South Dakota
7 Budget-Friendly Towns in South Dakota for Retirees
Retirement is only the beginning as a new adventure begins. Choosing where to start that fantastic journey is not to be taken lightly. Do you want sun and fun, winter bliss, mountains or plains, outdoor sport, or even a culturally significant wonderland for the mind and heart? It just so happens there is one place you can find all of this and so much more.
South Dakota awaits and is ready to embrace you. An ocean of grass, the Black Hills, cowboy history, plenty of sights and places to absorb as both resident and visitor and rich, dynamic history are around every corner of this lovely state. The cost of living is very reasonable, rural life is celebrated, and friendly folks cannot wait to meet you with warmth and hospitality.
There is never a lack of ways to fill those retirement hours. Golfing, fishing, hiking, camping, learning, embracing a simpler and slower way of life, and living your best life as you blaze down your final path. Come see what South Dakota can offer you during those retirement years. You won’t be disappointed.
Aberdeen
The Midwest is famous for its conservative values, its modest charm, and its hospitable atmosphere, and Aberdeen embodies all of these beautifully. You can expect a slower, friendly environment when walking the streets of this lovely small town in Brown County, and it is even considered the most affordable and one of the least stressed counties in South Dakota by local vote, with an average home price of $268,500.
Those who enjoy the outdoors will fall in love with all the fishing and hunting opportunities, as well as parks and recreation. Golfers and anyone who loves to swim can find a renewed sense of joy at Aberdeen Aquatic Center or Lee Park Golf Course. Those on a fixed budget will appreciate the mild, warmer months that will not run up your utility bills. If you are worried about medical needs, Avera St. Lukes will take good care of you.
Winner
In southcentral South Dakota, Winner is often overlooked but should not be underestimated. Its roots aren’t as much in historical significance and are firmly seated in agriculture and hunting. Retirees who enjoy bagging pheasant will wear an ear-to-ear smile when they learn that their new hometown has an annual pheasant season in October.
Invite the grandkids and watch them lose their minds when you take them to Winner Swimming Pool or Winner City Park. Perhaps teach them the peace and skill of fishing at the Winner Youth Bass Fishing Pond. Then, just for giggles, have dinner at the Winner Chicken Dinner for some authentic homestyle cooking. Its affordability speaks for itself, with an average home price of $199,000.
Yankton
Before the states were separated by borders, Yankton was the capital of the territory that is now South Dakota, North Dakota, Wyoming, and Montana. It is considered one of South Dakota’s prettiest towns, set on the Missouri River, with all the charm and beauty you might expect from a historically significant town. Additionally, the average home price is $299,000, so this charm and beauty is easily within reach! Yankton also offers lots of fun activities for retirees, as well as visiting family.
Golf, fishing, water recreation, and parks abound, and bocce is a big hit. For the kids and grandkids, archery classes, rec centers, and plenty of places to swim and play are scattered around the town, many available for use during most of the year. Just in case, the town also has top-notch medical care just around the corner at Avera Sacred Heart.
Spearfish
Life has been hectic; why not settle down in a place that offers peace, tranquility, and affordability? Welcome to Spearfish, a small town with everything you need to slow down, calm the soul, and enchant the spirit. Though the average home price is slightly more expensive at $681,500, this town more than makes up for it in activities for retirees. Breathe in the clean mountain air, listen to the babbling of Spearfish Creek and False Bottom Creek that flow through the town, and enjoy the relaxed environment you might not have wished for but will never get enough of.
This doesn’t mean the town is boring or without its list of interesting activities. Far from it. As a matter of fact, many of the offerings are geared toward seniors, including discounts, and who doesn’t love a lower price when on a fixed budget? Connect with history at the High Plaines Western Heritage Center, golf at Elkhorn Ridge, and when the family pays a visit, camping, fishing, and parks will enchant them.
Vermillion
Not all college towns are loud, with coeds causing no end of mischief. Vermillion is proof that none of these shenanigans are a problem, instead showcasing peace, a relaxed atmosphere, and rural charm with a small-town appeal. The community is always happy to greet newcomers while celebrating its locals, extending a hand in friendship to all in the great Sioux spirit.
For retirees looking for more culture in their twilight years, Vermillion is both proud and eager to share its many festivals, including the South Dakota Shakespeare Festival every June. Take in a theatrical production at Vermillion Community Theater. Interact with residents during one of the downtown sidewalk events. Don’t forget to plan something for visiting family. A good suggestion is the Vermillion Recreation Center. In terms of affordability, the average home price is $319,900, which means seniors can afford a home without breaking the bank.
