Moving to or from Aberdeen?
Northeast South Dakota's 'Hub City' — home to Northern State University, the annual Storybook Land (based on the book 'The Wizard of Oz' since author L. Frank Baum lived here), and agricultural processing for a 200-mile rural radius.
- 28,000 City population
- 43,000 Metro area
- 1881 Founded
- Northeast South Dakota / James River Valley Region
Why people move to Aberdeen.
- Northern State University
- L. Frank Baum (Wizard of Oz author) lived here 1888-1891
- Storybook Land theme park
- Being the 'Hub City' for northeast South Dakota
- Dakota Territorial Museum
- Agricultural processing (Molded Fiber Glass, Amtec Laboratories)
L. Frank Baum — author of 'The Wizard of Oz' — lived in Aberdeen from 1888 to 1891 and owned a store called Baum's Bazaar. Some scholars believe the book's imagery (the tornado, the wheatfield, the scarecrow, the Emerald City being Chicago) was inspired by Baum's experiences in South Dakota. Aberdeen honors this connection with the Storybook Land children's park featuring Wizard of Oz characters and a yellow brick road.
Where people live in Aberdeen.
A quick guide to Aberdeen's most moved-to neighborhoods.
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Downtown
Historic core
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Central Aberdeen
Established residential
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Northern State University area
Near campus
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North Aberdeen
Newer residential
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Ipswich (nearby)
Small town east
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Groton (nearby)
Small community
Where people spend their time in Aberdeen.
- Storybook Land Central Aberdeen
- Northern State University Central Aberdeen
- Dakota Territorial Museum Downtown
- Aberdeen Area Historic Depot Central Aberdeen
- Center for the Arts Central Aberdeen
- Wylie Park Aberdeen
Planning a Aberdeen move.
- Winter is brutal — among the coldest in the lower 48
- SD has no state income tax — major financial advantage
- Remote location; Sioux Falls is 2.5 hours southeast
- Tornado risk is real in South Dakota
Moving in Aberdeen: FAQ.
Is the Wizard of Oz connection tourism-worthy?
Modestly so. Storybook Land includes Wizard of Oz-themed areas that are popular with children. Baum's former home in Aberdeen is privately owned but can be viewed from outside. Aberdeen embraces the Oz connection as part of its civic identity, but it's not on the scale of Dorothy's Kansas tourism. Worth knowing about; not a defining feature of daily life.
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