Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US metro and micro areas.

Safety64#335/924
Economy79#194/925
Housing67#310/925
Health93#66/925
Healthcare80#183/923
Environment83#161/917
Education84#153/925
Infrastructure50#463/925
Community84#150/925
Leisure & amenities78#200/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Aberdeen, SD micropolitan area ranks highest and lowest among US metro and micro areas (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Average commute time · low14.3 min
99/100South Dakota 17.8 minUnited States 26.4 min2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08013
Unemployment rate · low2.1%
99/100South Dakota 2.1%United States 4.3%2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsPartial year
Mammography screening · high60.4%
98/100South Dakota 54.0%United States 46.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Income adjusted for local prices · high$92,971
97/100South Dakota $85,453United States $73,2042024U.S. Bureau of Economic AnalysisEstimated from related areas or data (see the source notes)Aggregated from counties
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) · low4.6 µg/m³
97/100South Dakota 5.1 µg/m³United States 8.0 µg/m³2022Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyAggregated from counties
Drug overdose deaths · low6.7 /100k
96/100South Dakota 8.0 /100kUnited States 18.4 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties

Weaknesses

Distance to an airport · high129 mi
7/100South Dakota 114 miUnited States 33 mi2025Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties
Public EV charging ports · low1.0 /10k
8/100South Dakota 3.6 /10kUnited States 7.6 /10kOct 2026U.S. Department of EnergyAggregated from counties
Distance to an Amtrak station · high128 mi
11/100South Dakota 185 miUnited States 43 mi2026Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties
Days with unhealthy air · high1.7%
19/1002025U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Comfortable days · low23.7%
20/100South Dakota 22.8%United States 26.8%2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationAggregated from counties
Job growth · low-1.3%
25/100South Dakota 0.2%United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional data

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

Drought exposureImproving
69% (2021) → 2% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
−68 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
Access to exercise opportunitiesImproving
63.7% (2010 & 2021) → 80.0% (2022 & 2024)
+16 pts3 yearsUS 79.8% → 84.5%
Income adjusted for local pricesImproving
$60,692 (2019) → $92,971 (2024)
+53%5 yearsUS $55,567 → $73,204
Property crime rateImproving
1,767 /100k (2019) → 979 /100k (2025)
−45%6 yearsUS 2,082 /100k → 1,535 /100k
Rent-burdened householdsWorsening
36.2% (2015-2019) → 45.1% (2020-2024)
+8.9 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
79.7% (2015-2019) → 88.0% (2020-2024)
+8.3 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Aberdeen, SD micropolitan area improved on 12 of 30 measures with a comparison and declined on 6. 7 moved within the margin of error and 5 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among metro and micro areas: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2015-2019 with 2020-2024); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved12

Real income+53%$60,692 → $92,971
Uninsured−2.8 points9.5% → 6.7%
Gyms+35%0.7 /10k → 1.0 /10k
Bachelor's++4.1 points29.1% → 33.2%
Traffic deaths−7.6%9.3 /100k → 8.6 /100k

Declined6

Pharmacies−37%1.9 /10k → 1.2 /10k
Rent burden+8.9 points36.2% → 45.1%
Arts & recreation−17%9.2 /10k → 7.7 /10k
Restaurants−7.5%10.7 /10k → 9.9 /10k
Firearm deaths+9.7%11.3 /100k → 12.4 /100k

