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Hand County, South Dakota

Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 27% of Hand County's mapped land, a higher share than 78% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 16%.

10.9% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 3 flood losses here since 2016. 70% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1966.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

27%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

16%

high water table: limits basements

11%

in drought, October 13, 2026

70%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Hand County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)27.5%
High water table (limits basements)16.2%
Septic fields very limited92.0%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)5.5%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)34.4%
Mapped soil921,945 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: expansive clay
Houdek20%n/a
Glenham15%n/a
Prosper11%n/a
Raber6%n/a
Tetonka6%n/a
Eakin5%n/a
Hyde County: 41%Buffalo County: 43%Faulk County: 20%Beadle County: 37%Jerauld County: 34%Spink County: 45%Hughes County: 34%Brule County: 43%Hand County HydeBuffaloFaulkBeadleJerauldSpinkHughesBruleHand
Hand County (heavy outline) and nearby counties, shaded by expansive clay share.under 10%10-25%25-40%40-60%60%+

How we count · survey areas SD059 (2025-09-10)

What the numbers mean here

Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 5.5% by land area here, and 34% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 27% of the mapped land.

Clay shrinks as it dries: 10.9% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 27% of Hand County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.

On 16% of Hand County's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.

Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 19.87 in, 2.82 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 22.69 in.

USDA rates 92% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

Drought

10.9% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 28 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 82.5% of its area, in 3 weeks, most recently on the June 2, 2026 map.

October 21, 2025Share of area in drought, weeklyOctober 13, 2026
Category, October 13, 2026Share of county
D0 abnormally dry or worse64.2%
D1 moderate drought or worse10.9%
D2 severe or worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

3 flood losses since 2016, $1,091 paid. The worst year was 2020, with 2.

YearFlood losses
20160
20170
20180
20191
20202
20210
20220
20230
20240
20250
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202022.69 in
12 months to August 202619.87 in (-2.82)
202522.25 in (-0.44)
Wettest year since 18952019: 35.47 in
Driest year since 18951976: 9.40 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at HIGHMORE 1 W (22 mi away)5.6

Homes

Housing units1,719
Median year built1966
Built before 198070%
Built 2000 or later14%
Owner-occupied66%
Median value, owner-occupied$159,300
Single-family detached81%

What repairs cost

Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.

WorkRangeSource
Foundation repair, US $2,200 to $8,200 Fixr, January 27, 2026
Pier-and-beam repair, US $2,000 to $15,000 Fixr, January 27, 2026
Foundation inspection, US $300 to $600 Fixr, January 31, 2025

Nearby counties

PlaceDistanceExpansive clayHigh water table
Hyde County, SD 23 mi 41% 13%
Buffalo County, SD 36 mi 43% 12%
Faulk County, SD 37 mi 20% 23%
Beadle County, SD 37 mi 37% 30%
Jerauld County, SD 38 mi 34% 22%
Spink County, SD 42 mi 45% 56%
Hughes County, SD 49 mi 34% 8%
Brule County, SD 57 mi 43% 12%

Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 10, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status