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Custer, SD

CusterSD

A town of 2,341, settled in 1875. A typical home worth about $474K.

Photo: Jared Winkler · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
2,341
−7.2% since 2010
Typical home
$474K
+1.1% in a year
Household income
$78K
median
Median age
51.2
years
Jobs based here
1,074
Balanced

What makes Custer stand out

The 3 things Custer does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data

Custer’s report card

See the data ↓

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The data

Ordered by what stands out in Custer. Another town gets a different order.

Housing

A typical Custer home is worth about $474K

The typical Custer home is worth about $474,000, up 1.1% in a year, 47% above the South Dakota typical home.

$474KZillow home value

Typical home value

Custer$474K
South Dakota$322K
+1.1%
value change, 1 year
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →
Health

Healthier than 71% of U.S. towns

Custer beats the South Dakota average on 7 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 6.

B+Health Grade
26 measures vs. South Dakota
7 better13 too close to call6 worse
What stands outCusterSD
Fewer uninsured adults6.8%8.8%
Fewer binge drinkers15.1%18.8%
More adults who have had cancer13.3%9.2%
Monument Health Custer Hospital
3.7 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: dental, mental health
53rd
percentile among SD towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Natural hazards

High risk, with wildfire at the top

Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 72% of U.S. communities.

72risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
72High riskLowerHigher
WildfireInland floodingTornadoes
7
paid flood claims since 1999
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
Climate

Snowy winters, pleasant summers

Custer has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to 13°, and about 58 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

58″snow a winter

Typical low → high °F

Winter13–36°
Spring29–52°
Summer50–77°
Fall31–56°
Sep 28
typical first frost
May 18
typical last frost
+1.3°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
Work & commute

About one in three working residents works right in Custer

About one in 3 of Custer’s working residents works in town. The top destinations are Rapid City (21%), Hot Springs (5%) and Sioux Falls (3%). Half commute less than 22 miles.

34%work in town

Where working residents work

In Custer34%
Rapid City21%
Hot Springs5%
Sioux Falls3%
Hermosa2%
22 mi
median commute distance
1,074
jobs based in Custer
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →
Schools

Custer’s public schools outperform 55% of South Dakota districts

The public schools Custer’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, outperform 55% of South Dakota’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they sit near the middle.

BSchool Grade
SchoolGradesStudentsGrade
Custer Elementary - 02PK–6269C+
Custer Jr. High - 057–8101B
Custer High School - 019–12272B
A.C.E. High Academy - 069–1216Not graded
NCES · EDFacts · graded within SD on state tests and graduationAll 4 schools →
Outdoors

3% of Custer is conserved land

4.6 miles of trails across 4 parks and preserves.

3%conserved
Map of Custer: conserved land, trails and the top places to walk
Green: conserved land · dashed: trails · numbers: the places below
3%
conserved · 50 of 1,648 acres
4.6 mi
of trails · 1.8 per sq mi
Biggest places to walkTrailsAcres
1. Big Rock Park1 mi62
2. Gates Park—18
3. Harbach Centennial Park0.1 mi2
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →
CusterCity1876front
1876 · CusterCity1876front · Wikimedia Commons
Custer’s story

151 years in pictures

6 postcards, papers and photographs from public archives, and 7 places on the National Register.

Grabill - Custer CityCuster City. Custer City, Dak. from the east
Explore the history →

Landmarks

7 places in Custer on the National Register of Historic Places.

All landmarks →

About Custer

City in South Dakota, United States

Official town website ↗

Custer is a city in Custer County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 1,919 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Custer County.

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

Established
1875
Population
1,919
Area
2.5 sq mi
Elevation
5,315 ft
ZIP code
57730
Area code
605

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Photo of Custer

Custer, SD · Photo: Jared Winkler · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source ↗