The Town Files

Gregory, South Dakota

City in Gregory County · population 1,221 (2020 Census)

Map: where Gregory is in South DakotaGregory
Median home
$115,300
Household income
$51,450
Jan low / Jul high
10° / 87°
Snow a year
45 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
17
Median age
38.9

Gregory is a city of 1,221 people in Gregory County, South Dakota. The median home is worth $115,300, below the typical South Dakota town ($182,100). It ranks hipper than 88% of South Dakota towns, more of a college town than 88% of South Dakota towns.

How Gregory ranks

Percentile among South Dakota towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of South Dakota towns.

Gregory lifestyle rankings vs other South Dakota townsRetirement69th pctFamilies58th pctQuiet54th pctWalkability49th pctFirst-time buyers60th pctYoung professionals39th pctVibrancy12th pctHip & trendy88th pctCollege town88th pctUpscale12th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransitbottomDriving35th pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Gregory is worth $115,300, below the typical South Dakota town ($182,100). Homes cost about 2.2 times the median household income of $51,450, which is more affordable than 70% of South Dakota towns. Median rent is $633 a month. 65.8% of households own their home.

Gregory vs Gregory County vs typical South Dakota townGregoryGregory CountyTypical South Dakota townHome value$115,300$139,900$182,100Household income$51,450$62,917$66,086Monthly rent$633$614$785
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of South Dakota towns with 500+ people.
HousingGregoryTypical South Dakota town
Median home value$115,300$182,100
Median rent$633$785
Median household income$51,450$66,086
Home value ÷ income2.2×2.7×
Homeownership65.8%71.0%
Median year built19651973
Seasonal / vacation homes5.1%—

Who lives in Gregory

PeopleGregoryTypical South Dakota town
Median age38.939.5
Age 65 and over23.9%19.4%
Under 1829.1%—
Bachelor's degree or higher18.6%23.6%
Below the poverty line7.3%10.1%
Veterans7.2%—
Born outside the U.S.1.7%—
Work from home5.2%5.7%
Average commute13.9 min17.4 min
Homes with broadband80.2%86.7%

Weather in Gregory

July highs average 86.6°F and January lows 10.1°F. About 26.7 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 45.0 inches of snow (typical South Dakota town: 39.8 in). Expect about 29 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 165 nights at or below freezing.

Gregory monthly temperatures and precipitation10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing32°10°Jan36°13°Feb47°23°Mar58°33°Apr69°45°May80°56°Jun87°62°Jul85°59°Aug77°50°Sep62°36°Oct47°23°Nov35°14°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue0.66.80.88.51.35.33.15.44.14.23.03.12.42.41.70.96.90.710.4
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Gregory station (0.7 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

17 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Gregory since 1950, compared with 13 for the typical South Dakota town. 5 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F3, struck on May 8, 1965 about 6.2 miles from the town center. The most recent was on July 28, 2025.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Gregory by decade21950s41960s11970s21980s11990s42000s22010s12020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 66 times; the largest was 2.75 inches on August 25, 2024.

Severe weather in Gregory County since 1996

Storm events in Gregory County since 1996 by typeHail225Heat13Drought55Tornado13Blizzard34High Wind60Heavy Snow12Winter Storm41
NOAA Storm Events Database, Gregory County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996).

Gregory County has been included in 22 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, drought, snowstorm.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
August 15, 2024FloodDR-4807: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding
April 5, 2020BiologicalDR-4527: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3475: Covid-19
November 18, 2019Severe StormDR-4469: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding
October 7, 2019Severe StormDR-4467: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding

Jobs and pay in Gregory County

Gregory County had 1,586 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $39,901 a year. Unemployment was 1.9% in 2023; in Gregory itself the ACS puts it at 2.9%.

Largest industries in Gregory CountyRetail298 jobs · $28,874Hotels & restaurants112 jobs · $19,555Wholesale trade91 jobs · $49,693Finance & insurance85 jobs · $70,288Professional & technical serv…54 jobs · $40,558Arts & recreation43 jobs · $18,900
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Gregory County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%2000200420082012201620202023Gregory 1.9%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Public schools in Gregory

3 public schools with 431 students, about 12.7 students per teacher.

SchoolGradesStudentsPer teacher
Gregory Elementary - 02PK-523113.6
Gregory High School - 019-1211410.4
Gregory Junior High - 046-88614.3

Towns near Gregory

Gregory questions

Is Gregory, South Dakota a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Gregory scores better for retirees than 69% of South Dakota towns and quieter than 54%. 23.9% of residents are 65 or older (median age 38.9).

How much does a house cost in Gregory?

The median owner-occupied home in Gregory is valued at $115,300 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $51,450, so homes cost about 2.2 times income. Median rent is $633 a month.

What is the weather like in Gregory?

July highs average 86.6°F and January lows 10.1°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 26.7 inches of precipitation a year and 45.0 inches of snow.

Does Gregory get tornadoes?

17 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Gregory since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F3 on May 8, 1965. The typical South Dakota town has had 13.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Gregory's Census boundary (GEOID 4626180). Comparisons use the median of South Dakota towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-13.