[10] Dickinson is the principal city of the Dickinson Micropolitan Statistical Area, a micropolitan area that covers Billings and Stark counties and had a combined population of 34,591 at the 2020 census.

[13] Dickinson was the site of an EF3 tornado in 2009 that damaged more than 450 homes and businesses, with 100 beyond repair, but with no injuries or casualties.

Nearly all of Stark County has a humid continental climate of warm summer (Köppen: Dfb), but due to low precipitation and marginality between climate with monsoon-influenced dry winter (Dwb) and semi-arid climate (BSk), Dickinson can be said to be prone to periods of drought, even though it is defined as wet all year round.

The average window for freezing temperatures is September 22 thru May 16 and for measurable (≥0.1 inches or 0.25 centimetres) snow, October 26 thru April 19.

Due to the relative aridity, there are only 2.8 days where 24-hour snowfall exceeds 3 inches (7.6 cm).

With a period of record dating only to 1893, extreme temperatures range from −47 °F (−44 °C) as recently as January 12, 2011 to 114 °F (46 °C) on July 6, 1936.

[21] The top nine reported ancestries (people were allowed to report up to two ancestries, thus the figures will generally add to more than 100%) were German (38.3%), Norwegian (11.2%), Irish (7.2%), English (5.7%), French (except Basque) (2.3%), Italian (2.0%), Polish (1.0%), Scottish (1.0%), and Subsaharan African (0.3%).

There were 7,865 housing units at an average density of 789.7 inhabitants per square mile (304.9/km2).

33.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 7,033 housing units at an average density of 742.7 inhabitants per square mile (286.8/km2).

The top six ancestry groups in the city are German (54.1%), Norwegian (14.2%), Czech (7.5%), Russian (7.2%), Irish (5.5%), English (3.7%).

32.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

The Dickinson Police Department employs about 50 full-time sworn police officers and 24 full-time civilian employees, including dispatchers, records staff and animal control.