Bishop Marty Rectory · National Register of Historic Places
Yankton’s story
168 years in pictures
24 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1858Yankton is settled
YanktonSD
A town of 15,540, settled in 1858. Home to 24 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
2 bordering townsMap →
Photo: National Park Service · Public domain
Population
15,540
+6.6% since 2010
Typical home
$276K
+1.1% in a year
Household income
$68K
median
Median age
41.4
years
Jobs based here
9,866
Balanced
What makes Yankton stand out
The 3 things Yankton does most differently from other towns.
Bishop Marty RectoryHistory
Settled in 1858
24 places on the National Register
Archive photos and papers going back 168 years.
B+School Grade
Schools
#12 for schools in SD
of 34 towns
School Grade B+.
100 U.S. towns● Yankton
Health
Healthier than 64%
of U.S. towns on CDC estimates
Better than SD on 0 measures, worse on 0.
College town
Mount Marty University calls Yankton home
College Scorecard · IPEDS
Yankton’s report card
SchoolsB+Beats 70% of SD districtsHealthBHealthier than 64% of U.S. townsOutdoors8 mi#8 for trails in SDHousing$276K14% below the SD typical homeCommute2 miHalf of commuters travel lessSafetyCLess crime than 28% of U.S. townsClimate86°/10°Summer high · winter low · 38″ snowHazards55/100Moderate risk of storm & flood damage
Now in Yankton
Be the first to start the conversation.
Residents weigh in
Yankton is #1 of 37 in SD for “Longest growing season”. Fair?
Your answer becomes a post in Yankton’s Town Square.
Start a conversation
Weather
Forecast →61°
Cloudy
H 61° · L 60°
Local news
All →- Yankton vs SF Christian - Girls Sophomore Volleyball 10/01/2026 | Watch Live & On DemandNFHS Network · Sep 29
- Yankton again the setting, though this time for the World Archery 3D ChampionshipsUSA Archery · Sep 28
- Check Your Ballot if You Vote Absentee in Yankton CountyKELO-AM · Sep 28
Upcoming events
Nothing on the calendar.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Yankton. Another town gets a different order.
Schools
Yankton’s public schools outperform 70% of South Dakota districts
The public schools Yankton’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, outperform 70% of South Dakota’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the top.
B+School Grade
| School | Grades | Students | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln Elementary - 04 | K–5 | 416 | B |
| Beadle Elementary - 03 | K–5 | 412 | B |
| Webster Elementary - 06 | PK–5 | 391 | C− |
| Stewart Elementary - 05 | K–5 | 271 | B |
| Sacred Heart Middle School - Private | PK–8 | 287 | |
| Sacred Heart School Private | PK–8 | 279 |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within SD on state tests and graduationAll 9 schools →
Health
Healthier than 64% of U.S. towns
Yankton tracks South Dakota closely on all 26 CDC measures.
BHealth Grade
26 measures vs. South Dakota
0 better26 too close to call0 worse
Avera Sacred Heart Hospital
1.4 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
45th
percentile among SD towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Outdoors
4.4% of Yankton is conserved land
8.4 miles of trails across 6 parks and preserves.
#8for trails in SD
4.4%
conserved · 253 of 5,707 acres
8.4 mi
of trails · 0.9 per sq mi
#12
most conserved land in SD
#11
most walkable in SD
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Riverside Park | 0.5 mi | 43 |
| 2. Westside Park | — | 7 |
| 3. Fox Run Park | — | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →
Housing
A typical Yankton home is worth about $276K
The typical Yankton home is worth about $276,000, up 1.1% in a year, 14% below the South Dakota typical home.
$276KZillow home value
Typical home value
Yankton$276K
South Dakota$322K
Market temperature
28
days on market
98.3%
sale-to-list price
+1.1%
value change, 1 year
20
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →
Work & commute
About half of working residents work right in Yankton
61% of Yankton’s working residents work right in town. The top destinations are Sioux Falls (9%), Sioux City (2%) and Vermillion (1%). Half commute less than 2 miles.
61%work in town
Where working residents work
In Yankton61%
Sioux Falls9%
Sioux City2%
Vermillion1%
Brookings1%
2 mi
median commute distance
9,866
jobs based in Yankton
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →
Safety
Less crime per resident than 28% of U.S. towns
Yankton reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 72% report less.
CSafety Grade
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Yankton1.9
South Dakota3.3
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Yankton14.6
South Dakota14.3
U.S.15.5
28th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
29th
percentile among SD towns
30
violent crimes reported in 2025
229
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeFull safety report →
Climate
Four seasons, pleasant summers
Yankton has cold, snowy winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 10°, and about 38 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
38″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter13–32°
Spring36–60°
Summer61–84°
Fall38–62°
Oct 11
typical first frost
Apr 27
typical last frost
+1.0°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
Natural hazards
Moderate risk, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 55% of U.S. communities.
55risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesCold waves
15
paid flood claims since 1984
5
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
Landmarks
24 places in Yankton on the National Register of Historic Places.
About Yankton
City in South Dakota, United States
Yankton is a city in and the county seat of Yankton County, South Dakota, United States. It became a city in 1889. The population was 15,411 at the 2020 census, making it the 7th most populous city in South Dakota, and it is the principal city of the Yankton Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes the entirety of Yankton County and which had an estimated population of 23,297 as of July 1, 2021. As the first capital of Dakota Territory, it was named after the Yankton tribe of Western Dakota people; Yankton is derived from the Dakota word I-hank-ton-wan ("the end village"). Yankton is located on the Missouri River just downstream of the Gavins Point Dam and Lewis and Clark Lake, and jus…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1858
- Population
- 15,411
- Area
- 8.5 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,211 ft
- ZIP code
- 57078
- Area code
- 605
Yankton’s neighbors
2 towns share a border with Yankton.
UticaMission HillYankton
More about Yankton
Still missing for Yankton:archive photosupcoming events