- Overall Rank: Not ranked
- Population: 5,607
- Median household income: $56,758
- Median home value: $128,100 (71% own)
- Median rent: $800 (29% rent)
- Top public schools: Winner High School (grade B), Winner Elementary School (grade B minus), Winner Middle School (grade B minus)
- Top private schools:
- Top places: Winner (grade B minus), Colome (grade B minus), Lamro Township (grade B minus)

- Overall Rank: Not ranked
- Population: 7,018
- Median household income: $57,554
- Median home value: $112,700 (76% own)
- Median rent: $702 (24% rent)
- Top public schools: Tyndall Elementary School (grade B+), Bon Homme Middle School (grade B), Avon Elementary School (grade B minus)
- Top private schools:
- Top places: Scotland (grade B+), Springfield (grade B+), Tyndall (grade B)

- Overall Rank: Not ranked
- Population: 28,402
- Median household income: $65,747
- Median home value: $206,600 (67% own)
- Median rent: $863 (33% rent)
- Top public schools: Lincoln Elementary School (grade A minus), Mellette Elementary School (grade B+), Watertown Junior High School (grade B+)
- Top private schools: Great Plains Lutheran High School (grade B), Immaculate Conception School (grade unavailable), St. Martin's Lutheran School (grade unavailable)
- Top places: Watertown (grade B+), Kranzburg Township (grade B), Elmira Township (grade B)

- Overall Rank: Not ranked
- Population: 10,242
- Median household income: $59,022
- Median home value: $127,800 (68% own)
- Median rent: $596 (32% rent)
- Top public schools: Sisseton High School (grade B minus), Summit High School (grade B minus), Westside Elementary School (grade B minus)
- Top private schools:
- Top places: Lawrence Township (grade B), Sisseton (grade B), Rosholt (grade B)

- Overall Rank: Not ranked
- Population: 6,196
- Median household income: $76,995
- Median home value: $181,800 (81% own)
- Median rent: $717 (19% rent)
- Top public schools: Hamlin High School (grade B+), Hamlin Elementary School (grade B+), Estelline Elementary School (grade B minus)
- Top private schools:
- Top places: Brantford Township (grade A), Cleveland Township (grade A minus), Norden Township (grade B+)

- Overall Rank: Not ranked
- Population: 8,515
- Median household income: $75,943
- Median home value: $294,700 (86% own)
- Median rent: $948 (14% rent)
- Top public schools: Custer High School (grade B), Custer Middle School (grade B), Custer Elementary School (grade C+)
- Top private schools:
- Top places: Custer (grade B+), Hermosa (grade B), Pringle (grade C)

- Overall Rank: Not ranked
- Population: 8,687
- Median household income: $72,312
- Median home value: $175,300 (79% own)
- Median rent: $691 (21% rent)
- Top public schools: Parker High School (grade B+), Parker Junior High School (grade B+), Centerville Elementary School (grade B)
- Top private schools:
- Top places: Parker Township (grade A minus), Swan Lake Township (grade B+), Centerville (grade B+)

- Overall Rank: 1,334
- Population: 5,172
- Median household income: $65,964
- Median home value: $149,300 (80% own)
- Median rent: $681 (20% rent)
- Top public schools: Arlington Elementary School (grade A minus), Arlington Junior High School (grade A minus), Lake Preston Elementary School (grade A minus)
- Top private schools: Sunny Plains Christian School (grade unavailable)
- Top places: Lake Preston (grade B+), Oldham (grade B+), Arlington (grade B)

- Overall Rank: 1,299
- Population: 5,714
- Median household income: $74,873
- Median home value: $186,100 (82% own)
- Median rent: $778 (18% rent)
- Top public schools: Canistota Elementary School (grade A minus), Canistota Middle School (grade B+), Bridgewater-Emery Elementary School (grade B+)
- Top private schools: Salem St. Mary's Elementary School (grade unavailable)
- Top places: Grant Township (grade A), Bridgewater Township (grade A), Canistota (grade B+)

- Overall Rank: 1,277
- Population: 6,355
- Median household income: $65,795
- Median home value: $108,200 (74% own)
- Median rent: $651 (26% rent)
- Top public schools: Northwestern Middle School (grade B+), Northwestern Elementary School (grade B+), Doland Elementary School (grade B)
- Top private schools:
- Top places: Northville Township (grade A minus), Northville (grade A minus), Redfield Township (grade B)

- Overall Rank: 1,037
- Population: 7,533
- Median household income: $70,851
- Median home value: $168,500 (81% own)
- Median rent: $493 (19% rent)
- Top public schools: Big Stone City Middle School (grade A), Big Stone City Elementary School (grade A minus), Milbank Middle School (grade B)
- Top private schools: St. Lawrence School (grade unavailable)
- Top places: Milbank (grade A minus), Melrose Township (grade B+), Big Stone City (grade B)

