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Living in
Aberdeen.
About
Life in Aberdeen
Aberdeen offers the practical advantages of a small city without feeling isolated—you're looking at an 11-minute average commute, 2.1% unemployment, and a median home price around $217,300 with rents averaging $762 per month. The presence of Northern State University shapes the community's character and keeps cultural offerings alive through theater productions, galleries, and annual events like the South Dakota Film Festival. That said, you need to be comfortable with genuine seasonal extremes: summers regularly hit the low 90s with humidity, and winters bring legitimate cold with 38 days dropping below zero and 42 inches of snow.
Aberdeen at a Glance
Population, income, housing and more
Median Age
36.4 yrs
Poverty Rate
13.8%
Foreign-Born
5.3%
Broadband Internet
87.7%
of households
Population Growth
-1.8%
recent change · Census Bureau
Median household income
Demographics5.3% foreign-born, most often from Canada
Who lives in Aberdeen: race and ethnicity, ages, households, languages and countries of origin
In Aberdeen, the largest foreign-born group is from Canada (30.4%), and 2.9% of residents speak Spanish at home.
Under 18
22.4%
of residents
65 and Older
16.4%
of residents
Households with Kids
27.5%
anyone under 18
Living Alone
41.2%
of households
Married Couples
39.3%
of households
Avg Household Size
2.18
people
Race & Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino of any race; other groups are non-Hispanic
Top countries of origin (foreign-born)
Languages Spoken at Home
Cost of Livingrent 19% below SD average
Rent, home values, and income in Aberdeen
In Aberdeen, rent runs 19% below the SD average, and home values are 16% below the SD average.
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
Rent Burdened
44.4%
spending 30%+ of income on rent
Severely Rent Burdened
24.7%
spending 50%+
Median Property Tax
$2,719
per year, owner-occupied homes
Homeowners
61.7%
of occupied homes are owned
Typical Home Built
1972
median year built
Vacant Homes
8.7%
of housing units
Home Value Trend
Latest: $243,640 (September 2026)
Jobs & Economyunemployment about average for SD
Unemployment in Aberdeen
Unemployment in Aberdeen is close to the SD average.
Unemployment rate
City-level rate · BLS annual average
Unemployment Rate — 10 Year Trend
City-level (BLS) · Annual averages
What Aberdeen Residents Do for Work · share of employed residents by industry
City residents, wherever they work
Commute11.9 min avg
How Aberdeen residents get to work, and the nearest airports
In Aberdeen, most residents drive alone to work (79%), and 95% get there in under 30 minutes.
How People Get to Work
Commute Time Distribution
Nearest airports · with airline service
- 3 mi
Aberdeen Regional Airport (ABR)
Regional airport · few flights26k passengers boarded in 2025
Straight-line distance. Size is the FAA’s hub category, based on passenger traffic: regional airports may have only a few flights a day.
Safetyviolent crime 29% above national average
Crime rates for 2025
Violent crime in Aberdeen runs 29% above the national average.
Violent Crime Rate
424.6
per 100,000 residents
Above average (329 national, 2025)
Property Crime Rate
1,320.6
per 100,000 residents
Below average (1,552 national, 2025)
Aberdeen Police Department
Natural DisastersFlood most common — 42 events in 2025
Natural hazard risk, storms and earthquakes
FEMA National Risk Index
Relatively Low
73.5 / 100
Compares expected losses from natural hazards, social vulnerability and community resilience against every US county (higher = more risk).
Brown County, county-wide · FEMA NRI December 2025
In Brown County, which includes Aberdeen, the most common type is flood, with 42 recorded events in 2025.
Most common events:
Storm events by year
| Year | Events | Top Type | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 42 | Thunderstorm Wind | None reported |
| 2024 | 21 | Thunderstorm Wind | None reported |
| 2023 | 29 | Flood | $150,000 |
| 2022 | 50 | Flood | None reported |
| 2021 | 29 | Drought | None reported |
| 2020 | 33 | Flood | None reported |
| 2019 | 40 | Flood | $745,300 |
| 2018 | 23 | Drought | None reported |
Property damage is the National Weather Service's estimate filed with each event. “None reported” means the events were logged with $0 damage; “Not estimated” means no estimate was filed. Storms covering several counties aren't counted here, since NOAA doesn't split their damage by county.
0 earthquakes of magnitude 2.5+ within 100 miles in the past year
Brown County, county-wide
Air Quality27 median AQI — Good
Days by air quality category (2025)
Air quality in Brown County, which includes Aberdeen, is typically good — 301 good-air days per year.
