The Town Files

Kadoka, South Dakota

City in Jackson County · population 543 (2020 Census)

Map: where Kadoka is in South DakotaKadoka
Household income
$43,750
Jan low / Jul high
10° / 90°
Snow a year
38 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
4
Median age
47.1

Kadoka is a city of 543 people in Jackson County, South Dakota. It ranks hipper than 92% of South Dakota towns, better for first-time buyers than 81% of South Dakota towns.

How Kadoka 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.

Kadoka lifestyle rankings vs other South Dakota townsRetirement52nd pctFamilies28th pctQuiet48th pctWalkability20th pctFirst-time buyers81st pctYoung professionals69th pctVibrancy19th pctHip & trendy92nd pctCollege town14th pctUpscale7th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransitbottomDriving29th pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

Median rent is $413 a month. 61.8% of households own their home.

Kadoka vs Jackson County vs typical South Dakota townKadokaJackson CountyTypical South Dakota townHousehold income$43,750$35,417$66,086Monthly rent$413$442$785
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of South Dakota towns with 500+ people.
HousingKadokaTypical South Dakota town
Median home value—$182,100
Median rent$413$785
Median household income$43,750$66,086
Home value ÷ income—×2.7×
Homeownership61.8%71.0%
Median year built19731973
Seasonal / vacation homes13.1%—

Who lives in Kadoka

PeopleKadokaTypical South Dakota town
Median age47.139.5
Age 65 and over28.5%19.4%
Under 1816.7%—
Bachelor's degree or higher19.7%23.6%
Below the poverty line12.7%10.1%
Veterans2.9%—
Born outside the U.S.0.0%—
Work from home0.0%5.7%
Average commute10.8 min17.4 min
Homes with broadband64.1%86.7%

Weather in Kadoka

July highs average 89.5°F and January lows 10.2°F. About 16.3 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 38.1 inches of snow (typical South Dakota town: 39.8 in). Expect about 45 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 173 nights at or below freezing.

Kadoka monthly temperatures and precipitation10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing34°10°Jan38°13°Feb49°22°Mar59°32°Apr70°43°May81°54°Jun90°60°Jul89°58°Aug79°48°Sep63°34°Oct48°22°Nov36°12°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue0.45.40.56.30.96.11.76.63.00.42.91.81.51.21.42.10.54.30.46.7
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Philip Ap station (16.1 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 2 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

4 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Kadoka since 1950, compared with 13 for the typical South Dakota town. 2 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an EF2, struck on June 28, 2025 about 4.7 miles from the town center. The most recent was on June 28, 2025.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Kadoka by decade01950s21960s01970s11980s01990s02000s02010s12020s
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 36 times; the largest was 2.75 inches on July 24, 1987.

Severe weather in Jackson County since 1996

Storm events in Jackson County since 1996 by typeHail276Flood21Tornado8Blizzard27High Wind102Heavy Snow9Flash Flood10Winter Storm54
NOAA Storm Events Database, Jackson County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 2 deaths recorded.

Jackson 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
February 27, 2023Winter StormDR-4689: Severe Winter Storms And Snowstorm
August 2, 2022Severe StormDR-4664: Severe Storm, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding
April 5, 2020BiologicalDR-4527: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3475: Covid-19

Jobs and pay in Jackson County

Jackson County had 691 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $41,313 a year. Unemployment was 3.2% in 2023; in Kadoka itself the ACS puts it at 0%.

Largest industries in Jackson CountyRetail104 jobs · $23,905Construction25 jobs · $35,388Wholesale trade18 jobs · $70,669Finance & insurance14 jobs · $61,615Other services11 jobs · $35,546Professional & technical serv…4 jobs · $39,022
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Jackson County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%2000200420082012201620202023Jackson 3.2%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Public schools in Kadoka

3 public schools with 251 students, about 10.0 students per teacher.

SchoolGradesStudentsPer teacher
Kadoka Elementary - 02PK-51269.7
Kadoka Area High School - 019-12707.8
Kadoka Middle School - 036-85518.3

Towns near Kadoka

Kadoka questions

Is Kadoka, South Dakota a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Kadoka scores better for retirees than 52% of South Dakota towns and quieter than 48%. 28.5% of residents are 65 or older (median age 47.1).

What is the weather like in Kadoka?

July highs average 89.5°F and January lows 10.2°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 16.3 inches of precipitation a year and 38.1 inches of snow.

Does Kadoka get tornadoes?

4 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Kadoka since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF2 on June 28, 2025. The typical South Dakota town has had 13.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Kadoka's Census boundary (GEOID 4633180). 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.