City · Day County, South Dakota

Webster, South Dakota

Webster is a city in Day County, South Dakota. It has 1,896 residents. Webster, South Dakota has a quality-of-life score of 75 out of 100 (high), ranking #3,964 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within South Dakota it ranks #40 of 75 cities and towns. It ranks best on suicide rate (low), firearm deaths (low) and restaurants and bars (high). It ranks worst on mental health providers (low), flu vaccinations (low) and public EV charging ports (low).

75High

Quality-of-life score: #3,964 of 15,651 cities and towns
South Dakota: #40 of 75 in SD
Population: 1,896 (2020-2024)
Land area: 2 mi²
Density: 1,168.8 /mi²
FIPS code: 4669780

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 68 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.

Safety92#1,282/15,637
Economy38#9,753/15,631
Housing96#558/14,977
Health76#3,794/15,609
Healthcare19#12,684/15,650
Environment99#224/15,453
Education84#2,515/15,649
Infrastructure28#11,257/15,650
Community52#7,469/15,651
Leisure & amenities57#6,740/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

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

Suicide rate · low0.0 /100k
100/100South Dakota 22.3 /100kUnited States 14.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataDay County value
Firearm deaths · low0.0 /100k
99/100South Dakota 15.3 /100kUnited States 12.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataDay County value
Restaurants and bars · high18.2 /10k
98/100South Dakota 10.6 /10kUnited States 9.0 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsDay County value
Rent-burdened households · low33.6%
98/100South Dakota 39.8%United States 51.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25070
Public libraries · high3.7 /10k
97/100South Dakota 1.4 /10kUnited States 0.5 /10k2024Institute of Museum and Library ServicesDay County value
Average commute time · low19.4 min
96/100South Dakota 17.8 minUnited States 26.4 min2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08013

Weaknesses

Mental health providers · low19 /100k
1/100South Dakota 260 /100kUnited States 348 /100k2025University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteDay County value
Flu vaccinations · low21.0%
1/100South Dakota 45.0%United States 44.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteDay County value
Public EV charging ports · low0.0 /10k
3/100South Dakota 3.6 /10kUnited States 7.6 /10kOct 2026U.S. Department of EnergyDay County value
Mental health care shortage · high19.0
4/100South Dakota 18.0United States 9.9Oct 2026Health Resources and Services AdministrationDay County value
Dentists · low18 /100k
4/100South Dakota 65 /100kUnited States 75 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteDay County value
Job growth · low-4.0%
4/100South Dakota 0.2%United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional dataDay County value

Trends

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

PopulationRising
1,673 (2015-2019) → 1,896 (2020-2024)
+13%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Median household incomeImproving
$33,750 (2015-2019) → $55,179 (2020-2024)
+63%5 yearsCensus table B19013US $65,712 → $81,604
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
72.3% (2015-2019) → 83.8% (2020-2024)
+12 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Average commute timeWorsening
12.5 min (2015-2019) → 19.3 min (2020-2024)
+55%5 yearsCensus table B08013US 26.9 min → 26.4 min
High school diploma or higherImproving
85.6% (2015-2019) → 96.0% (2020-2024)
+10 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 88.0% → 89.6%
New homes permittedImproving
1.1 /1k (2021) → 1.6 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
+40%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k

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, Webster, South Dakota improved on 3 of 12 measures with a comparison and declined on 0. 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.

Improved3

Property tax−0.5 points1.31% → 0.79%
Household income+63%$33,750 → $55,179
Broadband+12 points72.3% → 83.8%

Declined0

No measure declined by more than its margin of error.

