Chamberlain is a city in Brule County, South Dakota, United States. It is located on the east bank of the Missouri River, at the dammed section of the Lake Francis Case, close to where it is crossed by Interstate 90. The population of Chamberlain was 2,473 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Brule County. Chamberlain is home to the South Dakota Hall of Fame, and the 50-foot tall Dignity statue is nearby.

Official town website ↗

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

How Chamberlain ranks

All →

#1Most conserved land in SD #3Lowest depression in SD #9Cheapest rent in SD All SD rankings →

Town numbers

ZIP code57325, 57326

Area code605

Living in Chamberlain

Safety in Chamberlain

—

Not graded

A grade needs all of the FBI's latest years (2023–2025). Chamberlain's police department reported only 2023 and 2024, so we don't grade it yet. The figures below are still real.

Violent crime per 1,000

Chamberlain 4.4

South Dakota 3.6

U.S. 3.6

Property crime per 1,000

Chamberlain 15.6

South Dakota 17.1

U.S. 17.7

FBI crime data, 2024 · crimes reported to policeCrime & safety →

Work & commute in Chamberlain

Full picture →

About one in 3 of Chamberlain’s working residents works in town. The top destinations are Sioux Falls (9%), Oacoma (5%) and Mitchell (3%). Half commute less than 20 miles.

Sioux Falls

Oacoma

Mitchell

Presho

38%Work in townlive and work in Chamberlain 20 miWhere do people commute?the commute map 1,202Jobs based herebalanced

Census LEHD 2023 · ACSWork & commute in Chamberlain →

Health in Chamberlain

C⁺

Health Grade C+

Healthier than 44% of U.S. towns on seven CDC estimates.

Compared with South Dakota

1better than SD·5worse

of 26 measures CDC estimates. The other 20 are too close to call.

Conditions 4▼ 8 close Habits all close Care 1▲ 1▼ 5 close Mind all close

BetterToo close to callWorse

What stands out

79.1%More adults treating high blood pressureSD 75.9% · better 4.3%More adults who have had a strokeSD 3.5% · worse

Care nearby

Sanford Chamberlain Medical CenterChamberlain · 0.9 mi · ER · rural critical access

Access Health - ChamberlainChamberlain · 0.6 mi · sliding-scale fees

Primary careShortage · county-wide

DentalShortage · county-wide

Mental healthShortage · county-wide

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CDC's estimate for Chamberlain · CMS · HRSAHealth in Chamberlain →

Natural hazards in Chamberlain

Moderate

Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 54% of U.S. communities.

🥶 Cold waves🌊 Inland flooding

1Does Chamberlain flood?paid flood claims since 1997 5Disasters that paid out herefederal disasters sent FEMA money to Chamberlain MapChamberlain vs. its neighborsnearby towns shaded by rating

FEMA National Risk Index December 2025 · OpenFEMANatural hazards in Chamberlain →

Climate in Chamberlain

Full climate →

Chamberlain has cold, snowy winters and warm summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 10°, and about 43 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

33° / 12°Winter

59° / 35°Spring

85° / 60°Summer

62° / 37°Fall

How much snow does Chamberlain get?About 43 inches a winter.Rain & snow →When is the first frost?Around Oct 7, with the last in spring around May 3.Frost dates →Is it warmer than it used to be?+1.3° vs. the 20th century.Then & now →

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Climate in Chamberlain →

Schools in Chamberlain

All Chamberlain schools →

School Grade C

The public schools Chamberlain’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, trail 70% of South Dakota’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the bottom.

See how Chamberlain’s schools compare in SD →

DistrictChamberlain School District 07-1Schools3

Chamberlain Elementary - 03 C+Elementary · Grades K–5 · 407 students Chamberlain Jr. High - 02 C+Middle · Grades 6–8 · 208 students Chamberlain High School - 01 AHigh · Grades 9–12 · 243 students

School data from the U.S. Department of Education (NCES, EDFacts). The School Grade is our own summary of state test results and graduation rates, graded within SD. Ratings are from neighbors.