Scores by category

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

Safety76#224/924
Economy65#329/925
Housing72#260/925
Health72#256/925
Healthcare36#590/923
Environment88#112/917
Education39#569/925
Infrastructure51#454/925
Community66#313/925
Leisure & amenities77#217/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

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

Strengths

Average commute time · low13.4 min
100/100South Dakota 17.8 minUnited States 26.4 min2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08013
Unemployment rate · low2.0%
99/100South Dakota 2.1%United States 4.3%2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsPartial year
Drug overdose deaths · low0.0 /100k
99/100South Dakota 8.0 /100kUnited States 18.4 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) · low4.5 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
Grocery stores · high3.1 /10k
97/100South Dakota 2.0 /10kUnited States 1.7 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Social associations · high16.3 /10k
94/100South Dakota 15.4 /10kUnited States 9.1 /10k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties

Weaknesses

Pharmacies · low0.0 /10k
0/100South Dakota 1.4 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Preventable hospital stays · high4,908 /100k
2/100South Dakota 2,787 /100kUnited States 2,769 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Distance to an Amtrak station · high187 mi
4/100South Dakota 185 miUnited States 43 mi2026Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties
New business applications · low7.9 /1k
8/100South Dakota 12.9 /1kUnited States 16.6 /1k2025U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties
Public EV charging ports · low1.5 /10k
14/100South Dakota 3.6 /10kUnited States 7.6 /10kOct 2026U.S. Department of EnergyAggregated from counties
Gyms and fitness centers · low0.5 /10k
16/100South Dakota 1.2 /10kUnited States 1.3 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties

Trends

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

Drought exposureImproving
66% (2021) → 33% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
−32 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
Access to exercise opportunitiesImproving
49.0% (2010 & 2021) → 80.0% (2022 & 2024)
+31 pts3 yearsUS 79.8% → 84.5%
Drug overdose deathsImproving
8.2 /100k (2021) → 0.0 /100k (Mar 2025–Feb 2026)
−100%5 yearsUS 30.8 /100k → 18.4 /100k
PharmaciesWorsening
0.5 /10k (2020) → 0.0 /10k (2025)
−100%5 yearsUS 1.9 /10k → 1.8 /10k
Grocery storesImproving
1.6 /10k (2020) → 3.1 /10k (2025)
+95%5 yearsUS 1.7 /10k → 1.7 /10k
New homes permittedWorsening
6.9 /1k (2021) → 1.1 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
−84%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k

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, Huron, SD micropolitan area improved on 14 of 29 measures with a comparison and declined on 6. 5 moved within the margin of error and 4 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.

Improved14

Grocery stores+95%1.6 /10k → 3.1 /10k
Broadband+17 points72.1% → 88.9%
Bachelor's++6.4 points20.7% → 27.2%
Child poverty−9.2 points23.6% → 14.4%
Suicides−23%24.4 /100k → 18.9 /100k

Declined6

Libraries−53%1.1 /10k → 0.5 /10k
Pharmacies−100%0.5 /10k → 0.0 /10k
Rent / income+6.2 points21.3% → 27.5%
Rent burden+12 points28.0% → 40.2%
Arts & recreation−19%6.3 /10k → 5.1 /10k

