Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US metro and micro areas.

Safety57#400/924
Economy85#136/925
Housing82#167/925
Health91#82/925
Healthcare80#182/923
Environment76#217/917
Education89#99/925
Infrastructure67#302/925
Community99#6/925
Leisure & amenities93#63/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Spearfish, SD micropolitan area ranks highest and lowest among US metro and micro areas (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Unemployment rate · low1.9%
100/100South Dakota 2.1%United States 4.3%2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsPartial year
New homes permitted · high12.8 /1k
98/100South Dakota 6.5 /1kUnited States 4.2 /1kSep 2025–Aug 2026U.S. Census BureauProvisional data
Arts, entertainment and recreation · high14.3 /10k
98/100South Dakota 8.1 /10kUnited States 5.5 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Rent-burdened households · low33.9%
97/100South Dakota 39.8%United States 51.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25070
Gyms and fitness centers · high2.0 /10k
96/100South Dakota 1.2 /10kUnited States 1.3 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Income adjusted for local prices · high$90,695
96/100South Dakota $85,453United States $73,2042024U.S. Bureau of Economic AnalysisEstimated from related areas or data (see the source notes)Aggregated from counties

Weaknesses

Distance to an airport · high249 mi
1/100South Dakota 114 miUnited States 33 mi2025Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties
Distance to an Amtrak station · high255 mi
1/100South Dakota 185 miUnited States 43 mi2026Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties
Comfortable days · low22.0%
2/100South Dakota 22.8%United States 26.8%2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationAggregated from counties
Traffic deaths · high34.6 /100k
3/100South Dakota 15.7 /100kUnited States 12.3 /100k2020-2024National Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationAggregated from counties
Suicide rate · high29.6 /100k
6/100South Dakota 22.3 /100kUnited States 14.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Firearm deaths · high24.8 /100k
10/100South Dakota 15.3 /100kUnited States 12.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties

Trends

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

PopulationRising
25,847 (2020) → 29,459 (2025)
+14%5 yearsUS 331,578,104 → 341,784,857
Drought exposureImproving
98% (2021) → 57% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
−41 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
Income adjusted for local pricesImproving
$59,986 (2019) → $90,695 (2024)
+51%5 yearsUS $55,567 → $73,204
Firearm deathsWorsening
16.5 /100k (2021) → 24.8 /100k (May 2025–Apr 2026)
+50%5 yearsUS 14.7 /100k → 12.1 /100k
Access to exercise opportunitiesImproving
83.5% (2010 & 2021) → 92.2% (2022 & 2024)
+8.7 pts3 yearsUS 79.8% → 84.5%
Mental health providersImproving
187 /100k (2021) → 264 /100k (2025)
+41%4 yearsUS 282 /100k → 348 /100k

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, Spearfish, SD micropolitan area improved on 12 of 29 measures with a comparison and declined on 7. 9 moved within the margin of error and 1 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among metro and micro areas: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2015-2019 with 2020-2024); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved12

Real income+51%$59,986 → $90,695
Property tax−0.4 points1.18% → 0.77%
Household income+39%$52,641 → $73,384
Pharmacies+9.7%1.5 /10k → 1.7 /10k
Gyms+32%1.5 /10k → 2.0 /10k

Declined7

Firearm deaths+81%13.7 /100k → 24.8 /100k
Libraries−9.8%1.5 /10k → 1.4 /10k
Traffic deaths+34%25.8 /100k → 34.6 /100k
Arts & recreation−10%15.9 /10k → 14.3 /10k
Price / income+0.8×3.9× → 4.7×