All 30 measures

Change of every measure of Aberdeen, SD micropolitan area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	9.2 /10k2020	7.7 /10k2025	−17%	Declined	7%
Average commute time	13.3 min2015-2019	14.3 min2020-2024	+1.1 min	Within the margin of error	30%
Average weekly wage	$9322020	$1,0852025	+16%	Improved	6%
Bachelor's degree or higher	29.1%2015-2019	33.2%2020-2024	+4.1 points	Improved	79%
Broadband subscriptions	79.7%2015-2019	88.0%2020-2024	+8.3 points	Improved	43%
Child poverty rate	10.9%2015-2019	12.0%2020-2024	+1.1 points	Within the margin of error	14%
Distance to an airport	129 mi2020	129 mi2025	+0 mi	Little change	11%
Drug overdose deaths	7.0 /100k2020	6.7 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	−4.1%	Little change	32%
Effective property tax rate	1.29%2015-2019	1.04%2020-2024	−0.2 points	Little change	83%
Firearm deaths	11.3 /100k2020	12.4 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+9.7%	Declined	35%
Grocery stores	1.7 /10k2020	1.7 /10k2025	+1.5%	Little change	57%
Gyms and fitness centers	0.7 /10k2020	1.0 /10k2025	+35%	Improved	83%
High school diploma or higher	93.0%2015-2019	93.5%2020-2024	+0.5 points	Within the margin of error	16%
Home price to income ratio	2.8×2015-2019	3.0×2020-2024	+0.2×	Within the margin of error	76%
Homicide rate	3.9 /100k2020	2.3 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−40%	Improved	67%
Income adjusted for local prices	$60,6922019	$92,9712024	+53%	Improved	99%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4452015-2019	0.4612020-2024	+0.016	Within the margin of error	19%
Median household income	$59,2702015-2019	$71,4882020-2024	+21%	Improved	16%
New business applications	7.5 /1k2020	9.5 /1k2025	+27%	Improved	22%
Pharmacies	1.9 /10k2020	1.2 /10k2025	−37%	Declined	5%
Poverty rate	9.9%2015-2019	11.5%2020-2024	+1.6 points	Within the margin of error	8%
Public libraries	1.2 /10k2019	1.2 /10k2024	+2.6%	Little change	78%
Rent as share of income	23.7%2015-2019	26.9%2020-2024	+3.2 points	Within the margin of error	10%
Rent-burdened households	36.2%2015-2019	45.1%2020-2024	+8.9 points	Declined	5%
Restaurants and bars	10.7 /10k2020	9.9 /10k2025	−7.5%	Declined	18%
Suicide rate	17.1 /100k2020	18.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+9.7%	Declined	38%
Traffic deaths	9.3 /100k2015-2019	8.6 /100k2020-2024	−7.6%	Improved	75%
Unemployment rate	3.8%2020	2.1%2025	−1.7 points	Improved	14%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	9.5%2015-2019	6.7%2020-2024	−2.8 points	Improved	92%
Violent crime rate	423 /100k2020	348 /100k2025	−18%	Improved	53%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 708 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master files; Public Libraries Survey; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 925 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Metro and micro areas like Aberdeen, SD micropolitan area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Aberdeen, SD micropolitan area in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Aberdeen, SD micropolitan area itself moved −4.2 points in standing on average over the same 29 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

41,925 residents

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

17,915 households (±343)

Aberdeen, SD micropolitan area
United States share

Under $25k17%2,989
$25k–50k19%3,475
$50k–75k17%3,033

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

17,915 households (±343)

Aberdeen, SD micropolitan area
United States share

Own69%12,336
Rent31%5,579

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (+3.3 points).

Table view

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

21,219 workers (±678)

Aberdeen, SD micropolitan area
United States share

Drive alone78%16,611
Carpool9.5%2,015
Public transit0.5%†103

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes no occupation wages for Aberdeen, SD micropolitan area.

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

Aberdeen, SD has 1,361 employer establishments, 326 for every 10,000 residents (1.31× the US rate of 248), with 18,153 paid employees at an average annual pay of $50,031. The Census Bureau also counts 3,612 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 1,361; 3,612 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 326; US 248
Paid employees: 18,153
Average annual pay: $50,031; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Aberdeen, SD by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Specialty trade contractors	108	25.9	1.67×More than typical	556	$65,336	220
Ambulatory health care services	81	19.4	0.93×About typical	894	$68,838	139
Restaurants and other eating places	68	16.3	0.89×About typical	1,249	$19,331	13
Lessors of real estate	63	15.1	1.23×About typical	189	$53,746	611
Insurance agencies and brokerages	54	12.9	2.95×More than typical	214	$66,126	94
Construction of buildings	53	12.7	1.68×More than typical	206	$63,175	91
Building equipment contractors	48	11.5	1.91×More than typical	263	$54,205	29
Religious organizations	43	10.3	1.86×More than typical	281	$24,996	—
Automotive repair and maintenance	40	9.6	1.90×More than typical	161	$45,540	51
Truck transportation	39	9.3	1.85×More than typical	162	$56,395	120
Services to buildings and dwellings	37	8.9	1.32×More than typical	149	$36,893	200
Amusement, gambling and recreation industries	31	7.4	2.79×More than typical	400	$14,778	30

Rank places for an industry

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 41,720 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
A metro area's figures are the exact sums of its counties.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $5.7M on contracts performed in Aberdeen, SD micropolitan area: $137 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $5.7M
Per resident: $137; US $1,994
Sole-source: 35%; US 30%
Single offer: 14%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Indian Health Service$4.4M77%
Public Buildings Service$610K11%
Bureau of Indian Affairs and Bureau of Indian Education$357.2K6.3%
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service$209.6K3.7%
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Financial Resources$81.1K1.4%
Department of the Army$27.8K0.5%
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration$23.3K0.4%
Consumer Product Safety Commission$17.4K0.3%