All 29 measures

Change of every measure of Huron, SD micropolitan area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	6.3 /10k2020	5.1 /10k2025	−19%	Declined	6%
Average commute time	14.5 min2015-2019	13.4 min2020-2024	−1.2 min	Within the margin of error	90%
Average weekly wage	$8462020	$1,0382025	+23%	Improved	44%
Bachelor's degree or higher	20.7%2015-2019	27.2%2020-2024	+6.4 points	Improved	98%
Broadband subscriptions	72.1%2015-2019	88.9%2020-2024	+17 points	Improved	94%
Child poverty rate	23.6%2015-2019	14.4%2020-2024	−9.2 points	Improved	94%
Distance to an airport	92 mi2020	92 mi2025	0 mi	Little change	50%
Effective property tax rate	1.20%2015-2019	1.01%2020-2024	−0.2 points	Little change	70%
Firearm deaths	17.3 /100k2020	13.7 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−21%	Improved	83%
Grocery stores	1.6 /10k2020	3.1 /10k2025	+95%	Improved	99%
Gyms and fitness centers	0.5 /10k2020	0.5 /10k2025	−2.4%	Little change	34%
High school diploma or higher	84.9%2015-2019	87.5%2020-2024	+2.6 points	Within the margin of error	73%
Home price to income ratio	2.1×2015-2019	2.6×2020-2024	+0.5×	Declined	43%
Income adjusted for local prices	$53,7192019	$74,3092024	+38%	Improved	86%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4392015-2019	0.4492020-2024	+0.010	Within the margin of error	29%
Median household income	$51,6622015-2019	$67,6812020-2024	+31%	Improved	70%
New business applications	5.5 /1k2020	7.9 /1k2025	+43%	Improved	45%
Pharmacies	0.5 /10k2020	0.0 /10k2025	−100%	Declined	0%
Poverty rate	15.3%2015-2019	13.6%2020-2024	−1.7 points	Within the margin of error	68%
Property crime rate	1,594 /100k2020	1,090 /100k2025	−32%	Improved	46%
Public libraries	1.1 /10k2019	0.5 /10k2024	−53%	Declined	1%
Rent as share of income	21.3%2015-2019	27.5%2020-2024	+6.2 points	Declined	1%
Rent-burdened households	28.0%2015-2019	40.2%2020-2024	+12 points	Declined	2%
Restaurants and bars	11.5 /10k2020	11.2 /10k2025	−2.4%	Little change	34%
Suicide rate	24.4 /100k2020	18.9 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−23%	Improved	88%
Traffic deaths	13.1 /100k2015-2019	10.4 /100k2020-2024	−21%	Improved	89%
Unemployment rate	3.6%2020	2.0%2025	−1.6 points	Improved	13%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	8.9%2015-2019	8.9%2020-2024	+0 points	Within the margin of error	43%
Violent crime rate	253 /100k2020	240 /100k2025	−5%	Improved	33%

“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 Huron, SD micropolitan area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Huron, 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, Huron, SD micropolitan area itself moved +2.7 points in standing on average over the same 30 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

19,309 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

7,536 households (±234)

Huron, SD micropolitan area
United States share

Under $25k18%1,330
$25k–50k20%1,483
$50k–75k17%1,255

Homes

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

Owners and renters

7,536 households (±234)

Huron, SD micropolitan area
United States share

Own73%5,494
Rent27%2,042

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (+6.4 points).

Table view

Getting to work

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

How people get to work

9,440 workers (±355)

Huron, SD micropolitan area
United States share

Drive alone75%7,110
Carpool11%1,049
Public transit0.1%†10

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 Huron, 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.

Huron, SD has 573 employer establishments, 297 for every 10,000 residents (1.20× the US rate of 248), with 6,840 paid employees at an average annual pay of $48,538. The Census Bureau also counts 1,186 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 573; 1,186 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 297; US 248
Paid employees: 6,840
Average annual pay: $48,538; US $68,342

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

Specialty trade contractors	40	20.7	1.34×More than typical	163	$65,736	100
Restaurants and other eating places	29	15	0.82×About typical	366	$20,049	6
Religious organizations	26	13.5	2.43×More than typical	128	$20,414	—
Ambulatory health care services	25	13	0.62×Fewer than typical	249	$50,739	27
Automotive repair and maintenance	25	13	2.57×More than typical	90	$45,767	25
Truck transportation	25	13	2.56×More than typical	159	$58,491	62
Lessors of real estate	22	11.4	0.93×About typical	69	$27,145	138
Insurance agencies and brokerages	18	9.3	2.12×More than typical	91	$72,912	33
Services to buildings and dwellings	17	8.8	1.31×More than typical	75	$39,427	87
Banks and credit unions	16	8.3	2.57×More than typical	241	$75,959	—
Building equipment contractors	16	8.3	1.38×More than typical	82	$71,756	17
Gasoline stations	15	7.8	2.40×More than typical	156	$27,686	—