All 29 measures

Change of every measure of Spearfish, SD micropolitan area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	15.9 /10k2020	14.3 /10k2025	−10%	Declined	14%
Average commute time	17.4 min2015-2019	19.1 min2020-2024	+1.7 min	Within the margin of error	17%
Average weekly wage	$8062020	$9802025	+22%	Improved	34%
Bachelor's degree or higher	35.0%2015-2019	32.9%2020-2024	−2 points	Within the margin of error	2%
Broadband subscriptions	85.1%2015-2019	89.6%2020-2024	+4.5 points	Improved	7%
Child poverty rate	13.0%2015-2019	12.9%2020-2024	−0 points	Within the margin of error	24%
Distance to an airport	249 mi2020	249 mi2025	0 mi	Little change	50%
Drug overdose deaths	8.9 /100k2020	8.0 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	−10%	Improved	36%
Effective property tax rate	1.18%2015-2019	0.77%2020-2024	−0.4 points	Improved	97%
Firearm deaths	13.7 /100k2020	24.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+81%	Declined	4%
Grocery stores	1.5 /10k2020	1.4 /10k2025	−12%	Declined	20%
Gyms and fitness centers	1.5 /10k2020	2.0 /10k2025	+32%	Improved	81%
High school diploma or higher	93.5%2015-2019	95.4%2020-2024	+1.9 points	Within the margin of error	57%
Home price to income ratio	3.9×2015-2019	4.7×2020-2024	+0.8×	Declined	22%
Income adjusted for local prices	$59,9862019	$90,6952024	+51%	Improved	98%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4562015-2019	0.4562020-2024	+0.000	Within the margin of error	54%
Median household income	$52,6412015-2019	$73,3842020-2024	+39%	Improved	94%
New business applications	11.9 /1k2020	15.2 /1k2025	+28%	Improved	24%
Pharmacies	1.5 /10k2020	1.7 /10k2025	+9.7%	Improved	88%
Poverty rate	12.7%2015-2019	11.6%2020-2024	−1.1 points	Within the margin of error	54%
Property crime rate	1,519 /100k2020	1,210 /100k2025	−20%	Improved	24%
Public libraries	1.5 /10k2019	1.4 /10k2024	−9.8%	Declined	12%
Rent as share of income	27.0%2015-2019	25.9%2020-2024	−1.1 points	Within the margin of error	78%
Rent-burdened households	40.4%2015-2019	33.9%2020-2024	−6.5 points	Within the margin of error	93%
Restaurants and bars	17.0 /10k2020	15.6 /10k2025	−8.3%	Declined	16%
Traffic deaths	25.8 /100k2015-2019	34.6 /100k2020-2024	+34%	Declined	15%
Unemployment rate	5.4%2020	1.9%2025	−3.5 points	Improved	66%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	11.8%2015-2019	11.7%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Within the margin of error	46%
Violent crime rate	192 /100k2020	181 /100k2025	−5.7%	Improved	34%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 708 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master files; Public Libraries Survey; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. 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 925 metro and micro areas 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.

Metro and micro areas like Spearfish, SD micropolitan area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Spearfish, SD micropolitan area 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, Spearfish, SD micropolitan area itself moved −1.1 points in standing on average over the same 29 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

27,233 residents

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

12,054 households (±374)

Spearfish, SD micropolitan area
United States share

Under $25k15%1,820
$25k–50k22%2,623
$50k–75k15%1,763

Homes

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

Owners and renters

12,054 households (±374)

Spearfish, SD micropolitan area
United States share

Own65%7,846
Rent35%4,208

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

Table view

Getting to work

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

How people get to work

14,432 workers (±505)

Spearfish, SD micropolitan area
United States share

Drive alone76%11,016
Carpool11%1,563
Public transit0.9%†130

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 no occupation wages for Spearfish, SD micropolitan area.

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.

Spearfish, SD has 1,248 employer establishments, 445 for every 10,000 residents (1.79× the US rate of 248), with 11,109 paid employees at an average annual pay of $44,448. The Census Bureau also counts 3,299 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 1,248; 3,299 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 445; US 248
Paid employees: 11,109
Average annual pay: $44,448; US $68,342

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

Specialty trade contractors	101	36	2.33×More than typical	484	$56,194	181
Lessors of real estate	82	29.2	2.37×More than typical	190	$34,516	563
Construction of buildings	81	28.9	3.82×More than typical	213	$46,624	107
Restaurants and other eating places	73	26	1.42×More than typical	1,124	$22,053	8
Traveler accommodation	57	20.3	11.3×More than typical	1,806	$33,445	24
Ambulatory health care services	56	20	0.96×About typical	592	$77,458	112
Automotive repair and maintenance	40	14.3	2.83×More than typical	136	$42,926	42
Foundation, structure and building exterior contractors	37	13.2	4.19×More than typical	129	$58,023	31
Real estate agents and brokers	36	12.8	2.64×More than typical	57	$48,368	87
Full-service restaurants	35	12.5	1.63×More than typical	585	$26,094	—
Truck transportation	35	12.5	2.47×More than typical	83	$59,554	58
Services to buildings and dwellings	34	12.1	1.80×More than typical	79	$28,671	219

Rank places for an industry

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 28,037 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.
A metro area's figures are the exact sums of its counties.
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 contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $5.1M on contracts performed in Spearfish, SD micropolitan area: $172 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $5.1M; −52% vs FY2025
Per resident: $172; US $1,994
Sole-source: 2.4%; US 30%
Single offer: 1.5%; 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