Watertown
It might sound funny, but some retirees don’t want to slow down. After a lifetime of pure momentum, the spirit needs the rush of activities to keep the fire of life stoked. Watertown is your answer, regardless of the time of year. Sacrificing dreams and hobbies to provide, support, and survive is a part of being a working adult. Now is the time to play catch-up. In this affordable town, with an average home price of $369,000, this is possible.
Start with some ice fishing in the frigid winter months. Yes, it might seem like a slow activity, but nothing matches the thrill of pulling a lunker out of a frozen lake. Next, go on an art walk and learn about the local culture and creative energy of the town. When the grandkids visit, splash around with them at Break, the Watertown Escape Room, or take a stroll through Bramble Park Zoo.
Mitchell
Mitchell is a little faster-paced than many other towns in South Dakota, and there is a good reason for it. First, tourism is pretty constant due to the Famous Corn Palace, drawing a half-million guests annually. As a retiree who still wants a town with lively energy and a constant influx of new guests, this alone makes Mitchell your heaven on earth. That is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. The average home price is $384,000, meaning these perks are within reach for seniors.
Mitchell boasts a reasonable home value, even for a tourist destination. Local medical care is second to none and caters well to seniors. Nature walks and peaceful picnics at Lake Mitchell are a welcome and time-honored way to bask in the sunshine on a warm spring day. Take the youngins fishing or on a hike. Find your inner child again while embracing your senior nirvana.
History, culture, recreation, outdoor sport, and endless possibilities. This is what South Dakota offers every retiree who chooses to make this sprawling, breathtaking state home. Take a breath as you leisurely run your victory lap after a life of conviction and service. With a lower cost of living, a reasonable median home value, plenty of medical care within reach, and room to spread your wings, there really is nothing quite like it.
South Dakota
SD Lottery Powerball, Lotto America winning numbers for June 27, 2026
The South Dakota Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at June 27, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Powerball numbers from June 27 drawing
03-16-28-30-59, Powerball: 11, Power Play: 2
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Lotto America numbers from June 27 drawing
03-08-18-22-39, Star Ball: 06, ASB: 02
Check Lotto America payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Dakota Cash numbers from June 27 drawing
02-21-25-30-32
Check Dakota Cash payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from June 27 drawing
26-32-38-51-52, Bonus: 05
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your prize
- Prizes of $100 or less: Can be claimed at any South Dakota Lottery retailer.
- Prizes of $101 or more: Must be claimed from the Lottery. By mail, send a claim form and a signed winning ticket to the Lottery at 711 E. Wells Avenue, Pierre, SD 57501.
- Any jackpot-winning ticket for Dakota Cash or Lotto America, top prize-winning ticket for Lucky for Life, or for the second prizes for Powerball and Mega Millions must be presented in person at a Lottery office. A jackpot-winning Powerball or Mega Millions ticket must be presented in person at the Lottery office in Pierre.
When are the South Dakota Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 10 p.m. CT on Tuesday and Friday.
- Lucky for Life: 9:38 p.m. CT daily.
- Lotto America: 9:15 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Dakota Cash: 9 p.m. CT on Wednesday and Saturday.
- Millionaire for Life: 10:15 p.m. CT daily.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a South Dakota editor. You can send feedback using this form.
South Dakota
Another South Dakota secretary of state bounced after four years by GOP delegates
South Dakota is getting another chief elections officer.
Secretary of State Monae Johnson failed to win the Republican nomination for a second term during the South Dakota Republican Party Convention Saturday in Rapid City, where GOP delegates instead favored another Pierre outsider to oversee the state’s elections for the next four years.
“When this office runs well, you don’t notice it. When it doesn’t, you feel it everywhere,” Rep. Heather Baxter told a capacity crowd of delegates and attendees at The Monument events center, where she received nearly 60 percent of votes cast by more than 700 party delegates.
Populist push falls short in South Dakota GOP contest for Public Utilities nod
South Dakota
Work, housing and staffing: How South Dakota’s corrections chief aims to keep inmates from returning
SIOUX FALLS – South Dakota’s repeat offense rate for people who leave prison can return to the low point it saw a a dozen years ago, the state’s corrections secretary said Tuesday.
Nick Lamb, now six months into his role atop the Department of Corrections, laid out the agency’s plan Tuesday at the Correctional Rehabilitation Task Force at its meeting in Sioux Falls. The plan includes work release programs, residential housing for inmates and a top-to-bottom restructuring of how the department operates.
Recidivism measures how many inmates return to prison within three years of their release. The figure for South Dakota stood at
50%
in the most recent data, which was based on the performance of inmates released in 2021.
South Dakota’s lowest recidivism rate in the last two decades was 39% in 2014.
“We’ll get back there,” Lamb said Tuesday.
Lamb told reporters after the meeting he wants “to start getting in the business of closing prisons” during his tenure.