Rank places for an industry

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 19,294 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 $2.6M on contracts performed in Huron, SD micropolitan area: $132 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $2.6M; −76% vs FY2025
Per resident: $132; US $1,994
Sole-source: 0.0%; US 30%
Single offer: 30%; 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

Department of Energy$1.6M64%
Under Secretary for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services$294.8K11%
Federal Prison System / Bureau of Prisons$279.9K11%
Public Buildings Service$236.5K9.1%
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service$98.1K3.8%
Federal Aviation Administration$85.4K3.3%

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

17.9MFY2017
7.5MFY2018
5.9MFY2019
2.9MFY2020
4.5MFY2021
2.5MFY2022
9.1MFY2023
4.6M

Top industries (NAICS)

Accounting, tax preparation, bookkeeping, and payroll services · 5412$742.1K29%
Management, scientific, and technical consulting services · 5416$601.1K23%
Utility system construction · 2371$549.7K21%
Administration of economic programs · 9261$279.9K11%
Architectural, engineering, and related services · 5413$249.6K9.6%

Largest awards

LOWER BRULE BANK STABLIZATION$7.6M
THREE OAKS CONSTRUCTION, INC· Beadle County, SD· Construction & real property· Jan 31, 2025 – Apr 28, 2026· W9128F25C0010
SD-HURON WMD-CONSTRUCT MULTI-PUR BLDG$6M
RJS CONSTRUCTION, INC· Beadle County, SD· Construction & real property· May 1, 2023 – May 12, 2026· 140FC123F0022
NATIONAL RESOURCES INVENTORY (NRI) AND LOCAL DATA SURVEY INSTRUMENT (LDSI) DATA COLLECTION FOR NRCS SOUTH DAKOTA.$1.7M
SES INC.· Beadle County, SD· Facilities & utilities· Sep 30, 2024 – Jun 2, 2026· 12FPC124F0169
ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT SERVICES FOR THE UPPER GREAT PLAINS REGION.

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 $136.3M in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Huron, SD micropolitan area: $6,945 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $136.3M; +1.7% vs FY2025
Per resident: $6,945; US $12,955
Loan face value: $2.1M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 20%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$64.9M48%
10.990 · Farmer Bridge Assistance Program$12.7M9.3%
20.205 · Highway Planning and Construction$11.2M8.2%
10.988 · Supplemental Disaster Relief Program$10.9M8.0%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$7.6M5.5%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$6.1M4.5%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$5.9M4.3%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$3.8M2.8%

Top recipients (organizations)

STATE OF SOUTH DAKOTA$14.7M11%
PIERRE, SD
CITY OF HURON$1.2M0.9%
HURON, SD
HURON HOUSING PARTNERSHIP, INC.$915.9K0.7%
HURON, SD
DAKOTA PLAZA, LLC$333.1K0.2%
WEST FARGO, ND
COLONIAL APARTMENTS$276.6K0.2%

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$82.2M60%
Farm Service Agency$23.2M17%
Department of Agriculture
Federal Highway Administration$14.7M11%
Department of Transportation
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$7.3M5.3%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Natural Resources Conservation Service

Assistance by fiscal year

107.5MFY2021
94.5MFY2022
104.2MFY2023
115.1MFY2024
134MFY2025
136.3MFY2026

County aggregates

67%

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 Huron, 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.

Beadle CountyCentral county7319,624

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

HuronPrincipal city14,385

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.

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Places that share a border, best score first.

Mitchell, SD90

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
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/M26700

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved14

Declined6

Metro and micro areas like Huron, 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 Huron, SD

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in South Dakota

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved14

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