Madison is a city in and the county seat of Lake County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 6,191 at the 2020 census. It is home to Dakota State University.

Official town website ↗

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

How Madison ranks

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#2Shortest commute in SD #3Lowest depression in SD #4Highest graduation rate in SD All SD rankings →

Town numbers

ZIP code57042

Area code605

Living in Madison

Housing in Madison

$270K▲ 1.2% in a year Typical home value · Zillow

The typical Madison home is worth about $270,000, up 1.2% in a year, 16% below the South Dakota typical home.

Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →

Safety in Madison

B⁺

Safety Grade B+

Madison reports less crime per resident than 65% of the U.S. towns and cities we grade.

Violent crime per 1,000

Madison 1

South Dakota 3.3

U.S. 3.3

Property crime per 1,000

Madison 8.9

South Dakota 14.3

U.S. 15.5

FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeCrime & safety →

Work & commute in Madison

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48% of Madison’s working residents work right in town. The top destinations are Sioux Falls (13%), Brookings (7%) and Lake View (5%). Half commute less than 2 miles.

Sioux Falls

13%

Brookings

Lake View

Watertown

48%Work in townlive and work in Madison 2 miWhere do people commute?the commute map 3,740Jobs based herebalanced

Census LEHD 2023 · ACSWork & commute in Madison →

Health in Madison

A⁻

Health Grade A−

Healthier than 78% of U.S. towns on seven CDC estimates, and 95% of towns with similar incomes.

Compared with South Dakota

≈Just like South Dakota

No difference on any of 26 measures is outside the margin of error.

Conditions all close Habits all close Care all close Mind all close

BetterToo close to callWorse

What stands out

Nothing stands out: Madison tracks South Dakota closely.

Care nearby

Madison Regional Health SystemMadison · 1 mi · ER · rural critical access

Horizon Health - Howard MedicalHoward · 20.8 mi · sliding-scale fees

Primary careNo shortage

DentalNo shortage

Mental healthShortage · county-wide

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

Natural hazards in Madison

Moderate

Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 41% of U.S. communities.

🌊 Inland flooding🌪️ Tornadoes🥶 Cold waves

146Does Madison flood?paid flood claims since 1982 5Disasters that paid out herefederal disasters sent FEMA money to Madison MapMadison vs. its neighborsnearby towns shaded by rating

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

Climate in Madison

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Madison has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 6°, and about 37 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

27° / 9°Winter

55° / 33°Spring

80° / 58°Summer

58° / 36°Fall

How much snow does Madison get?About 37 inches a winter.Rain & snow →When is the first frost?Around Sep 30, with the last in spring around May 5.Frost dates →Is it warmer than it used to be?+0.6° vs. the 20th century.Then & now →

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

Schools in Madison

All Madison schools →

School Grade B

The public schools Madison’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.

#16Best public schoolsof 34 in SD

DistrictMadison Central School District 39-2Schools4

Madison Elementary - 07 BElementary · Grades K–5 · 515 students St. Thomas SchoolElementary · Grades PK–5 · 74 students Madison Middle School - 02 C+Middle · Grades 6–8 · 270 students Madison High School - 01 BHigh · Grades 9–12 · 384 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.