Sweet’s story
Sweet in pictures
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Explore the history →SweetSD
A town of 92. Public schools that outperform most of South Dakota.
Population
92
residents
Household income
$113K
median
Median age
41.3
years
Jobs based here
43
A commuter town
What makes Sweet stand out
The thing Sweet does most differently from other towns.
Small town
92 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
CapitalMolanKasselSweet
Sweet’s report card
Now in Sweet
Be the first to start the conversation.
Residents weigh in
Live in Sweet? Is a C− for its schools right?
Your answer becomes a post in Sweet’s Town Square.
Start a conversation
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Sweet. Another town gets a different order.
Schools
Sweet’s public schools outperform 18% of South Dakota districts
The public schools Sweet’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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maxwell Colony Elementary - 04 | K–8 | 39 | D |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within SD on state testsAll 1 schools →
Work & commute
Most working residents commute out of Sweet
Most working residents leave Sweet for work: only 1% work in town. The top destinations are Parkston (11%), Freeman (10%) and Sioux Falls (9%). Half commute less than 24 miles.
1%work in town
Where working residents work
In Sweet1%
Parkston11%
Freeman10%
Sioux Falls9%
Tripp6%
24 mi
median commute distance
43
jobs based in Sweet
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →
Climate
Four seasons, pleasant summers
Sweet has cold, snowy winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 9°, and about 39 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
39″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter12–32°
Spring35–59°
Summer60–84°
Fall37–62°
Oct 4
typical first frost
May 1
typical last frost
+1.2°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
Health
How healthy Sweet is
Sweet beats the South Dakota average on 2 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 5.
26 measures vs. South Dakota
2 better19 too close to call5 worse
| What stands out | Sweet | SD |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 81.4% | 75.9% |
| More adults getting cholesterol checked | 88.2% | 84.8% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 12.6% | 9.2% |
Landmann Jungman Memorial Hospital Corporation
8 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Outdoors
0.3% of Sweet is conserved land
3.6 miles of trails across 0 parks and preserves.
0.3%conserved
0.3%
conserved · 78 of 22,757 acres
3.6 mi
of trails · 0.1 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →
Natural hazards
Moderate risk, with drought at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 50% of U.S. communities.
50risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
DroughtInland floodingTornadoes
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
A commuter town
99% of working residents leave Sweet for work
Where Sweet’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
43jobs based in Sweet
1%of working residents work in town
24 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023