Population 850 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Lake Preston
Household size in Lake Preston
| Period | Lake Preston | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.07 | 2.51 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.14 | 2.51 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 1.89 | 2.50 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.92 | 2.48 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.85 | −0.03 | −0.03 |
Households in Lake Preston are large by national standards, averaging 2.92 people against 2.65 for the U.S. That usually means more families with children at home. Since 2006–10, household size has climbed from 2.07, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Lake Preston
| Period | Lake Preston | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 45.4 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 47.4 | 38.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 54.8 | 38.8 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 39.7 | 38.9 | 40.1 |
| Change | −5.7 | +1.0 | +2.3 |
At 39.7, the median age in Lake Preston is close to the national median of 40.1, so its age mix looks much like the country's.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Lake Preston
| Period | Lake Preston | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.5% | 10.8% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 5.7% | 11.1% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 5.1% | 10.9% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.3% | 10.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | +0.8 pts | −0.1 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 6.3% of households in Lake Preston, well below the national share of 11.6%.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Lake Preston
Renters in Lake Preston
| Period | Lake Preston | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 27.9% | 31.1% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 30.4% | 32.0% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 19.6% | 32.0% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 19.9% | 31.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | −8.1 pts | +0.3 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 19.9% of households in Lake Preston rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. About two-thirds of owners (65.7%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Lake Preston
| Period | Lake Preston | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 28.3% | 11.3% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 20.5% | 10.7% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 24.2% | 11.6% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 25.0% | 10.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | −3.3 pts | −1.1 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 25.0% of the housing in Lake Preston, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Lake Preston
| Period | Lake Preston | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1941 | 1972 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1948 | 1974 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1954 | 1977 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1952 | 1981 | 1980 |
| Change | +11 | +9 | +6 |
The housing in Lake Preston is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1952, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Lake Preston
| Period | Lake Preston | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $377 | $631 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $455 | $692 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $458 | $798 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $629 | $1,000 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$252 | +$369 | +$606 |
The median renter in Lake Preston pays $629 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 37.0% of household income on rent, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Lake Preston
Bachelor's degrees in Lake Preston
| Period | Lake Preston | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 18.4% | 26.8% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 19.4% | 27.8% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 19.7% | 29.4% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 18.1% | 32.5% | 35.6% |
| Change | −0.3 pts | +5.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Lake Preston: 18.1% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below the national share of 35.6%.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Lake Preston
| Period | Lake Preston | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 91.3% | 89.9% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 94.9% | 91.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 92.7% | 91.8% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 92.1% | 93.1% | 89.3% |
| Change | +0.8 pts | +3.2 pts | +4.3 pts |
About nine in ten adults in Lake Preston have finished high school (92.1%), a bit above the national rate of 89.3%. That is in line with the rest of South Dakota.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Lake Preston
| Period | Lake Preston | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.2% | 4.9% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 1.9% | 4.9% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 0.6% | 3.6% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 1.4% | 3.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | −0.8 pts | −1.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
The job market in Lake Preston has been strong: just 1.4% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Lake Preston compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Preston | 2.92 | 39.7 | 6.3% | 19.9% | 25.0% | 1952 | $629 | 18.1% | 92.1% | 1.4% |
| Hetland | 3.11 | 35.9 | 6.6% | 11.6% | 16.9% | 1947 | $638 | 18.3% | 90.7% | 0.8% |
| Oldham | 2.03 | 53.0 | 4.4% | 22.6% | 35.6% | 1975 | $676 | 22.6% | 95.7% | 2.8% |
| DeSmet | 2.25 | 49.2 | 2.9% | 14.5% | 10.0% | 1963 | $611 | 25.0% | 93.9% | 0.1% |
| Erwin | 3.47 | 28.9 | 8.5% | 16.3% | 15.2% | 1940 | $643 | 16.0% | 88.8% | 0.3% |
| Arlington | 2.33 | 41.7 | 10.1% | 21.3% | 19.1% | 1972 | $749 | 24.1% | 93.5% | 1.7% |
| Badger | 2.41 | 46.6 | 2.8% | 9.5% | 18.0% | 1966 | $714 | 23.0% | 94.1% | 1.8% |
| Cloverleaf Colony | 2.24 | 45.2 | 3.6% | 18.8% | 34.2% | 1962 | $727 | 24.5% | 90.0% | 1.4% |
| Sinai | 2.34 | 39.7 | 6.4% | 18.8% | 19.5% | 1975 | $826 | 29.2% | 96.1% | 3.5% |
| Bryant | 3.35 | 26.8 | 4.8% | 17.4% | 6.2% | 1958 | $862 | 17.4% | 90.3% | 0.6% |
| Arlington Beach | 2.19 | 50.0 | 5.1% | 14.3% | 22.8% | 1974 | $743 | 23.6% | 97.5% | 2.4% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: South Ogdensburg, NJ · Georgetown, MS · Glen Allen, AL · Goldonna, LA · Goodwins Crossroads, SC · Grady, MS · Graham, KY · Granville, MA · Greenville, MO · Smiley, TX
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Lake Preston. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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