- Overall Rank: 1,005
- Population: 5,485
- Median household income: $57,558
- Median home value: $134,800 (75% own)
- Median rent: $594 (25% rent)
- Top public schools: Webster Area Middle School (grade A minus), Webster Area Elementary School (grade B+), Waubay Elementary School (grade B minus)
- Top private schools:
- Top places: Webster Township (grade B+), Webster (grade B+), Roslyn (grade B)

- Overall Rank: 918
- Population: 19,966
- Median household income: $55,606
- Median home value: $178,100 (63% own)
- Median rent: $772 (37% rent)
- Top public schools: Mitchell High School (grade A minus), Longfellow Elementary School (grade A minus), L.B. Williams Elementary School (grade A minus)
- Top private schools: Mitchell Christian School (grade B+), John Paul II Elementary School (grade unavailable), Abbott House (grade unavailable)
- Top places: Mitchell (grade B+), Prosper Township (grade B), Mount Vernon (grade B)

- Overall Rank: 906
- Population: 19,089
- Median household income: $63,813
- Median home value: $152,100 (70% own)
- Median rent: $807 (30% rent)
- Top public schools: Wolsey Wessington High School (grade B), Hitchcock-Tulare Elementary School (grade B), Huron High School (grade B)
- Top private schools: James Valley Christian School (grade B), Holy Trinity Catholic Elementary School (grade unavailable)
- Top places: Huron (grade B+), Valley Township (grade A minus), Wolsey (grade B)

- Overall Rank: 738
- Population: 26,047
- Median household income: $62,977
- Median home value: $267,900 (66% own)
- Median rent: $888 (34% rent)
- Top public schools: Creekside Elementary School (grade B+), Spearfish High School (grade B), Whitewood Elementary School (grade B)
- Top private schools: Black Hills Christian Academy (grade unavailable), Black Hills Classical Christian Academy (grade unavailable), Chrildren First (grade unavailable)
- Top places: Spearfish (grade A minus), Deadwood (grade B), Lead (grade B minus)

- Overall Rank: 699
- Population: 23,311
- Median household income: $68,847
- Median home value: $190,400 (70% own)
- Median rent: $765 (30% rent)
- Top public schools: Yankton Middle School - 02 (grade B), Lincoln Elementary School (grade B), Beadle Elementary School (grade B)
- Top private schools: Sacred Heart School (grade unavailable), Sacred Heart Middle School - (grade unavailable), Missouri Valley Christian Academy (grade unavailable)
- Top places: Yankton (grade A minus), Gayville (grade B minus), Mission Hill (grade C+)

- Overall Rank: 690
- Population: 6,346
- Median household income: $71,469
- Median home value: $194,000 (70% own)
- Median rent: $644 (30% rent)
- Top public schools: Colman-Egan Junior High School (grade B), Flandreau High School (grade B), Colman Elementary School (grade B minus)
- Top private schools:
- Top places: Flandreau Township (grade B+), Grovena Township (grade B+), Flandreau (grade B+)

- Overall Rank: 681
- Population: 7,401
- Median household income: $69,139
- Median home value: $143,800 (77% own)
- Median rent: $660 (23% rent)
- Top public schools: Parkston High School (grade A minus), Parkston Elementary School (grade A minus), Freeman High School (grade B+)
- Top private schools: Freeman Academy (grade A minus)
- Top places: Parkston (grade A minus), Freeman (grade A minus), Wittenberg Township (grade A minus)

- Overall Rank: 613
- Population: 9,302
- Median household income: $60,729
- Median home value: $163,200 (74% own)
- Median rent: $713 (26% rent)
- Top public schools: Platte-Geddes Elementary School (grade A), Platte-Geddes High School (grade A minus), Wagner High School (grade A minus)
- Top private schools:
- Top places: Platte (grade B+), Plain Center Township (grade B), Geddes (grade B)

- Overall Rank: 590
- Population: 14,953
- Median household income: $55,963
- Median home value: $209,300 (51% own)
- Median rent: $758 (49% rent)
- Top public schools: Vermillion Middle School (grade B+), Vermillion High School (grade B minus), Jolley Elementary School (grade B minus)
- Top private schools: St. Agnes Elementary School (grade unavailable)
- Top places: Vermillion (grade A minus), Meckling Township (grade A minus), Norway Township (grade B+)

- Overall Rank: 582
- Population: 5,247
- Median household income: $64,821
- Median home value: $187,900 (65% own)
- Median rent: $755 (35% rent)
- Top public schools: Kimball Elementary School (grade B+), Chamberlain High School (grade B), Kimball Junior High School (grade B)
- Top private schools: St. Joseph Elementary School (grade unavailable)
- Top places: Chamberlain (grade A minus), Kimball (grade B+), Pukwana (grade B)

