With 10,972 people, Lake County is a county in South Dakota. Few US counties rank higher on income. At a median age of 43.8, this is an older place than the country as a whole. Density works out to 19 people per square mile. The average commute runs 15 minutes. 4% of people here were born outside the United States.
At a glance
Lower income
median household income $76,808, below the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 43.8
US median: 38.9
Average education
35% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 84%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place
What stands out about Lake County
What changed most since 1990
Median home value (2024 dollars)$90,483 → $247,600(+174%)US over the same years: +67%
White share98.5% → 88.8%(−9.7 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts
Median age33.9 → 43.8(+9.9 years)US over the same years: +6.0 years
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)14.4%(98)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)12.8%(87)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era44.3%(302)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War7.5%(51)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.4%(3)
US avg: 1%
Share of the 682 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.
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time
Lake County, decade by decade
Lake County population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
Year
Population
Median household income
Median home value
Bachelor's degree+
Diversity score
1990
10,550
$56,819
$90,483
18.5%
3.7
2000
11,276
$62,095
$134,620
21.1%
6.4
2010
11,200
$65,607
$156,517
22.1%
10.7
2020
11,059
$76,558
$206,410
33.1%
25.3
2024
10,972
$76,808
$247,600
34.6%
25.7
Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.
