Vale, South Dakota | |
|---|---|
| Coordinates: 44°37′15″N103°23′55″W / 44.62083°N 103.39861°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | South Dakota |
| County | Butte |
| Area | |
• Total | 1.49 sq mi (3.86 km2) |
| • Land | 1.49 sq mi (3.86 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 2,772 ft (845 m) |
| Population | |
• Total | 130 |
| • Density | 87.3/sq mi (33.71/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-7 (Mountain (MST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-6 (MDT) |
| ZIP code | 57788 |
| Area code | 605 |
| FIPS code | 46-65940 [4] |
| GNIS feature ID | 2628852 [2] |
Vale is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Butte County, South Dakota, United States. According to the 2020 census, the population was 130. [5] Vale has been assigned the ZIP code 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]
| 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]