United States › South Dakota › Custer County COUNTY
Custer County South Dakota · 9,431 residents (2025 est.) · 1,557 sq mi
Time machine
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The short version
Custer County is home to 8,892 people in South Dakota. The median age is 57.6, about 19 years above the US median. Owners hold 86% of the housing stock. That puts it in the top 4% of US counties for household income. There are 6 people per square mile. 3% of locals were born outside the United States.
At a glance
Average income
near the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 57.6
US median: 38.9
Average education
32% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 149%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01
Population & growth from 7,275 in 2000
9,431 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
from 5 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
from 43.2 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Population, 1990 – 2024
6K 7K 8K 8K 9K 1990 2000 2010 2020 2024 Custer County Age distribution, 2024
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy $84,112
+27%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $36,303 in 2000
US average: $82,259
from $17,945 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
from 23.2% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
from 9.4% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
from 0.389 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Agriculture, forestry, fishing 12.6%
Professional, scientific, technical 4.1%
Transportation & warehousing 1.9%
Education & health services 1.9%
Arts, entertainment, food 1.7%
Public administration 0.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
$372,100
+149%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $81,900 in 2000
US average: $376,019
$1,112
+75%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $349 in 2000
US average: $1,442
from 77.0% in 2000
14.4% rent
from 17.6% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
from 2.09 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
from 23.2% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
from 25.4% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
from 3.4 in 2009
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity 2000
White, non-Hispanic 93.4%(6,794)
Hispanic / Latino 1.5%(110)
2024
White, non-Hispanic 87.7%(7,801)
Hispanic / Latino 3.1%(274)
from 18 in 2009
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
from 10 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry Ancestry
+ 22 more ancestry groups with data from 24.4% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
from 88.9% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
from 7.0% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06
Commute & transportation from 16.9 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
from 74.1% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
from 12.0% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
from 0.2% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
from 8.8% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
from 3.1% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
from 0.0% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
from 1.4% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07
Work & employment from 2.6% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
from 58.7% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
from 68.2% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
from 21.4% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
from 44.6% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08
People & community from 0.9% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
from 19.3% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
from 13.2% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
from 9.3% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 74.2% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
from 88.9% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
from 89.2% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
from 95.1% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
from 2.6% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage from 9.3% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 54.1% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
from 23.8% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
from 31.7% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
from 10.7% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
from 8.8% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
from 74.8% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
from 41.6% in 2020
US average: 36.7%
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later) 26.8%(267)
Gulf War (1990s) 29.8%(297)
Share of the 995 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
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Drill deeper
Places similar to Custer County Head to head
Compare Custer County to nearby counties CUSTER COUNTY VS
Fall River County
Income $67,917 −19%
Home value $193,200 −48%
Population 7,467 −21%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
CUSTER COUNTY VS
Pennington County
Income $74,517 −11%
Home value $302,200 −19%
Population 116,792 +1138%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
CUSTER COUNTY VS
Lawrence County
Income $73,384 −13%
Home value $346,500 −7%
Population 29,459 +212%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
CUSTER COUNTY VS
Oglala Lakota County
Income $41,417 −51%
Home value $52,900 −86%
Population 13,338 +41%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked
How many people live in Custer County, South Dakota? Custer County, South Dakota has about 8,892 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Custer County, South Dakota? The typical household in Custer County, South Dakota earns about $84,112 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Custer County, South Dakota expensive? In Custer County, South Dakota, the median home is worth about $372,100, and the typical rent is about $1,112 a month.
How educated are people in Custer County, South Dakota? About 31.6% of adults age 25 and over in Custer County, South Dakota hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Custer County, South Dakota? About 9.0% of people in Custer County, South Dakota live below the federal poverty line.
Has Custer County, South Dakota grown since 1990? Yes, Custer County, South Dakota has grown since 1990. The population has added about 2,713 residents, a change of about 44 percent over that period.
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