Are you thinking of calling it quits on your career and retiring in Mount Rushmore State? Don’t retire just anywhere in South Dakota. Find one of the best places the state has to offer for retirement.
Why is South Dakota an excellent place to retire? For starters, it has the one of the lowest rents in America. And if you’re an outdoorsman or woman, the rugged terrain of the Black Hills and the Badlands is sure to delight you. Not to mention, you’ll find great fishing at spots like Pactola Lake.
Oh, and, of course, having Mt. Rushmore in your backyard helps get the family to visit and tick a national treasure of their to-see list all at the same time.
How did we develop this list of best places to retire in South Dakota? We started by narrowing our search to 27 cities with a population of at least 2,000. Then we ranked those 27 cities by crime, affordability, weather, median age, and access to activities.
$897 median rent · $66,338 median income · #15 cheapest rent in South Dakota
Hot Springs is a city in and the county seat of Fall River County, South Dakota, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 3,711. In addition, neighboring Oglala Lakota County contracts the duties of Auditor, Treasurer and Register of Deeds to the Fall River County authority in Hot Springs.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$835 median rent · $73,047 median income · #11 cheapest rent in South Dakota
Lead is a city in Lawrence County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 3,124 at the 2010 census. Lead is located in western South Dakota, in the Black Hills near the Wyoming state line.
$596 median rent · $48,875 median income · #2 cheapest rent in South Dakota
$0 median rent · $90,473 median income · #1 cheapest rent in South Dakota
$763 median rent · $49,157 median income · #5 cheapest rent in South Dakota
$745 median rent · $81,761 median income · #3 cheapest rent in South Dakota
$770 median rent · $47,381 median income · #7 cheapest rent in South Dakota
Winner is a city in Tripp County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 2,897 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Tripp County. Winner also serves as the administrative center of neighboring Todd County, which does not have its own county seat. The nearest airport is Winner Regional Airport.
Winner was laid out in 1909, and named for the fact the town had emerged the “winner” as the county’s most successful trading point.
$953 median rent · $65,357 median income · #18 cheapest rent in South Dakota
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$963 median rent · $65,688 median income · #19 cheapest rent in South Dakota
Located in
Lawrence County, South Dakota
Spearfish is a city in Lawrence County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 10,494 at the 2010 census.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$818 median rent · $76,761 median income · #10 cheapest rent in South Dakota
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is South Dakota’s statewide median.
South Dakota statewide median: $75,081
South Dakota statewide median: $317,148
On the map
Where to retire in South Dakota
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How We Determined The Best Places To Retire In the Mount Rushmore State for 2026
To create our ranking of the best places in South Dakota to retire, we used Saturday Night Science. We analyzed Census data to find all places in the Mount Rushmore State — 381 cities and towns.
We then narrowed it down to places with at least 2,000 people that weren’t townships. This left us with 27 places from across the state.
For these 27, we looked at the following criteria taken from the Census, the FBI’s Crime Report, National Weather Service, and OpenFlights:
- Low cost of living as measured by rent
- Low crime
- Things to do (Museums, Colleges, and Libraries in town)
- Nice weather
- Distance to the closest international airport
- Other retirees (High median age)
We then ranked each of these places for each criterion from one to 27, with the lowest number being the best.
Finally, we took the average rank across these criteria. The place, in this case Hot Springs, with the lowest average rank, was crowned the best of the best, a place for you to start your second career.
The report has been updated for 2026. This list reflects our eleventh time ranking the best places to retire in South Dakota.