Top recipients

COLOSSAL CONTRACTING LLC$1.3M22%
FLATWATER PROFESSIONAL SERVICES COMPANY$914K16%
DELTA DENTAL OF SOUTH DAKOTA$553.3K9.7%
DAE SUNG LLC$502.5K8.8%
COAST MACHINERY LLC$268.3K4.7%

Spending by fiscal year

29.9MFY2017
19.6MFY2018
25.2MFY2019
30.6MFY2020
44.1MFY2021
49MFY2022
25.3MFY2023
45.8M

Top industries (NAICS)

Computer systems design and related services · 5415$1.6M28%
Computer and peripheral equipment manufacturing · 3341$970.4K17%
Electronic and precision equipment repair and maintenance · 8112$586.9K10%
Insurance carriers · 5241$522.7K9.2%
Nonresidential building construction · 2362$458.9K8.1%
Agriculture, construction, and mining machinery manufacturing · 3331

Largest awards

FIRM FIXED PRICE ONE YEAR "BRIDGE CONTRACT" FOR DENTAL SPECIALTY SERVICES FOR THE GREAT PLAINS AREA, ABERDEEN, SD.$3.1M
DELTA DENTAL OF SOUTH DAKOTA· Brown County, SD· Professional services· Aug 6, 2025 – Jun 18, 2026· 75H70625C00015
ABERDEEN FIRE ALARM PANEL AND SYSTEMS REPLACEMENT$2M
OCS-NCS JV II, LLC· Brown County, SD· Construction & real property· Sep 19, 2025 – Mar 9, 2026· 47PJ0025C0033
GROTON SUBSTATION, STAGE 15, SOUTH DAKOTA$1.6M
ADDISON CONSTRUCTION CO· Brown County, SD· Construction & real property· Sep 22, 2023 – Dec 8, 2025· 89503423CWA000068
TASK ORDER ISSUED AGAINST HHSI236201800003I TO WORLDWIDE MEDICAL SERVICES, LLC TO PROVIDE EMERGENCY ROOM DEPARTMENT SERVICES FOR THE STANDING ROCK IHS HOSPITAL, FORT YATES, NORTH DAKOTA. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE IS JULY 1, 2021 THROUGH NOVEMBER 30, 2021

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $314.8M in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Aberdeen, SD micropolitan area: $7,570 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $314.8M; −4.3% vs FY2025
Per resident: $7,570; US $12,955
Loan face value: $24.4M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 19%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$168.7M54%
10.990 · Farmer Bridge Assistance Program$32.5M10%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$17.9M5.7%
10.988 · Supplemental Disaster Relief Program$17.6M5.6%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$14.8M4.7%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$13M4.1%
20.205 · Highway Planning and Construction$6.9M2.2%
20.901 · Payments for Essential Air Services$5.2M1.6%

Top recipients (organizations)

STATE OF SOUTH DAKOTA$11.9M3.8%
PIERRE, SD
SKYWEST AIRLINES INC$5.2M1.6%
SAINT GEORGE, UT
NORTHERN STATE UNIVERSITY$4M1.3%
ABERDEEN, SD
NORTHEAST SD HEADSTART PROGRAM INC$3.8M1.2%
ABERDEEN, SD
ABERDEEN HOUSING, LLC$3.2M

Organizations only: awards to individuals and county aggregate records count in the totals but are never listed. Grants to state governments recorded at the agency's own address are counted statewide, not in the capital's county.

Top agencies

Social Security Administration$200.8M64%
Farm Service Agency$50.4M16%
Department of Agriculture
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$20.1M6.4%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Federal Highway Administration$11.9M3.8%
Department of Transportation
Natural Resources Conservation Service

Assistance by fiscal year

295MFY2021
428.4MFY2022
268.3MFY2023
281.7MFY2024
328.9MFY2025
314.8MFY2026

County aggregates

71%

Share of obligations reported only as county totals of many small awards (for example Social Security or Medicare payments), with no recipient named.

Source: Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Counties in Aberdeen, SD

Whole counties, as the U.S. Office of Management and Budget delineates the area. Federal spending below is the exact sum of these counties.

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

AberdeenPrincipal city28,189

Largest cities and towns

By population, for places with most of their residents in the area.

Other metro and micro areas in South Dakota

Areas based in South Dakota, best score first.

Similar metro and micro areas

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-09-29
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
Air Quality Index Annual Summary by CountyU.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2025
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/M10100

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved12

Declined6

Metro and micro areas like Aberdeen, SD micropolitan area five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Getting to work

How people get to work

Jobs and pay

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Counties in Aberdeen, SD

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in South Dakota

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved12

Declined6

Age and sex

Household income

Owners and renters

How people get to work

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Time to get to work

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

By type

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

What was bought