /100k2021-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteRoberts County value
Reading scores · low2.54
3/100South Dakota 3.07United States 3.052019University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteRoberts County value
Uninsured residents (under 65) · high26.6%
3/100South Dakota 9.9%United States 9.8%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B27010
Adult obesity · high46.0%
3/100South Dakota 35.9%United States 38.2%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteModel-based estimate

Trends

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

PopulationRising
2,468 (2015-2019) → 2,670 (2020-2024)
+8.2%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
New homes permittedWorsening
0.4 /1k (2021) → 0.0 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
−100%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
Child poverty rateImproving
28.5% (2015-2019) → 17.4% (2020-2024)
−11 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
71.8% (2015-2019) → 82.0% (2020-2024)
+10 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Uninsured residents (under 65)Improving
32.0% (2015-2019) → 26.6% (2020-2024)
−5.4 pts5 yearsCensus table B27010US 10.8% → 9.8%
Bachelor's degree or higherImproving
16.5% (2015-2019) → 21.8% (2020-2024)
+5.3 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 32.1% → 35.7%

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, Sisseton, South Dakota improved on 3 of 14 measures with a comparison and declined on 0. 11 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.

Improved3

Child poverty−11 points28.5% → 17.4%
Broadband+10 points71.8% → 82.0%
Household income+26%$38,679 → $48,875

Declined0

No measure declined by more than its margin of error.

All 14 measures

Change of every measure of Sisseton, South Dakota between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	11.0 min2015-2019	11.7 min2020-2024	+0.8 min	Within the margin of error	39%
Bachelor's degree or higher	16.5%2015-2019	21.8%2020-2024	+5.3 points	Within the margin of error	70%
Broadband subscriptions	71.8%2015-2019	82.0%2020-2024	+10 points	Improved	61%
Child poverty rate	28.5%2015-2019	17.4%2020-2024	−11 points	Improved	84%
Effective property tax rate	1.87%2015-2019	1.39%2020-2024	−0.5 points	Within the margin of error	90%
High school diploma or higher	84.0%2015-2019	89.2%2020-2024	+5.2 points	Within the margin of error	82%
Home price to income ratio	2.3×2015-2019	2.2×2020-2024	−0.0×	Within the margin of error	80%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4882015-2019	0.4142020-2024	−0.074	Within the margin of error	91%
Median household income	$38,6792015-2019	$48,8752020-2024	+26%	Improved	47%
Poverty rate	20.7%2015-2019	18.7%2020-2024	−1.9 points	Within the margin of error	62%
Rent as share of income	24.2%2015-2019	22.8%2020-2024	−1.4 points	Within the margin of error	65%
Rent-burdened households	37.0%2015-2019	36.2%2020-2024	−0.8 points	Within the margin of error	59%
Unemployment rate	7.1%2015-2019	6.1%2020-2024	−1 points	Within the margin of error	70%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	32.0%2015-2019	26.6%2020-2024	−5.4 points	Within the margin of error	88%

“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 Sisseton, South Dakota five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Sisseton, 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, Sisseton, South Dakota itself moved +8 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

2,670 residents (±250)

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: 70–79 women (+2.4 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

2,670 residents (±250)

Sisseton, South Dakota
South Dakota share

White39%1,049
Black0.5%†14
Hispanic or Latino7.0%187

Education

1,627 residents (±125)

Sisseton, South Dakota
South Dakota share

No high school diploma11%†176
High school or GED36%591
Some college21%342

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

985 households (±78)

Sisseton, South Dakota
South Dakota share

Under $25k21%†205
$25k–50k31%310
$50k–75k20%†200
$75k–100k10%†100
$100k–150k9.9%†98
$150k–200k3.4%†33
$200k or more4.0%†39

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: $100k–150k (+4.5 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

985 households (±78)

Sisseton, South Dakota
South Dakota share

Own51%501
Rent49%484

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

Table view

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

Rent paid

468 households (±84)

Sisseton, South Dakota
South Dakota share

Under $75063%295
$750–1,00021%†96
$1,000–1,50016%†75

Home values

501 homes (±66)

Sisseton, South Dakota
South Dakota share

Under $150k66%331
$150k–250k21%†104
$250k–400k12%†60

Age of homes

1,129 homes (±77)

Sisseton, South Dakota
South Dakota share

2010 or later1.2%†13
2000–20092.7%†31
1980–199915%†168

Size of homes

1,129 homes (±77)

Sisseton, South Dakota
South Dakota share

Studio0.3%†3
1 bedroom21%236
2 bedrooms24%266

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

1,058 workers (±135)

Sisseton, South Dakota
South Dakota share

Drive alone80%849
Carpool5.2%†55
Public transit1.3%†14
Walk2.0%†21
Bike0.3%†3
Work from home5.7%†60
Other5.3%†56

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Carpool (−8.3 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 B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

998 workers (±135)

Sisseton, South Dakota
South Dakota share

Under 15 min72%717
15–29 min19%†187
30–44 min7.2%†72

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 Roberts County, the county holding most of Sisseton's residents.

Roberts County has 231 employer establishments, 227 for every 10,000 residents (0.91× the US rate of 248; 0.71× South Dakota's), with 1,846 paid employees at an average annual pay of $41,516. The Census Bureau also counts 660 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 231; 660 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 227; US 248 · South Dakota 317
Paid employees: 1,846
Average annual pay: $41,516; US $68,342

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

Restaurants and other eating places	14	13.7	0.75×Fewer than typical	120	$14,083	—
Specialty trade contractors	14	13.7	0.89×About typical	31	$43,774	74
Religious organizations	13	12.8	2.30×More than typical	41	$15,024	—
Truck transportation	13	12.8	2.52×More than typical	56	$55,429	33
Banks and credit unions	8	7.9	2.43×Too few to compare	50	$55,720	—
Construction of buildings	8	7.9	1.04×Too few to compare	20	$33,200	32
Full-service restaurants	8	7.9	1.02×Too few to compare	55	$11,855	—
Gasoline stations	8	7.9	2.42×Too few to compare	118	$33,288	—
Ambulatory health care services	6	5.9	0.28×Too few to compare	12	$56,583	18
Insurance agencies and brokerages	6	5.9	1.34×Too few to compare	14	$33,786	20
General merchandise stores	5	4.9	2.78×Too few to compare	71	$19,141	8
Amusement, gambling and recreation industries	4	3.9	1.48×Too few to compare	107	$40,607	8

Rank places for an industry Open Roberts County

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 10,189 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

No federal contract obligations recorded here in FY2026.

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

See federal money in Roberts 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.

Sisseton, 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.

Roberts County56100% of residents

Other cities and towns in Roberts 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

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