The full plate
Best Places To Retire In South Dakota
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Retire Score | Population | Median Income | Average Home Prices | Median Rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hot Springs | 4.00 | 3,548 | $66,338 | $335,477 | $897 |
| 2 | Lead | 5.00 | 3,006 | $73,047 | $380,311 | $835 |
| 3 | Sisseton | 7.40 | 2,670 | $48,875 | $134,548 | $596 |
| 4 | Elk Point | 8.00 | 2,537 | $90,473 | $286,244 | $0 |
| 5 | Flandreau | 8.20 | 2,392 | $49,157 | $215,380 | $763 |
| 6 | Lennox | 9.80 | 2,468 | $81,761 | $319,062 | $745 |
| 7 | Winner | 10.80 | 2,905 | $47,381 | $184,895 | $770 |
| 8 | Mobridge | 11.50 | 2,932 | $65,357 | $131,288 | $953 |
| 9 | Spearfish | 12.00 | 12,930 | $65,688 | $456,937 | $963 |
| 10 | Chamberlain | 12.40 | 2,588 | $76,761 | $249,198 | $818 |
| 11 | Madison | 13.00 | 6,094 | $65,593 | $263,104 | $981 |
| 12 | Sturgis | 13.20 | 7,086 | $54,404 | $370,733 | $780 |
| 13 | Aberdeen | 13.40 | 28,189 | $64,405 | $240,644 | $762 |
| 14 | Yankton | 14.80 | 15,540 | $67,804 | $270,787 | $790 |
| 15 | Vermillion | 14.80 | 11,878 | $50,456 | $272,882 | $764 |
| 16 | Brookings | 15.60 | 23,948 | $63,493 | $312,178 | $889 |
| 17 | Watertown | 15.60 | 23,044 | $69,600 | $304,838 | $942 |
| 18 | Brandon | 15.70 | 10,996 | $110,806 | $387,890 | $976 |
| 19 | Beresford | 15.90 | 2,360 | $78,793 | $323,488 | $914 |
| 20 | Mitchell | 16.20 | 15,649 | $58,620 | $247,683 | $851 |
| 21 | Summerset | 17.80 | 3,022 | $119,271 | $424,113 | $1,288 |
| 22 | Belle Fourche | 17.90 | 5,804 | $65,071 | $334,320 | $983 |
| 23 | Huron | 19.00 | 14,385 | $61,452 | $171,872 | $888 |
| 24 | Pierre | 19.90 | 13,948 | $77,672 | $293,980 | $983 |
| 25 | Tea | 21.80 | 6,786 | $120,139 | $381,056 | $1,220 |
| 26 | Box Elder | 21.90 | 12,902 | $73,008 | $367,456 | $1,491 |
| 27 | Sioux Falls | 22.40 | 201,469 | $75,970 | $329,723 | $1,035 |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024, FBI UCR, OpenFlights. 27 cities with more than 2,000 residents.
Summary
Summary: Maybe You’re Not Ready To Retire In South Dakota Yet…
So there you have it, the best place to retire in South Dakota goes to Hot Springs.
The best places to retire in South Dakota are Hot Springs, Lead, Sisseton, Elk Point, Flandreau, Lennox, Winner, Mobridge, Spearfish, and Chamberlain.
If you’re not ready to hang up your office apparel yet, then these places might be up your alley. Not sold on South Dakota? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
Questions and answers
Best Places To Retire In South Dakota FAQs
What is the best place to retire in South Dakota?
Hot Springs is the best place to retire in South Dakota for 2026, according to Saturday Night Science. Lead and Sisseton are next.
What are the best places to retire in South Dakota?
The best places to retire in South Dakota are Hot Springs, Lead, Sisseton, Elk Point, Flandreau, Lennox, Winner, Mobridge, Spearfish, and Chamberlain. We ranked all 27 cities with more than 2,000 residents.
How do you rank retirement spots?
We score every qualifying South Dakota city on rent, crime, things to do, weather, airport access, and median age. The city that balances all six best, Hot Springs, takes the top spot.
How much does a home cost in Hot Springs?
The median home in Hot Springs runs $335,477, against $317,148 across South Dakota as a whole. Across the full top ten, the median home costs $267,721.
Which South Dakota place came in last for retirees?
Sioux Falls lands at the bottom of the retirement ranking for South Dakota. Not ready to retire anyway? Then Sioux Falls might suit you fine.
