Howard TownshipSD
A town of 192.
Is Howard Township a good place to live?
Howard Township’s mean commuting time is 12 minutes, below both the South Dakota town median (17 minutes) and the median of U.S. towns (25 minutes). Among 36 South Dakota towns, just 3 have a higher midsummer high than Howard Township. 12% of the land in Howard Township is conserved, above both the South Dakota town median (3.3%) and the median of U.S. towns (4.3%). The biggest park or preserve is Lake Andes National Wildlife Refuge, at 2,914 acres. Howard Township has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
192 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Moving to Howard Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Howard Township, 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.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Howard Township.
Howard Township has 0.1 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Howard Township had 6 jobs in 2023, down 26 from 2013. Half the trips to work are shorter than 14 miles. The top destinations are Wagner (18%), Lake Andes (16%) and Platte (9%).
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The schools Howard Township’s kids attend
The public schools here belong to the Andes Central School District 11-1. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lakeview Colony Elementary - 05Largest public elementary schoolGrades K–8 | Grades K–8 | 23 | – |
NCES · EDFacts
Fewer middle-aged adults than South Dakota overall
For Howard Township, the age of the median resident is 31.8 years. Adults 35 to 64 are just over a quarter of residents (36% statewide); children under 18 are 31% of residents (24% statewide). 26% of Howard Township adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more.
| Howard Township | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 31.8 years | 39.5 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 26% | 33% | 29% |
Ages · share of residents
Education · adults 25 and older
Women and men · all residents
55% women, 45% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±9.9 points. Across South Dakota, 49.2% of residents are women.
| Howard Township | SD | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 16.8% | 13.1% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 13.9% | 11.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 0% | 9.3% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 23.6% | 12.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 7.2% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 17.3% | 10.7% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 1% | 12.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 11.1% | 11% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 9.1% | 7% | 7% |
| No diploma | 8.3% | 6.8% | 10.4% |
| High school | 32.6% | 29% | 26% |
| Some college | 10.4% | 19.9% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 22.9% | 12.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 20.8% | 21.9% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 4.9% | 10% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 200, single groups can be off by several points
Four seasons and pleasant summers in Howard Township
A winter brings about 34 inches of snow, with January nights at 10° and July afternoons at 87°.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Conserved land covers 11.5% of Howard Township
There are 6.2 miles of trail across 1 park or preserve. Howard Township’s trail density comes in at 0.1 miles per square mile.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Lake Andes National Wildlife Refuge | — | 2,914 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Howard Township stands out in South Dakota and nationally: a larger share of its adults smoke cigarettes
In Howard Township, just over a fifth of adults have been diagnosed with depression. Among 36 South Dakota towns, just 3 have a higher share of adults who get no exercise outside work than Howard Township. Also worth knowing: the town does better than the South Dakota average on 1 of 26 CDC measures and worse on 12.
| Howard Township | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 10% | 12% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 14% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 12% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 31% | 35% |
| What stands out | Howard Township | SD |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 79.2% | 75.9% |
| More adults with COPD | 9.5% | 6.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The biggest natural risk in Howard Township is cold waves, at a moderate overall level
Expected losses in Howard Township break down as 37% from cold waves and 31% from inland flooding. Compared with 53% of U.S. communities, expected storm and flood damage in the town is lower. Households here have drawn federal disaster aid in 4 declared disasters, most recently in 2019.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Everything we know about Howard Township
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Howard Township; the nearest are
About 0 of every 100 Howard Township residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across South Dakota.
100% of working residents leave Howard Township for work
Where Howard Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Questions about Howard Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Howard Township, SD a good place to live?
Howard Township has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.