HomeSouth DakotaHand County
Hand County, South Dakota: commercial real estate data.
Hand County, South Dakota has a population of 3,140 across 1,437 square miles, down 1.6 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $282.4 m in 2024, 135 establishments operate here.
85 sourced county values · tier FULL · 9 sections
Hand County
How many people live in Hand County
- Population3,140
- Households1,405
- Average household size2.23
- Median household income$74,635
- Median age42.5
- Median gross rent$587 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$159,300
- Home value to household income2.1 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income9.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher28.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree5.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over2,142
- Population under 18794
- Share under 1825.3 percent
- Population 65 and over759
- Share 65 and over24.2 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 641,587
- Civilian labor force1,676
- Unemployment rate0.8 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over71.4 percent
- Rank by population among South Dakota counties46th of 66
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents3029th
Hand County is the 46th largest of 66 South Dakota counties by population. A median home costs 2.1 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 25.3 percent against 24.2 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Hand County
Is Hand County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-1.62 percent
- Census 2020 base population3,148
- Births, 202433
- Deaths, 202442
- Natural change, 2024-9
- Net domestic migration, 2024-11
- Net international migration, 20243
- Total net migration, 2024-8
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20248
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2397th
The county has lost 1.62 percent of its population since the 2020 census base.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Hand County
Where people moving to Hand County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving51
- People arriving, from those returns97
- Adjusted gross income arriving$2.5 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$49,647
- Largest single originHand County Non-migrants (1,232 households)
- Largest single destination (1,232 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hand County Non-migrants | 1,232 | 2,561 | $105.6 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 51 | 97 | $2.5 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Hand County Non-migrants, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Hand County
What the Hand County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$282.4 m
- County GDP, 2023$297.4 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 2024-5.1 percent
- GDP change over five years49.5 percent
- Rank by GDP among South Dakota counties39th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents2737th
- GDP per resident$89,925
Output grew -5.1 percent in the latest year and 49.5 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Hand County
Who employs people in Hand County
- Covered employment, annual average1,449
- Establishments reporting171
- Average annual pay$43,934
- Average weekly wage$845
- Sector 11, employment174
- Sector 11, average annual pay$51,670
- Sector 44-45, employment152
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$26,550
- Sector 54, employment109
- Sector 54, average annual pay$58,554
- Sector 31-33, employment37
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$86,878
- Sector 23, employment32
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 11 | 174 | 31 | $51,670 |
| Sector 44-45 | 152 | 21 | $26,550 |
| Sector 54 | 109 | 13 | $58,554 |
| Sector 31-33 | 37 | 3 | $86,878 |
| Sector 23 | 32 | 14 | $53,045 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 174 jobs, 12.0 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Hand County
What businesses operate in Hand County
- Establishments, all industries135
- Employment at those establishments1,053
- Annual payroll$54.4 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents43.0
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Hand County
What is being built in Hand County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 20245
- Declared construction value permitted$1.0 m
- Single family units authorised5
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$206,000
- Units authorised per 1,000 households3.6
Multifamily is 0.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Hand County
How much SBA lending happens in Hand County
- 504 approvals recorded2
- 504 gross approval dollars$195,000
- Average 504 approval$97,500
- Median 504 approval$148,000
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval10.5
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved107.7
- Most active CDCAlly Dakota Development, Inc. (2)
US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Hand County
How big is Hand County
- Land area1,437 sq mi
- Rank by land area among South Dakota counties19th of 66
- Width, east to west30.1 mi
- Height, north to south48.5 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land2
- Establishments per square mile0.09
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- No 7(a) approvals recorded in this county in the FOIA release covering FY2020 onward.
- No NFIP communities are listed for this county in the FEMA Community Status Book.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Hand County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Hand County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population3,140
- Households1,405
- Average household size2.23
- Median household income$74,635
- Median age42.5
Common questions
Hand County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Hand County, South Dakota?
3,140, in 1,405 households, ranking 46th of 66 South Dakota counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Hand County growing?
The population has fallen 1.62 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 33 births against 42 deaths, with net migration of -8. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Hand County?
$74,635. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $159,300, which is 2.1 times income, and median gross rent is $587 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Hand County?
135 establishments, employing 1,053 people with an annual payroll of $54.4 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Hand County?
Average annual pay is $43,934, or $845 a week, across 1,449 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
What is being built in Hand County?
5 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $1.0 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Hand County?
Zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Hand County come from?
The largest single origin is Hand County Non-migrants, with 1,232 households. Arriving households report an average income of $49,647 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Hand County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Hand County?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.