Methodist Episcopal Church · National Register of Historic Places
Scotland’s story
147 years in pictures
7 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1879Scotland is settled
ScotlandSD
A town of 851, settled in 1879. Public schools that outperform most of South Dakota.
Population
851
−6.7% since 2010
Median home value
$111K
Census ACS
Household income
$63K
median
Median age
40.3
years
Jobs based here
300
Balanced
What makes Scotland stand out
The 2 things Scotland does most differently from other towns.
Small town
851 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Scotland’s report card
Now in Scotland
Be the first to start the conversation.
Residents weigh in
Live in Scotland? Is a C− for its schools right?
Your answer becomes a post in Scotland’s Town Square.
Start a conversation
Weather
Forecast →57°
Clear
H 64° · L 45°
Local news
All →- Wagner Girls Varsity Volleyball @ Scotlandmaxpreps.com · Sep 25
- Chamberlain Girls Varsity Basketball @ Scotlandmaxpreps.com · Sep 23
- Tripp-Delmont/Armour Girls Varsity Basketball @ Scotlandmaxpreps.com · Sep 23
Upcoming events
Nothing on the calendar.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Scotland. Another town gets a different order.
Schools
Scotland’s public schools outperform 18% of South Dakota districts
The public schools Scotland’s kids attend trail 82% of South Dakota’s districts on state tests. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the bottom.
C−School Grade
| School | Grades | Students | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scotland Elementary - 02 | PK–4 | 114 | C− |
| Scotland Middle School - 05 | 5–8 | 84 | C+ |
| Scotland High School - 01 | 9–12 | 64 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within SD on state testsAll 3 schools →
Climate
Four seasons, pleasant summers
Scotland has cold, snowy winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 10°, and about 39 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
39″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter12–32°
Spring36–59°
Summer61–84°
Fall38–62°
Oct 4
typical first frost
May 1
typical last frost
+1.1°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
Work & commute
About one in eight working residents works right in Scotland
Most working residents leave Scotland for work: only 12% work in town. The top destinations are Yankton (18%), Tyndall (16%) and Sioux Falls (10%). Half commute less than 23 miles.
12%work in town
Where working residents work
In Scotland12%
Yankton18%
Tyndall16%
Sioux Falls10%
Mitchell4%
23 mi
median commute distance
300
jobs based in Scotland
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →
Safety
Crime reported in Scotland
1 crime was reported in Scotland in 2024: 0 property and 1 violent. In a town this small, a few incidents move the numbers a lot, so rates aren't shown.
Scotland is small, so we show counts rather than rates.
1
violent crimes reported in 2024
0
property crimes reported in 2024
FBI crime data, 2024 · crimes reported to policeFull safety report →
Health
How healthy Scotland is
Scotland beats the South Dakota average on 2 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 7.
26 measures vs. South Dakota
2 better17 too close to call7 worse
| What stands out | Scotland | SD |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 81.7% | 75.9% |
| More adults getting cholesterol checked | 88.2% | 84.8% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 12.9% | 9.2% |
Landmann Jungman Memorial Hospital Corporation
0.4 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Natural hazards
Moderate risk, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 46% of U.S. communities.
46risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingDroughtCold waves
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
Outdoors
0% of Scotland is conserved land
0.1 miles of trails across 1 parks and preserves.
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 571 acres
0.1 mi
of trails · 0.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Scotland City Park | — | 32 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →
Landmarks
7 places in Scotland on the National Register of Historic Places.
About Scotland
City in South Dakota, United States
Scotland is a city in Bon Homme County, South Dakota, United States. Its population was 785 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1879
- Population
- 785
- Area
- 0.9 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,355 ft
- ZIP code
- 57059
- Area code
- 605