All 12 measures

Change of every measure of Webster, South Dakota between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	12.5 min2015-2019	19.3 min2020-2024	+6.8 min	Within the margin of error	5%
Bachelor's degree or higher	19.0%2015-2019	20.7%2020-2024	+1.8 points	Within the margin of error	41%
Broadband subscriptions	72.3%2015-2019	83.8%2020-2024	+12 points	Improved	67%
Effective property tax rate	1.31%2015-2019	0.79%2020-2024	−0.5 points	Improved	92%
High school diploma or higher	85.6%2015-2019	96.0%2020-2024	+10 points	Within the margin of error	96%
Home price to income ratio	2.7×2015-2019	2.8×2020-2024	+0.1×	Within the margin of error	72%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4242015-2019	0.4732020-2024	+0.049	Within the margin of error	17%
Median household income	$33,7502015-2019	$55,1792020-2024	+63%	Improved	92%
Poverty rate	18.8%2015-2019	15.1%2020-2024	−3.7 points	Within the margin of error	73%
Rent as share of income	24.5%2015-2019	24.6%2020-2024	+0.1 points	Within the margin of error	54%
Rent-burdened households	39.5%2015-2019	33.6%2020-2024	−5.9 points	Within the margin of error	74%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	11.0%2015-2019	9.7%2020-2024	−1.3 points	Within the margin of error	62%

“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 Webster, South Dakota five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Webster, 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, Webster, South Dakota itself moved +5.6 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

1,896 residents (±233)

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: 60–69 women (+4.0 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 B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

1,896 residents (±233)

Webster, South Dakota
South Dakota share

White87%1,655
Black0.0%0
Hispanic or Latino4.7%†89

Education

1,292 residents (±132)

Webster, South Dakota
South Dakota share

No high school diploma4.0%†52
High school or GED36%461
Some college24%†307

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

891 households (±85)

Webster, South Dakota
South Dakota share

Under $25k18%†156
$25k–50k27%†237
$50k–75k15%†130
$75k–100k9.1%†81
$100k–150k18%†156
$150k–200k7.6%†68
$200k or more7.1%†63

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Under $25k (−14.2 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

891 households (±85)

Webster, South Dakota
South Dakota share

Own67%595
Rent33%296

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

280 households (±58)

Webster, South Dakota
South Dakota share

Under $75075%†209
$750–1,00013%†35
$1,000–1,50011%†

Home values

595 homes (±81)

Webster, South Dakota
South Dakota share

Under $150k48%†286
$150k–250k34%†202
$250k–400k13%†79

Age of homes

987 homes (±77)

Webster, South Dakota
South Dakota share

2010 or later6.5%†64
2000–20096.3%†62
1980–199913%†128

Size of homes

987 homes (±77)

Webster, South Dakota
South Dakota share

Studio0.0%0
1 bedroom16%†160
2 bedrooms29%288

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

916 workers (±136)

Webster, South Dakota
South Dakota share

Drive alone81%742
Carpool9.7%†89
Public transit0.7%†6
Walk2.0%†18
Bike0.0%0
Work from home6.7%†61
Other0.0%0

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 B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

855 workers (±135)

Webster, South Dakota
South Dakota share

Under 15 min67%569
15–29 min12%†99
30–44 min5.0%†43

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 Day County, the county holding most of Webster's residents.

Day County has 226 employer establishments, 416 for every 10,000 residents (1.68× the US rate of 248; 1.31× South Dakota's), with 1,372 paid employees at an average annual pay of $43,939. The Census Bureau also counts 524 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 226; 524 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 416; US 248 · South Dakota 317
Paid employees: 1,372
Average annual pay: $43,939; US $68,342

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

Specialty trade contractors	18	33.2	2.14×More than typical	38	$81,632	38
Construction of buildings	12	22.1	2.92×More than typical	54	$42,630	28
Restaurants and other eating places	11	20.3	1.10×About typical	99	$17,131	—
Ambulatory health care services	9	16.6	0.80×Too few to compare	20	$28,400	9
Religious organizations	9	16.6	2.99×Too few to compare	17	$19,118	—
Banks and credit unions	7	12.9	3.99×Too few to compare	36	$56,389	—
Building equipment contractors	6	11.1	1.84×Too few to compare	26	$102,885	6
Full-service restaurants	6	11.1	1.44×Too few to compare	57	$17,246	—
Gasoline stations	6	11.1	3.41×Too few to compare	52	$25,500	—
Management, scientific and technical consulting	6	11.1	1.65×Too few to compare	1	$123,000	10
Offices of other health practitioners	6	11.1	1.82×Too few to compare	14	$18,714	5
Traveler accommodation	6	11.1	6.12×Too few to compare	33	$19,303	7

Rank places for an industry Open Day County

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 5,429 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: Webster is mostly in Day County.

See federal money in Day 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.

Webster, 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.

Day County78100% of residents

Other cities and towns in Day 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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