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Can anyone tell me about living in the town of Pierre, SD? I have a wife and two girls and we are planning on moving to the area. How is the housing market, rentals, schools, and overall quality of life in the area?
What kind of changes will we have to make to adapt to the winters?
anything will help... only been to Rapid City a couple times. We are coming from Washington (Eastern... the red part of the state).
I lived there for 11 years. I did not like the place. It is smallish, only 13,000 people. Options for dining, activities and retail are not great.
If you're in to hunting, fishing and your kids play hockey you have things to do. The common Pierre weekend activity is to get in the car and go to Rapid or Sioux Falls. It is fairly isolated.
I spent one winter in Pierre in the 1970's, and it sounds like it hasn't changed much. Everyone's car had an electric outlet hanging out of the grill. That was so that you could plug the engine block heater into the house current. The snow is fine and dry, and it blows away easily, so that there was never a problem shovelling snow. The real problem is making sure the car can be started in cold as low as 20 below. We did have one hailstorm with golf-ball sized hail that left dents in the car. It is better if you get a house with a garage.
Summer arrives quickly with little spring. It can be dusty, as the wind blows constantly.
People said their were two ways to socialize: at the bars or at the churches. Otherwise it is family-oriented. The housing costs were very cheap compared to Richmond Virginia, where we came from. The schools seem to be decent. What surprised me most was that the largest ethnic minority were the Dakota Indians.
Thanks for the replies. We live in Eastern Washington which has four seasons. Summers are hot and dry and the winters average in the teens. I have visited sd twice and have felt the cold winds. It was a shock to the system but figure I can adjust since I prefer colder climates.
My family and I live in a very small town as it is and are used to traveling just to get groceries. My wife and I homeschool our two children due to the inefficient schools where we live. We would send them to a public school if it appears to be education driven not politically driven. We are of German descent and vote conservative. We like to hunt, fish, camp, ride motorcycles and travel.
It has been my experience that small towns in my state are succumbing to meth and heroin use amongst the populace. Also, huge illegal immigration due to the harvesting of apples. Small town American values are dwindling.
Does this reflect in Pierre at all?
Also... What do people typically drive in such colder climates? Am I inline to finally convince the wife to get a 6.7 Cummins
Also, huge illegal immigration due to the harvesting of apples. Small town American values are dwindling.
Does this reflect in Pierre at all?
Also... What do people typically drive in such colder climates? Am I inline to finally convince the wife to get a 6.7 Cummins
My information is old, so I hope someone else chimes in. The largest part of the agriculture industry was cattle ranching and they were family run. There was no great need for scores of workers, and it is too arid to grow much other than wheat. The C-D profile shows 2.6% Hispanics: https://www.city-data.com/city/Pierre-South-Dakota.html
The largest source of employment is the state government, and people were in technical and management jobs. So in general the population was pretty well educated and clean living (except for alcohol). (I can't comment on the state of meth, but you could telephone the police department.) I worked there installing and customizing a computer system for the State, so I interacted with the State techies primarily.
The schools get good ratings. I'd suggest living in town. There is basic shopping for groceries and sundries in town, so you should not have to drive more than 5 miles. They even have a Wal-Mart.
I saw lots of pick-ups and American-made cars. I don't see the need for such a huge diesel engine, unless you plan to shoot an elk and haul it home. There really isn't a need for a 4-wheel drive to get through snow, either. Although the C-D weather data shows up to 9-inch snowfall, but we saw little more than a dusting when we were there.
Other things you can glean from the C-D profile are that the crime is lower than average, people vote majority Republican, and mainline Protestants are the largest religious group. Norwegians and Germans are probably the largest ethnic groups. There is great fishing for walleye, and plenty of people hunt.
I would never want to live in Pierre, but I think you would probably feel compatible there.
Last edited by goldenage1; 06-12-2016 at 05:55 AM..
It has been my experience that small towns in my state are succumbing to meth and heroin use amongst the populace.
If you Google search for "meth Pierre", you will turn up a couple of articles. One quotes law enforcement saying there was a huge increase in serious crime. My feeling is that if you don't go looking for drugs you won't be hurt. I would certainly lock up the house and car to prevent theft. Article here: Meth Arrests Rising Across Hughes County - KCCR Pierre SD
When I lived there, people did not lock their houses when they were home. The most exciting thing that happened was a DC-3 loaded with marijuana landed in a field. There are so few aircraft in the area, that it was noticed immediately, and the pilot was arrested.
While they raise cattle around Pierre, the nearest meat packing plant I can find is in Sioux Falls. So there is one less reason to attract immigrant labor.
BTW, if you do get a diesel-powered truck, be sure to get one with the block heater.
Last edited by goldenage1; 06-12-2016 at 09:23 AM..
To the OP:. You will not need a diesel unless you haul. A Subaru or any all wheel drive will suffice.
We were in Pierre last week and we're not impressed. After all it is the seat of government. Everything is built on a hillside overlooking the rail line and/or the river. Lots to do if you're an outdoorsman. Otherwise pretty boring and very windy.
The American Indians are largest population (race) in the area with several large reservations nearby and the most destitute due to over bloated govt lack of basic needs and ignorance.
Okay. Pierre is consertive. Sure, there is a Walmart and recently a Menards opened up. That helps. Besides government employees, agriculture is huge part of the area. There is a salebarn in Fort Pierre. Sales run on Friday.
Plenty of farming along with grazing.
The other huge component of the area is outdoor activities. Hunting and fishing being popular. Plenty of waterfowl, upland birds, and deer. Fishing is a year round deal. Screw ice fishing, IMO.
Pierre is an overgrown high school in some ways, very cliquish. Activities, other than hunting and fishing? Drinking and carousing come to mind. Sports, the high school had an okay football team last year. Hockey is big. There is an American Legion post baseball team.
The other activity on weekends is to load up and drive three hours to go to Rapid City or Sioux Falls to shop. If that's the case, why not live in Rapid or Sioux Falls?
I don't live in Pierre so I can't speak to the day-to-day interactions, but I've been there dozens of times over the years and have always liked it. The capital grounds are beautiful and so is the Missouri. It would be considered very isolated by a lot of people, but if you're coming from western WA then it probably won't seem like a big deal. Quality of life, education, cost of living, etc. is really pretty decent everywhere in SD (unless you're actually on one of the reservations which is a whole different ballgame).
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There really isn't a need for a 4-wheel drive to get through snow, either. Although the C-D weather data shows up to 9-inch snowfall, but we saw little more than a dusting when we were there.
