Shafer Round Barn · National Register of Historic Places
Split Rock’s story
Split Rock in pictures
1 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Explore the history →Split RockSD
A town of 3,143. Public schools that outperform most of South Dakota.
Population
3,143
−1.5% since 2010
Median home value
$500K
Census ACS
Household income
$148K
median
Median age
49.3
years
Jobs based here
449
A commuter town
What makes Split Rock stand out
The 3 things Split Rock does most differently from other towns.
ASchool Grade
Schools
#4 for schools in SD
of 34 towns
School Grade A.
100 U.S. towns● Split Rock
Health
Healthier than 84%
of U.S. towns on CDC estimates
Better than SD on 12 measures, worse on 0.
Outdoors
#13 most conserved land in SD
5.6 miles of trails across 4 parks and preserves
3.8% of the town is conserved land.
A commuter town
99% of working residents leave Split Rock for work
Where Split Rock’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
449jobs based in Split Rock
1%of working residents work in town
6 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Split Rock’s report card
Now in Split Rock
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Residents weigh in
Split Rock is #27 of 27 in SD for “Most trails”. Fair?
Your answer becomes a post in Split Rock’s Town Square.
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The data
Ordered by what stands out in Split Rock. Another town gets a different order.
Schools
Split Rock’s public schools outperform 91% of South Dakota districts
The public schools Split Rock’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, outperform 91% of South Dakota’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the top.
ASchool Grade
| School | Grades | Students | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sioux Falls Adventist School Private | 1–7 | 7 | |
| Brandon Valley Intermediate - 07 | 5–6 | 829 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within SD on state tests and graduationAll 2 schools →
Work & commute
Most working residents commute out of Split Rock
Most working residents leave Split Rock for work: only 1% work in town. The top destinations are Sioux Falls (72%), Brandon (7%) and Delapre (1%). Half commute less than 6 miles.
1%work in town
Where working residents work
In Split Rock1%
Sioux Falls72%
Brandon7%
Delapre1%
Harrisburg1%
6 mi
median commute distance
449
jobs based in Split Rock
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →
Health
Healthier than 84% of U.S. towns
Split Rock beats the South Dakota average on 12 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 0.
A−Health Grade
26 measures vs. South Dakota
12 better14 too close to call0 worse
| What stands out | Split Rock | SD |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 7.1% | 12.7% |
| Fewer adults who have had a stroke | 2.6% | 3.5% |
Avera Mckennan Hospital & University Health Center
6.6 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: dental, mental health
88th
percentile among SD towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Outdoors
3.8% of Split Rock is conserved land
5.6 miles of trails across 4 parks and preserves.
3.8%conserved
3.8%
conserved · 689 of 18,258 acres
5.6 mi
of trails · 0.2 per sq mi
#13
most conserved land in SD
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Big Sioux Recreation Area | 3 mi | 427 |
| 2. Beaver Creek Nature Area | 1.4 mi | 150 |
| 3. Great Bear Recreation Park | — | 4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →
Natural hazards
Low risk, with tornadoes at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 24% of U.S. communities.
24risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
TornadoesCold wavesInland flooding
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
Climate
Snowy winters, pleasant summers
Split Rock has cold, snowy winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 7°, and about 49 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
49″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter10–29°
Spring35–57°
Summer59–82°
Fall37–60°
Oct 6
typical first frost
May 1
typical last frost
+1.3°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
Split Rock’s neighbors
6 towns share a border with Split Rock.
Sioux FallsBrandonAndersonBrandonPine Lakes AdditionValley SpringsSplit Rock