Vale, South Dakota

Vale, South Dakota
FIPS code		46-65940[4]
GNIS feature ID	2628852[2]

Vale is an

of 57788. The public school located in Vale, whose mascot was The Beet Diggers, closed in 1982.

Vale was so-named because the town site is located in a valley.^[6]

The Full Throttle Saloon, a large bar and entertainment site described as the world's largest biker bar^[7] and previously the subject of the reality television series Full Throttle Saloon, was rebuilt, moving from nearby Sturgis to 600 acres in Vale near Bear Butte.^[8]

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
2020	130		—
U.S. Decennial Census[9]

The 2022 U.S. Decennial Census reported a total population of 130. Vale's median age was 58.7 years, much higher than the state's 38.5 median; and 48.4% are over the age of 65. 122 of Vale's residents reported only white ethnicity; 2 reported Native American, 2 reported Asian, 3 reported Hispanic/Latino heritage, and 4 reported they were multiracial. The largest heritage group was Norwegian, with 23.7% of residents reporting Norwegian ancestry.^[9]

Vale has a poverty rate much higher than the state average. The median household income was $20,139, and the overall poverty rate was 26.9%, as opposed to the state's overall 12.5%. Only 11.1% of residents had completed a bachelor's degree or higher, in contrast to 31.6% of all South Dakotans. Most working residents are employed in education or social services, but the second-highest employment category is in agriculture.^[9]

References