The Town Files

Hamlin County, South Dakota

6,373 people. The median home is worth $208,600 (typical South Dakota town: $182,100) and the median household earns $87,101.

Towns in Hamlin County

Towns in Hamlin County

TownPeopleMedian homeIncomeMedian age
Estelline749$142,200$78,43834.1
Castlewood698$198,200$87,04536.5
Lake Norden554$192,600$75,68824.2
Lake Poinsett501$493,200$96,87562.6

People and housing

Hamlin CountyTypical South Dakota town
Median home value$208,600$182,100
Median rent$800$785
Median household income$87,101$66,086
Median age31.839.5
Bachelor's degree or higher24.5%23.6%
Below the poverty line6.9%10.1%

Jobs and pay

2,629 jobs in 2024, average pay $55,544 a year.

Largest industries in Hamlin CountyConstruction491 jobs · $64,459Retail196 jobs · $49,537Wholesale trade193 jobs · $70,919Health care & social assistan…115 jobs · $31,257
BLS QCEW 2024.
Unemployment rate in Hamlin County0%2%4%6%2000200420082012201620202023 1.8%
BLS LAUS via USDA ERS, annual averages.

Storms since 1996

NOAA recorded 586 storm events in Hamlin County from 1996 to 2026, with 7 deaths.

Storm events in Hamlin County by type since 1996Hail171Flood52Drought22Tornado13Blizzard57High Wind30Heavy Snow29Flash Flood18Winter Storm26Excessive Heat13
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database.

Federal disaster declarations

Hamlin County has been included in 22 FEMA declarations since 1953.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
February 27, 2023Winter StormDR-4689: Severe Winter Storms And Snowstorm
June 29, 2022Severe StormDR-4656: Severe Storm, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding
April 5, 2020BiologicalDR-4527: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3475: Covid-19
September 23, 2019FloodDR-4463: Severe Storms And Flooding
June 7, 2019FloodDR-4440: Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, And Flooding
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024; BLS QCEW and LAUS; NOAA Storm Events; FEMA OpenFEMA (not endorsed by FEMA).