Wagner is a city in Charles Mix County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 1,490 at the 2020 census. The city is served by Wagner Municipal Airport as well as YST Transit buses.

Official town website ↗

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

Town numbers

ZIP code57380

Area code605

Living in Wagner

Safety in Wagner

Safety Grade D

Wagner reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 95% report less.

Violent crime per 1,000

Wagner 9.9

South Dakota 3.3

U.S. 3.3

Property crime per 1,000

Wagner 23.3

South Dakota 14.3

U.S. 15.5

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

Work & commute in Wagner

Full picture →

43% of Wagner’s working residents work right in town. The top destinations are Dante (11%), Sioux Falls (7%) and Bryan (4%). Half commute less than 6 miles.

Dante

11%

Sioux Falls

Bryan

Lake Andes

43%Work in townlive and work in Wagner 6 miWhere do people commute?the commute map 1,047Jobs based herea job hub

Census LEHD 2023 · ACSWork & commute in Wagner →

Health in Wagner

Health Grade D

Healthier than 10% of U.S. towns on seven CDC estimates, and 30% of towns with similar incomes.

Compared with South Dakota

1better than SD·15worse

of 26 measures CDC estimates. The other 10 are too close to call.

Conditions 8▼ 4 close Habits 2▼ 2 close Care 1▲ 3▼ 3 close Mind 2▼ 1 close

BetterToo close to callWorse

What stands out

79%More adults treating high blood pressureSD 75.9% · better 5.6%More adults who have had a strokeSD 3.5% · worse

Care nearby

Wagner Community Memorial Hospital - CahWagner · 0.5 mi · ER · rural critical access

Access Health - MitchellMitchell · 44.5 mi · sliding-scale fees

Primary careShortage · county-wide

DentalShortage · county-wide

Mental healthShortage · county-wide

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

Natural hazards in Wagner

Moderate

Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 43% of U.S. communities.

🥶 Cold waves🌊 Inland flooding🌪️ Tornadoes

0Does Wagner flood?no paid flood claims on record 6Disasters that paid out herefederal disasters sent FEMA money to Wagner MapWagner vs. its neighborsnearby towns shaded by rating

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

Climate in Wagner

Full climate →

Wagner has cold, snowy winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 11°, and about 31 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

34° / 13°Winter

60° / 36°Spring

85° / 61°Summer

62° / 38°Fall

How much snow does Wagner get?About 31 inches a winter.Rain & snow →When is the first frost?Around Oct 9, with the last in spring around Apr 29.Frost dates →Is it warmer than it used to be?+0.7° vs. the 20th century.Then & now →

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

Schools in Wagner

All Wagner schools →

School Grade C

The public schools Wagner’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, trail 74% of South Dakota’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the bottom.

DistrictWagner Community School District 11-4Schools4

Wagner Elementary - 02 C-Elementary · Grades K–4 · 333 students Wagner Middle School - 03 C-Middle · Grades 5–8 · 283 students Wagner High School - 01 BHigh · Grades 9–12 · 201 students Early Learning Center - 04Prekindergarten · Grades PK · 102 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.