- Overall Rank: 531
- Population: 16,700
- Median household income: $82,036
- Median home value: $254,900 (70% own)
- Median rent: $1,008 (30% rent)
- Top public schools: Dakota Valley Elementary School (grade A), Dakota Valley High School (grade B+), Dakota Valley Junior High School (grade B+)
- Top private schools:
- Top places: Dakota Dunes (grade A), North Sioux City (grade B+), Big Sioux Township (grade A)

- Overall Rank: 528
- Population: 5,317
- Median household income: $57,697
- Median home value: $115,900 (73% own)
- Median rent: $832 (27% rent)
- Top public schools: Mobridge High School (grade A minus), Mobridge Middle School (grade A minus), Selby Elementary School (grade B+)
- Top private schools:
- Top places: Mobridge (grade A), Java (grade B), Selby (grade B)

- Overall Rank: 516
- Population: 11,207
- Median household income: $74,884
- Median home value: $196,600 (73% own)
- Median rent: $819 (27% rent)
- Top public schools: Oldham-Ramona Elementary School (grade A), Rutland Junior High School (grade B+), Madison Elementary School (grade B+)
- Top private schools: St. Thomas School (grade unavailable), Madison Christian School (grade unavailable)
- Top places: Madison (grade A minus), Summit Township (grade A), Ramona (grade A minus)

- Overall Rank: 467
- Population: 110,386
- Median household income: $67,823
- Median home value: $247,800 (69% own)
- Median rent: $996 (31% rent)
- Top public schools: Southwest Middle School (grade B+), Stevens High School (grade B+), Hill City Middle School (grade B+)
- Top private schools: Rapid City Catholic School System (grade A minus), Rapid City Christian School (grade B), St. Elizabeth Seton School (grade unavailable)
- Top places: Rapid City (grade B+), Box Elder (grade B), Colonial Pine Hills (grade B)

- Overall Rank: 401
- Population: 34,631
- Median household income: $64,438
- Median home value: $227,800 (58% own)
- Median rent: $870 (42% rent)
- Top public schools: Sioux Valley High School (grade A minus), Brookings High School (grade B+), Medary Elementary School (grade B)
- Top private schools: Volga Christian School (grade unavailable), Early Learning Center of Brookings managed by Bright Horizons (grade unavailable)
- Top places: Brookings (grade A), Medary Township (grade B+), Bruce (grade B+)

- Overall Rank: 343
- Population: 38,278
- Median household income: $70,379
- Median home value: $200,400 (66% own)
- Median rent: $748 (34% rent)
- Top public schools: Warner Middle School (grade A), Warner Elementary School (grade A), Frederick Junior High School (grade A)
- Top private schools: Aberdeen Christian School - Elementary Campus (grade B), Roncalli Middle/Senior High School (grade B minus), Roncalli Elementary School (grade unavailable)
- Top places: Aberdeen (grade B+), Groton (grade A minus), Ordway Township (grade B+)

- Overall Rank: 296
- Population: 65,801
- Median household income: $92,317
- Median home value: $292,200 (73% own)
- Median rent: $1,206 (27% rent)
- Top public schools: Endeavor Elementary - 07 (grade A), Harrisburg North Middle School - 08 (grade A minus), Tea Area Venture Elementary - 06 (grade A minus)
- Top private schools: Sioux Falls Christian Schools (grade B), Sioux Falls Lutheran School (grade B), Central Baptist Preschool & Kindergarten (grade unavailable)
- Top places: Tea (grade A minus), Harrisburg (grade B+), Canton (grade B)

- Overall Rank: 218
- Population: 197,742
- Median household income: $73,110
- Median home value: $246,200 (63% own)
- Median rent: $927 (37% rent)
- Top public schools: Valley Springs Elementary School (grade A), Brandon Valley Middle School (grade A), Fred Assam Elementary School (grade A)
- Top private schools: O'Gorman High School (grade A minus), Saint Mary Catholic Schools (grade B), Holy Spirit Elementary (grade unavailable)
- Top places: Brandon (grade A), Sioux Falls (grade A), Dell Rapids (grade B+)

- Overall Rank: 211
- Population: 17,812
- Median household income: $83,750
- Median home value: $216,500 (73% own)
- Median rent: $920 (27% rent)
- Top public schools: Blunt Elementary School (grade A), T.F. Riggs High School (grade B+), Buchanan Elementary School (grade B+)
- Top private schools: St. Joseph Elementary School (grade unavailable)
- Top places: Pierre (grade A minus), Blunt (grade B)

This story features data reporting and writing by Elena Cox and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.