Population 609 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in Vale
Household size in Vale
| Period | Vale | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.84 | 2.51 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.56 | 2.51 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.35 | 2.50 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.70 | 2.48 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.13 | −0.03 | −0.03 |
Households in Vale average 2.70 people, about the same as the country as a whole (2.65). The typical household here is bigger than in South Dakota overall, where it has 2.48 people. Household size has dropped from 2.84 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
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 Vale
| Period | Vale | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 39.8 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 47.5 | 38.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 49.2 | 38.8 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 45.8 | 38.9 | 40.1 |
| Change | +5.9 | +1.0 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 45.8, Vale is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees.
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 Vale
| Period | Vale | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.2% | 10.8% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 5.4% | 11.1% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 5.5% | 10.9% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.1% | 10.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | +1.9 pts | −0.1 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 7.1% of households in Vale, 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 Vale
Renters in Vale
| Period | Vale | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 21.7% | 31.1% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 15.1% | 32.0% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 18.7% | 32.0% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 15.6% | 31.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | −6.1 pts | +0.3 pts | +1.5 pts |
Vale is largely a place of homeowners: only 15.6% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. Among homeowners, 67.8% have no mortgage at all, 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 Vale
| Period | Vale | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.4% | 11.3% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 17.2% | 10.7% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 23.2% | 11.6% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 17.2% | 10.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | +3.7 pts | −1.1 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 17.2% of the housing in Vale, 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 Vale
| Period | Vale | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1974 | 1972 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1977 | 1974 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1981 | 1977 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1977 | 1981 | 1980 |
| Change | +4 | +9 | +6 |
Homes in Vale are about the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1977, versus 1980 nationally.
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 Vale
| Period | Vale | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $524 | $631 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $566 | $692 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $991 | $798 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $977 | $1,000 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$453 | +$369 | +$606 |
The median renter in Vale pays $977 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. South Dakota as a whole looks much the same. The typical renter here spends 33.0% of household income on rent, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
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 Vale
Bachelor's degrees in Vale
| Period | Vale | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 16.6% | 26.8% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 14.5% | 27.8% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 20.4% | 29.4% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 20.3% | 32.5% | 35.6% |
| Change | +3.8 pts | +5.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Vale: 20.3% 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 Vale
| Period | Vale | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 88.5% | 89.9% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 87.0% | 91.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 90.6% | 91.8% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 93.8% | 93.1% | 89.3% |
| Change | +5.3 pts | +3.2 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Vale is above the national rate: 93.8% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%. South Dakota as a whole looks much the same.
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 Vale
| Period | Vale | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.6% | 4.9% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 5.0% | 4.9% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.3% | 3.6% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 1.2% | 3.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | −4.4 pts | −1.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Vale has been low: just 1.2% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current 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).
Vale 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vale | 2.70 | 45.8 | 7.1% | 15.6% | 17.2% | 1977 | $977 | 20.3% | 93.8% | 1.2% |
| Newell | 2.46 | 46.2 | 6.7% | 9.0% | 20.0% | 1972 | $1,018 | 23.0% | 92.2% | 2.1% |
| Nisland | 2.89 | 39.4 | 6.4% | 8.3% | 12.8% | 1980 | $971 | 25.1% | 94.7% | 1.3% |
| Volunteer | 2.80 | 34.8 | 3.1% | 46.6% | 15.3% | 1960 | $949 | 26.5% | 96.0% | 2.6% |
| Fort Meade | 2.59 | 42.9 | 15.2% | 23.2% | 14.5% | 1982 | $837 | 22.2% | 93.2% | 2.2% |
| Whitewood | 2.72 | 46.9 | 4.7% | 21.8% | 17.0% | 1995 | $1,077 | 26.4% | 93.2% | 1.4% |
| Sturgis | 2.35 | 42.2 | 13.7% | 31.0% | 11.7% | 1977 | $800 | 25.5% | 92.3% | 2.7% |
| St. Onge | 2.43 | 50.7 | 6.5% | 9.2% | 13.5% | 2003 | $1,268 | 37.9% | 96.8% | 0.2% |
| Fairpoint | 2.79 | 35.1 | 5.3% | 39.4% | 15.2% | 1964 | $985 | 26.9% | 96.7% | 2.6% |
| Fruitdale | 2.84 | 39.6 | 7.3% | 11.2% | 10.9% | 1988 | $926 | 24.4% | 92.8% | 0.7% |
| Tilford | 2.52 | 43.7 | 10.5% | 9.1% | 12.4% | 1993 | $947 | 32.9% | 95.9% | 0.9% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: North Delta, CO · Riverdale, SC · River Falls, SC · Ridgeport, IN · Reed Point, MT · Reddock Springs, AL · Reddington, IN · Redden, DE · Red Mills, NY · Raven Rocks, WV
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 Vale. 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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