HomeSouth DakotaHarding County
Harding County, South Dakota: commercial real estate data.
Harding County, South Dakota has a population of 1,148 across 2,671 square miles, up 1.1 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $90.7 m in 2024, 43 establishments operate here.
74 sourced county values · tier FULL · 9 sections
Harding County
How many people live in Harding County
- Population1,148
- Households498
- Average household size2.31
- Median household income$80,441
- Median age46.3
- Median gross rent$521 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$166,100
- Home value to household income2.1 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income7.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher30.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree3.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over816
- Population under 18268
- Share under 1823.3 percent
- Population 65 and over238
- Share 65 and over20.7 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 64642
- Civilian labor force693
- Unemployment rate0.9 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over78.8 percent
- Rank by population among South Dakota counties65th of 66
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents3180th
Harding County is the 65th 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 23.3 percent against 20.7 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Harding County
Is Harding County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base1.15 percent
- Census 2020 base population1,310
- Births, 202417
- Deaths, 20240
- Natural change, 202417
- Net domestic migration, 2024-6
- Net international migration, 20241
- Total net migration, 2024-5
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-21
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1433rd
The county has grown 1.15 percent since the 2020 census base. Births exceeded deaths in 2024 but more people left than arrived, so the population is being sustained internally rather than attracting.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Harding County
Where people moving to Harding County come from
- Adjusted gross income arriving$0
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Largest single originHarding County Non-migrants (509 households)
- Largest single destination (509 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harding County Non-migrants | 509 | 1,140 | $70.3 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Harding 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.
Harding County
What the Harding County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$90.7 m
- County GDP, 2023$66.4 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 202436.6 percent
- GDP change over five years80.1 percent
- Rank by GDP among South Dakota counties63rd
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents3067th
- GDP per resident$78,992
Output grew 36.6 percent in the latest year and 80.1 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.
Harding County
Who employs people in Harding County
- Covered employment, annual average444
- Establishments reporting68
- Average annual pay$46,625
- Average weekly wage$897
- Sector 23, employment91
- Sector 23, average annual pay$57,648
- Sector 44-45, employment51
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$31,638
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 23 | 91 | 9 | $57,648 |
| Sector 44-45 | 51 | 6 | $31,638 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 91 jobs, 20.5 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.
Harding County
What businesses operate in Harding County
- Establishments, all industries43
- Employment at those establishments344
- Annual payroll$22.6 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents37.5
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.
Harding County
What is being built in Harding County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 20240
- Declared construction value permitted$0
- Single family units authorised0
- Multifamily units authorised0
No residential units were authorised by permit in 2024. In a small county this is common and is not by itself a sign of distress, but it does mean there is no recent residential pipeline to read demand from.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Harding County
How much SBA lending happens in Harding County
- 504 approvals recorded1
- 504 gross approval dollars$133,000
- Average 504 approval$133,000
- Median 504 approval$133,000
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval1.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved7.5
- Most active CDCAlly Dakota Development, Inc. (1)
US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Harding County
How big is Harding County
- Land area2,671 sq mi
- Rank by land area among South Dakota counties4th of 66
- Width, east to west53.2 mi
- Height, north to south50.6 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary2
- Residents per square mile of land0
- Establishments per square mile0.02
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 Harding 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 Harding County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population1,148
- Households498
- Average household size2.31
- Median household income$80,441
- Median age46.3
Common questions
Harding County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Harding County, South Dakota?
1,148, in 498 households, ranking 65th of 66 South Dakota counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Harding County growing?
The population has grown 1.15 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 17 births against 0 deaths, with net migration of -5. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Harding County?
$80,441. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $166,100, which is 2.1 times income, and median gross rent is $521 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Harding County?
43 establishments, employing 344 people with an annual payroll of $22.6 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 Harding County?
Average annual pay is $46,625, or $897 a week, across 444 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
What is being built in Harding County?
No residential units were authorised by permit in 2024. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Harding County?
Zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 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 Harding County come from?
The largest single origin is Harding County Non-migrants, with 509 households. Arriving households report an average income of null 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 Harding 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 Harding 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.