Pioneers of Alexandria South Dakota 1880-82, 1902
Alexandria’s story
146 years in pictures
The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 1902.
- 1880Alexandria is settled
AlexandriaSD
A town of 655, settled in 1880.
Population
655
2025 Census estimate · +0.6% since 2020
Median home value
$180K
Census ACS
Household income
$103K
median
Median age
40.6
years
Jobs based here
136
A commuter town
Is Alexandria a good place to live?
7% of working residents work locally in Alexandria, against 29% in South Dakota’s towns and 8% across U.S. towns. Alexandria has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
655 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Alexandria: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Alexandria, and how to reach them.
PowerXcel Energy13.1¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterAlexandria water system1 health-based violation in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet3 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Alexandria’s trash rules yet
Register to voteIn personSouth Dakota has no online registration; you can register in person until 15 days before Election Day or by mail (received 15 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereHanson County AuditorHanson County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2023
ZIP code5731157311 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Aug 3, 2026.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Alexandria.
Work & commute
Alexandria has 0.5 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
3.3% of residents live below the poverty line in Alexandria, where South Dakota’s towns sit at 9.5% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. The median household income in Alexandria is $103,000. The top destinations are Mitchell (31%), Sioux Falls (13%) and Emery (5%).
7%work in town
| Alexandria | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 3.3% | 9.5% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $103,000 | $72,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 19 minutes | 17 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Alexandria7%
Mitchell31%
Sioux Falls13%
Emery5%
Rapid City3%
14 mi
median commute distance
136
jobs based in Alexandria
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Schools
The schools Alexandria’s kids attend
Its public schools are run by the Hanson School District 30-1. Its three schools are below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hanson Elementary - 06Largest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 151 | B+ |
| Hanson High School - 01Largest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 122 | B+ |
| Hanson Middle School - 02Top results in townGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 71 | A |
NCES · EDFacts
Climate
Alexandria has four seasons and pleasant summers
Alexandria has cold, snowy winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 86°, January nights drop to 8° and about 36 inches of snow falls in a winter.
36″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter11–30°
Spring34–58°
Summer60–83°
Fall37–61°
Sep 29
typical first frost
May 8
typical last frost
+0.6°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Alexandria is
Alexandria beats the South Dakota average on 1 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 17% of adults smoke cigarettes in Alexandria.
| Alexandria | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 14% | 14% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 30% | 36% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 19% | 16% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 76% | 76% | 79% |
26 measures vs. South Dakota
1 better25 too close to call0 worse
| What stands out | Alexandria | SD |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 8.4% | 12.7% |
Avera Queen of Peace
12.1 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Who lives here
An age mix much like South Dakota’s
No broad age group is more than 4 points off the South Dakota average. 33% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 32% across South Dakota.
40.6median age · SD 38
| Alexandria | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 20% | 19% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 33% | 33% | 29% |
AlexandriaSouth DakotaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
16%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma3%
High school26%
Some college20%
Associate’s18%
Bachelor’s24%
Graduate9%
Women and men · all residents
53% women, 47% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±5.8 points. Across South Dakota, 49.2% of residents are women.
| Alexandria | SD | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 10% | 13.1% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 11.8% | 11.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 5.3% | 9.3% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 15.5% | 12.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 13% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 9% | 10.7% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 15.9% | 12.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 13.7% | 11% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 5.8% | 7% | 7% |
| No diploma | 2.8% | 6.8% | 10.4% |
| High school | 25.8% | 29% | 26% |
| Some college | 20.4% | 19.9% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 18.3% | 12.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 24.2% | 21.9% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 8.5% | 10% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 700, single groups can be off by several points
Natural hazards
Alexandria faces a moderate natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 55% of U.S. communities. One flood insurance claim has been paid in Alexandria since 2019.
55risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesDrought
1
paid flood claims since 2019
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Alexandria
18pages on Alexandria
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
2 within 15 miles of the center of Alexandria
Mitchell Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · Mitchell11.4 mi$7,524 in-state tuitionDakota Wesleyan UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Mitchell12.9 mi$33,790 tuition
About 4 of every 100 Alexandria residents are enrolled in college, about the same as South Dakota.
A commuter town
93% of working residents leave Alexandria for work
Where Alexandria’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
136jobs based in Alexandria
7%of working residents work in town
14 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Alexandria
City in South Dakota, United States
Alexandria is a city in central Hanson County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 649 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Hanson County.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1880
- Area
- 0.6 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,352 ft
- ZIP code
- 57311
- Area code
- 605
Questions about Alexandria
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Alexandria, SD a good place to live?
Alexandria has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What is Alexandria, SD known for?
2 notable people were born here, including Alexander and Tony Kayser.