Forest Service$2.6M52%
Department of the Army$1.9M37%
Bureau of Indian Affairs and Bureau of Indian Education$155K3.1%
Department of the Navy$121.7K2.4%
Department of Energy$74.2K1.5%
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service$66.6K1.3%
Bureau of Land Management$56.1K1.1%
Departmental Offices$48K1.0%

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

5.4MFY2017
4.4MFY2018
4.3MFY2019
5.6MFY2020
8.9MFY2021
5.2MFY2022
10.5MFY2023
5.2M

Top industries (NAICS)

Remediation and other waste management services · 5629$1.9M37%
Support activities for forestry · 1153$1.3M25%
Employment services · 5613$369.5K7.3%
Other food manufacturing · 3119$308K6.1%
Other professional, scientific, and technical services · 5419$273.6K5.4%
Building equipment contractors · 2382

Largest awards

INTERIM REMEDIAL ACTION SITE-WIDE OPERATION & MAINTENANCE OPTIMIZATION, LAWRENCE COUNTY, SOUTH DAKOTA$7.5M
HYDROGEOLOGIC, INC.· Lawrence County, SD· Facilities & utilities· Sep 5, 2023 – Oct 31, 2025· W9128F23F0201
TIMBER STAND IMPROVEMENT AND FUELS REDUCTION, NORTHERN HILLS RANGER DISTRICT & BEARLODGE RANGER DISTRICT, BLACK HILLS NATIONAL FOREST$1.2M
IMPERIAL FORESTRY, INCORPORATED· Lawrence County, SD· Facilities & utilities· Jul 22, 2026 – Jul 22, 2026· 1284LL26F0076
SPECIAL EDUCATION CONSULTANT$437.8K
JANE R AZURE· Lawrence County, SD· Education & social services· May 24, 2024 – Sep 23, 2026· 140A2324P0353
MEDICAL SERVICES; BOXELDER JOB CROPS, NEMO, SD; NEW AWARD

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.

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $249.1M in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Spearfish, SD micropolitan area: $8,456 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $249.1M; +4.9% vs FY2025
Per resident: $8,456; US $12,955
Loan face value: $9.7M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 0.9%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$164.3M66%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$23.3M9.3%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$11.7M4.7%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$9.6M3.9%
20.272 · Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP)$4.7M1.9%
20.116 · Airport Improvement Program$4.4M1.8%
84.063 · Federal Pell Grant Program$3.9M1.6%
20.279 · National Highway Performance Program (NHPP)$3.7M1.5%

Top recipients (organizations)

STATE OF SOUTH DAKOTA$11.8M4.7%
PIERRE, SD
BLACK HILLS STATE UNIVERSITY$8.7M3.5%
SPEARFISH, SD
CITY OF SPEARFISH$4.8M1.9%
SPEARFISH, SD
LAWRENCE, COUNTY OF$2.2M0.9%
DEADWOOD, SD
HOUSING AND REDEVELOPMENT COMISSION IN MEADE COUNTY$1.9M

Organizations only: awards to individuals and county aggregate records count in the totals but are never listed. Grants to state governments recorded at the agency's own address are counted statewide, not in the capital's county.

Top agencies

Social Security Administration$187.9M75%
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$25.4M10%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Federal Highway Administration$11.8M4.7%
Department of Transportation
Department of Education$4.9M2.0%
Federal Aviation Administration$4.8M

Assistance by fiscal year

191.8MFY2021
213.7MFY2022
213.1MFY2023
223MFY2024
237.5MFY2025
249.1MFY2026

County aggregates

86%

Share of obligations reported only as county totals of many small awards (for example Social Security or Medicare payments), with no recipient named.

Source: Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Counties in Spearfish, SD

Whole counties, as the U.S. Office of Management and Budget delineates the area. Federal spending below is the exact sum of these counties.

Lawrence CountyCentral county9029,459

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

SpearfishPrincipal city12,930

Largest cities and towns

By population, for places with most of their residents in the area.

Other metro and micro areas in South Dakota

Areas based in South Dakota, best score first.

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Places that share a border, best score first.

Rapid City, SD74

Similar metro and micro areas

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.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-09-29
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
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
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/M43940

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved12

Declined7

Metro and micro areas like Spearfish, SD micropolitan area five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Getting to work

How people get to work

Jobs and pay

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Counties in Spearfish, SD

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in South Dakota

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved12

Declined7

Age and sex

Household income

Owners and renters

How people get to work

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Time to get to work

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

By type

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

What was bought