Hughes County, South Dakota
Among the top 21% of US counties for affordability.
AffordabilityAffordability: grade B+, better than 79% of US counties
WeatherWeather: grade D, better than 21% of US counties
Safety & WellbeingSafety & Wellbeing: grade C, better than 40% of US counties
Getting AroundGetting Around: grade B+, better than 74% of US counties
Lifestyle & ConnectivityLifestyle & Connectivity: grade C, better than 43% of US counties
- top 1% for unemployment
- top 1% for commute time
- bottom 4% for school quality
Hughes County is a county in South Dakota with about 18,000 residents. It grades B+ for affordability and D for weather. Standout strengths include unemployment, commute time, and air quality. It rates lower on airport distance and school quality.
Official websitehughescounty.org (opens in new tab)
Climate
Warm summers · Harsh winters · Dry · Heavy snow
freez.
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83%59%clearovercast
Precipitation 2.9 in0.5 in
humid 53%dry
Livability factors
Affordability
Median Household Income$84k91st percentile — neutral, not ranked
Cost of Living$43kbetter than 75% of US counties
Home Value$217k72nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Monthly Rent$920better than 32% of US counties
Monthly Owner Costs$2kbetter than 26% of US counties
Property Tax Rate1.14%better than 30% of US counties
Income Tax0.00%better than 91% of US counties
Sales Tax6.11%better than 78% of US counties
Estimated total tax burden4.96%better than 92% of US counties
Unemployment0.4%better than 99% of US counties
Weather
Winter Temp (Jan)20°F12th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Summer Temp (Jul)75°F35th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Precipitation20.8 in14th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Snowfall43.3 inbetter than 17% of US counties
Sunny Days249 daysbetter than 63% of US counties
Summer Humidity61°Fbetter than 71% of US counties
Comfortable Days56 daysbetter than 14% of US counties
Safety & Wellbeing
Natural Disaster Risk16.5better than 82% of US counties
Air Quality14 AQIbetter than 97% of US counties
School Quality31.6better than 4% of US counties
Violent Crime1635/100kbetter than 12% of US counties
Property Crime1466/100kbetter than 26% of US counties
Community
Population17,81238th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Median Age39.229th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Racial Diversity0.3155th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Male/Female Ratio0.9941st percentile — neutral, not ranked
Political LeaningR+3040th percentile — neutral, not ranked
White (%)80.8%50th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Black (%)0.0%5th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Hispanic (%)3.4%36th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Asian (%)0.5%43rd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Other / Multiracial (%)15.2%96th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Getting Around
Commute Time14 minbetter than 99% of US counties
Walkability7.7/20better than 84% of US counties
Airport Distance298 mibetter than 6% of US counties
Lifestyle & Connectivity
Broadband Access89.3%better than 85% of US counties
Amenities Nearby1.12better than 38% of US counties
Park & Nature AccessLimitedbetter than 21% of US counties
Frequently asked questions
- Is Hughes County an affordable place to live?
- Hughes County is relatively affordable. Its cost-of-living index is $43k, better than 75% of comparable areas.
- What is the median home value in Hughes County?
- The median home value in Hughes County is $217k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- What is the median household income in Hughes County?
- Median household income in Hughes County is $84k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- How much is rent in Hughes County?
- Median gross rent in Hughes County is $920 a month, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Is Hughes County safe?
- Hughes County is higher-crime than most comparable areas, with a violent crime rate of 1635/100k (better than 12%). Property crime is 1466/100k.
- What is the weather like in Hughes County?
- Hughes County averages 75°F in July and 20°F in January, with 20.8 in of annual precipitation and about 249 sunny days a year.
- How are the schools in Hughes County?
- Public-school quality in Hughes County is below average, scoring better than 4% of comparable areas on a composite of graduation rates, spending, and student-teacher ratio.
- How long is the commute in Hughes County?
- The average one-way commute in Hughes County is 14 min.
Other counties in South Dakota
Explore South Dakota
Data sources
- EPA Air Quality (AQI)
- EPA Smart Location Database
- EPI Family Budget Calculator
- FAA airport enplanements
- FBI Uniform Crime Reports
- FEMA National Risk Index
- MIT Election Data Lab (2020)
- NCES School Finance Survey
- NOAA Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA nClimGrid
- OpenStreetMap
- Tax Foundation + state revenue depts
- U.S. Census ACS (5-Year)
- USGS Protected Areas (PAD-US)