What it's like to live in Spearfish
Spearfish is a small city in South Dakota with rent below the national average, county unemployment below the national average, commutes that run shorter than most cities, and a highly educated workforce. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Spearfish deals with household incomes below the national average, cold, harsh winters, heavy snowfall, and fewer dining and entertainment options than a bigger city.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Low unemployment in the county
- Short commutes
- Highly educated workforce
- Fast-growing population
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Below-average household incomes
- Cold, harsh winters
- Heavy snowfall — 71" per year
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Spearfish compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Spearfish
Based on Spearfish's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$1,926
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $38,520 a year
- 36% of Spearfish renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$69,240
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $34,620
- Homes cost 5.3× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 32% below US
$963/mo median rent
Rent here is genuinely low, with median rent around $963 a month. Factoring in local incomes, the value gets even better. Money stretches further here than in most of the country. Home prices run above average, with a median around $346,200. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.
Median home value $346,200 · 36% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
1.9% county unemployment
Unemployment in Lawrence County is 1.9%, well below the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Lawrence County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 30% below US
232 violent crimes per 100k
Pretty safe, all things considered. Violent crime sits below the national average, nothing alarming, just ordinary city-life awareness.
Property crime 1947/100k · Spearfish Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 37% below US
16 min average commute
Commutes run short here, averaging 16.3 minutes. That's an underrated perk of living in a smaller or well-planned city, where time isn't lost sitting in traffic. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 7% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 81°F, and winters are cold and harsh, with lows dropping to 17°F.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 4.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▲ 16% above US
42% bachelor's degree or higher
The population is well-educated, with 42% holding college degrees. That points to a strong professional base and generally a healthy local economy.
Schools
9 public schools inside the boundary
There are 9 public schools inside the boundary and 1 private school. The student-to-teacher ratio is 14:1, well below the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Devils Tower National Monument (45 miles away). There are 6 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Spearfish's strongest points are rent below the national average and county unemployment below the national average; the main tradeoffs are household incomes below the national average and cold, harsh winters. A year of median rent ($963/mo) equals 18% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget, job seekers (county-wide unemployment is low), and anyone prioritizing low crime. It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive and anyone who dislikes long, cold winters.
Other places near Spearfish
All South Dakota guides →Not sure Spearfish is the one?
Put it side by side with another city.