Howard is a city in Miner County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 848 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat and most populous city in Miner County.

Official town website ↗

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Town numbers

ZIP code57349

Area code605

Living in Howard

Work & commute in Howard

Full picture →

About one in 3 of Howard’s working residents works in town. The top destinations are Sioux Falls (15%), Madison (8%) and Mitchell (4%). Half commute less than 21 miles.

Sioux Falls

15%

Madison

Mitchell

Howard

34%Work in townlive and work in Howard 21 miWhere do people commute?the commute map 567Jobs based herea job hub

Census LEHD 2023 · ACSWork & commute in Howard →

Health in Howard

Compared with South Dakota

2better than SD·6worse

of 26 measures CDC estimates. The other 18 are too close to call.

Conditions 6▼ 6 close Habits all close Care 2▲ 5 close Mind all close

BetterToo close to callWorse

What stands out

81.2%More adults treating high blood pressureSD 75.9% · better 87.2%More adults getting cholesterol checkedSD 84.8% · better 9.1%More adults with heart diseaseSD 6.8% · worse

Care nearby

Madison Regional Health SystemMadison · 20.3 mi · ER · rural critical access

Horizon Health - Howard DentalHoward · 0.1 mi · sliding-scale fees

Primary careShortage · county-wide

DentalNo shortage

Mental healthShortage · county-wide

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CDC's estimate for Howard · CMS · HRSAHealth in Howard →

Natural hazards in Howard

Low

Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 29% of U.S. communities.

🌊 Inland flooding🌵 Drought🥶 Cold waves

0Does Howard flood?no paid flood claims on record 2Disasters that paid out herefederal disasters sent FEMA money to Howard

FEMA National Risk Index December 2025 · OpenFEMANatural hazards in Howard →

Climate in Howard

Full climate →

Howard has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 6°, and about 36 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

28° / 9°Winter

56° / 34°Spring

81° / 59°Summer

59° / 36°Fall

How much snow does Howard get?About 36 inches a winter.Rain & snow →When is the first frost?Around Oct 2, with the last in spring around May 5.Frost dates →Is it warmer than it used to be?+0.8° vs. the 20th century.Then & now →

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Climate in Howard →

Schools in Howard

All Howard schools →

A⁻

School Grade A-

The public schools Howard’s kids attend outperform 79% of South Dakota’s districts on state tests. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the top.

DistrictHoward School District 48-3Schools3

Howard Elementary - 02 B-Elementary · Grades PK–5 · 158 students Howard Jr. High - 05 B+Middle · Grades 6–8 · 75 students Howard High School - 01 AHigh · Grades 9–12 · 96 students

School data from the U.S. Department of Education (NCES, EDFacts). The School Grade is our own summary of state test results, graded within SD. Ratings are from neighbors.