Median AQI
27
Good Days
301
per year
Moderate Days
53
per year
Unhealthy Days
0
per year
Brown County, county-wide
Climate80°F summers, 5°F winters
30-year climate averages (1991–2020) — monthly temperatures and precipitation
Aberdeen has warm summers (avg high 80°F) and very cold winters (avg low 5°F).
Spring (Mar–May)
54°/32°F
avg high / low
Summer (Jun–Aug)
80°/57°F
avg high / low
Fall (Sep–Nov)
56°/34°F
avg high / low
Winter (Dec–Feb)
24°/5°F
avg high / low
Annual Precipitation
22.9"
Annual Snowfall
42.7"
Hot Days/Year
16
days above 90°F
Freeze Days/Year
180
days below 32°F
Rainy Days/Year
98
Average month
Show month-by-month table ↓Hide table ↑
| Month | High | Low | Precip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 21°F | 2°F | 0.50" |
| Feb | 25°F | 6°F | 0.59" |
| Mar | 39°F | 19°F | 0.93" |
| Apr | 54°F | 32°F | 1.93" |
| May | 68°F | 45°F | 3.37" |
| Jun | 78°F | 55°F | 3.68" |
| Jul | 83°F | 60°F | 3.38" |
| Aug | 81°F | 57°F | 2.38" |
| Sep | 72°F | 48°F | 2.16" |
| Oct | 57°F | 34°F | 2.09" |
| Nov | 40°F | 20°F | 0.74" |
| Dec | 26°F | 8°F | 0.61" |
Healthcare2 hospitals, avg 4.0/5
Hospitals, ratings, and health insurance in Aberdeen
Aberdeen has 2 hospitals, averaging 4.0 out of 5 on CMS's quality rating — above-average care.
Hospitals
2
within city limits
Uninsured
5.5%
of residents
Avg Hospital Rating
4.0 / 5
Avera St Lukes
Acute Care Hospitals · ER available
Sanford Medical Center Aberdeen
Acute Care Hospitals · ER available
Adult Health · vs. the typical US place
Share of adults. Modeled estimates, not counted cases. “US” = the typical US place.
Medicare-certified hospitals only. Doesn’t include clinics, urgent care, or freestanding ERs.
Education13.9:1 student/teacher ratio
Schools and degree attainment in Aberdeen
Aberdeen's student/teacher ratio is 13.9:1 (lower than the national average of 16:1), and 35.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Public Schools
12
within city limits
Private Schools
9
within city limits
College Degree Rate
35.0%
adults 25+ with bachelor's or higher
Student/Teacher Ratio
13.9:1
National avg 16:1
Schools located within city limits (2023) — school-level metrics change slowly year to year
Colleges & Universities in Aberdeen
Public · 4-year · 1,273 students · in-state tuition $9,824 · 53% graduate · median earnings $51,006 (10 yrs after entry)
Degree-granting colleges with 100+ students, placed by campus location (main campuses only — branch campuses are reported under their parent school)
Parks & Recreation
Nearby national parks, recreation areas and public libraries for Aberdeen
Nearby National Parks & Recreation Areas
Public Libraries in Aberdeen
K.O. Lee Aberdeen Public Library
215 Fourth Avenue Se, Aberdeen
Cities Near Aberdeen
The closest cities within 60 miles
No other cities we cover are within 60 miles of Aberdeen.
Planning a move to Aberdeen?
Read our full moving guide — what it's really like to live here.
Aberdeen FAQ
Is Aberdeen, South Dakota affordable?⌄
Aberdeen's median rent is $762/month, which is below the national average, making it relatively affordable. The median household income is $64,405/year. Median home value is $217,300.
Is Aberdeen, South Dakota safe?⌄
Aberdeen's violent crime rate was 425 per 100,000 residents in 2025, which is above the national average of 329/100k that year. Property crime rate is 1321 per 100,000. As with any city, crime rates vary by neighborhood.
What is the job market like in Aberdeen, South Dakota?⌄
Aberdeen has an unemployment rate of 2.1%, which is strong — well below the national average of 4.3%.
What is the cost of living in Aberdeen, South Dakota?⌄
The cost of living in Aberdeen is primarily driven by housing. Median rent is $762/month and median household income is $64,405/year. The median home value is $217,300. About 44% of renters spend more than 30% of their income on housing.
How is the commute in Aberdeen, South Dakota?⌄
The average commute in Aberdeen is 12 minutes, which is shorter than average compared to the national average of 26 minutes.
Data from the US Census Bureau, BLS, FBI, NOAA, EPA, Zillow Research and other public sources. Where our data comes from