“Our population is too high for our state,” Lamb said. “We need to get our population down, but we’ve got to give the offenders the tools they need that they haven’t always had.”
Several recommendations presented on Tuesday, by Lamb and other criminal justice experts, will require more staff and funding.
State Rep. John Hughes, R-Sioux Falls, worries that the Legislature’s budget-setting committee will balk at new spending.
“My concern is that we put all these elaborate proposals together, then when we get to appropriations we’re going to hit the wall,” Hughes said.
Inmates return to work release
Under Lamb’s predecessor, Kellie Wasko, pay for inmate work performed outside the prison walls
was increased to minimum wage
. After that policy change, fewer communities and organizations contracted inmate workers for community service jobs.
Rep. Tim Reisch, R-Howard, said most of the roughly 250 minimum-security prisoners he oversaw during his tenure as corrections secretary participated in work release.
“They got up and they all had jobs. They were used to getting out of bed, going to work, getting in a habit of that,” Reisch said.
When he toured the prison last year, fewer than 20 were working, he said.
Lamb has cut inmate wages below minimum wage since he started.
“We reached out to a lot of these communities, basically asking if they need help,” Lamb said. “We lowered the wage, which upset some people, but we need them out working.”
This summer, inmates will work at Sioux Falls parks and at its regional landfill, and they’ll prepare the fairgrounds in Huron for the State Fairgrounds in August. They’ll also help out during Riverboat Days in Yankton, and pitch in on tournament preparation for the National Field Archery Association.
Statewide residential facilities planned
Lamb also wants to establish a residential corrections program. He shared a presentation showing how such a program
operated in Iowa
, where he served as deputy director of institutional operations for the Iowa Department of Corrections before his move to South Dakota.
In Iowa, most residential facilities were filled with people on probation, parole or work release. He envisions a similar program in South Dakota, with housing outside of traditional prison settings designed to help transition back into the community, but he hasn’t finalized details or a timeline.
“We’re going to try it,” Lamb said. “I’ll be honest, I haven’t talked to the lieutenant governor or anybody else about it, but we need to try it. It works.”
The program has been in Iowa for decades. Iowa’s three-year recidivism rate peaked at 38.9% in 2019 and has since fallen to 32.8%, based on the
latest data available
.
“I’m not trying to throw you a sales pitch,” Lamb said, but residential programming is “a good idea.”
Lamb said he doesn’t want to replace programs like the one run by the Sioux Falls-based nonprofit St. Francis House, but to add to it.
St. Francis House doesn’t cap how long residents can stay and limits rent to $250 a month. Lamb said a state-run program would include a time limit and higher rent.
A lack of “felon-friendly housing” is a major driver of recidivism, said Sioux Falls Mayor Paul TenHaken, who’s leaving his position soon after two terms in office. The problem won’t improve without government involvement, he added.
“If the state ever chooses to invest in St. Francis House programming, it’s money well spent,” TenHaken said.
Justice Center recommendations
The percentage of inmates who got rehabilitative programming increased from 27%to 44% between 2023 and 2025, according to a report presented Tuesday by the Council for State Governments Justice Center.
The national nonprofit was contracted to analyze the state’s prison system and help guide the task force’s work.
Despite the gains in programming, the group reported, 46% of inmates released in 2025 received none. Access was also limited by where inmates were held, due to space and staffing restrictions.
The justice center recommended several changes, including:
- Creating a rehabilitation and reentry division and hiring several new positions.
- Creating a centralized waitlist for programs.
- Streamlining the program catalog to reduce overlap and fill gaps.
- Sequencing programming to cover an inmate’s entire stay, rather than stacking programs in the last few months of their sentence.
- Creating a dedicated parole violation program track.
Many of those recommendations hinge on hiring and retaining adequate staff — one of the department’s most significant challenges, according to the group.
Sara Friedman, program director with the Justice Center, said her team consistently heard in interviews that the department tends to shift employees around when attempting new initiatives, rather than hiring. That creates gaps for inmates seeking programming.
Sometimes, for example, shifting staffing patterns will leave facilities without enough security staff to transport inmates to classrooms.
“Technically, you’re fully staffed, but you’re fully staffed so thinly that the moment one thing goes wrong, the waterfall effect is people are not getting their rehabilitative services,” Friedman said.
Lamb told South Dakota Searchlight after the presentation that he wasn’t surprised by the staffing recommendations. The department lacks adequate staff to backfill for sick or vacationing employees, he said, though he didn’t say how many more employees would need to be hired to address the issue.
The department is already working to create the new rehabilitation and reentry division and centralize its scheduling.
The task force plans to meet two more times before it’ll finalize its recommendations for the Legislature ahead of the next session, which starts in January.
— This story was originally published on southdakotasearchlight.com.
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