The Town Files

Hand County, South Dakota

3,140 people. The median home is worth $159,300 (typical South Dakota town: $182,100) and the median household earns $74,635.

Towns in Hand County

Towns in Hand County

TownPeopleMedian homeIncomeMedian age
Miller1,349$155,200$57,50041.9

People and housing

Hand CountyTypical South Dakota town
Median home value$159,300$182,100
Median rent$587$785
Median household income$74,635$66,086
Median age42.539.5
Bachelor's degree or higher28.4%23.6%
Below the poverty line5.2%10.1%

Jobs and pay

1,449 jobs in 2024, average pay $43,934 a year.

Largest industries in Hand CountyAgriculture, forestry & fishi…174 jobs · $51,670Retail152 jobs · $26,550Professional & technical serv…109 jobs · $58,554Manufacturing37 jobs · $86,878Construction32 jobs · $53,045
BLS QCEW 2024.
Unemployment rate in Hand County0%2%4%2000200420082012201620202023 1.6%
BLS LAUS via USDA ERS, annual averages.

Storms since 1996

NOAA recorded 779 storm events in Hand County from 1996 to 2026, with 3 deaths.

Storm events in Hand County by type since 1996Hail287Flood19Drought31Tornado22Blizzard41High Wind62Heavy Snow30Flash Flood23Winter Storm27Excessive Heat14
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database.

Federal disaster declarations

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

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
September 1, 2026Severe StormDR-4938: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding
August 15, 2024FloodDR-4807: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding
July 6, 2023FloodDR-4718: Flooding
April 5, 2020BiologicalDR-4527: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3475: Covid-19
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).