Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 105, settled in 1888.
Only one of the 36 South Dakota towns we compare has a higher share of homes lived in by their owners than Hazel. First State Bank of Hazel is on the National Register of Historic Places. Hazel has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census counts: 229 in 1910, 102 in 2020. The archive holds 1 old photo or paper going back to 2004 and 2 maps from 1973 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Hazel, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Aug 3, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in Hazel.
The July high for Hazel comes to 82°F, where South Dakota’s towns sit at 85°F and U.S. towns at 85°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The top destinations are Lake Norden (20%), Watertown (16%) and Sioux Falls (12%). Commuting out is the norm in Hazel: 2% of working residents work locally. The middle household income for Hazel comes to $117,000, above both South Dakota’s towns ($72,000) and U.S. towns ($80,000). The share of residents in Hazel who live below the poverty line: 1%.
| Hazel | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 2% | 29% | 8% |
| Median household income | $117,000 | $72,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 1% | 9.5% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 23 minutes | 17 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
16% of Hazel adults smoke cigarettes. The town beats the South Dakota average on 5 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 3. Among adults in the town, 28% have high blood pressure and 20% binge drink. Only 3 of the 36 South Dakota towns we compare have a higher share of adults 18 to 64 who have no health insurance than Hazel.
| Hazel | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 72% | 76% | 79% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 31% | 35% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 19% | 16% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 9% | 10% | 12% |
| What stands out | Hazel | SD |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with diabetes | 9% | 11.7% |
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 7.5% | 9.2% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 22.5% | 12.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected losses in Hazel break down as 34% from inland flooding and 23% from cold waves. The risk rating from FEMA for Hazel comes to 41 of 100. Also worth knowing: households in the town have drawn federal disaster aid once, in 2005.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
None within 15 miles of Hazel; the nearest are
About 6 of every 100 Hazel residents are enrolled in college, about the same as South Dakota.
Town in South Dakota, United States
Hazel is a town in Hamlin County, South Dakota, United States. It is part of the Watertown, South Dakota Micropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 102 at the 2020 census. The town is named for Hazel Bowley, the daughter of the original owner of the town site.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Hazel has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.