COUNTY · 1990 CENSUS

Meade County

South Dakota · 21,878 residents · 3,471 sq mi

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Meade County is home to 21,878 people in South Dakota. The typical home is worth $50,600. Renters pay $315 a month at the median. About 16% of adults have finished a four-year degree. Households take in $24,672 at the median, 18% less than the US figure. The population has fallen 10% since 2000.

At a glance

Lower income

below the US median

US median: $30,130

Younger

median age 30.1

US median: 33.0

Less educated

16% hold a bachelor's degree

US average: 20%

More affordable

home values down 15%, inflation adjusted

US median home: $93,722

Section 01

Population & growth

Total population

21,878

−10%vs 2000

vs 24,253 in 2000

1990 – 2025

Median age

30.1

−10%vs 2000

vs 33.4 in 2000

US average: 33.0

Land area

3,471 sq mi

Population, 1990 – 2024

202431K

Age distribution, 1990

Under 58.5%(1,855)

US avg: 7.3%

5 to 99.6%(2,090)

US avg: 7.3%

10 to 149.3%(2,044)

US avg: 6.9%

15 to 198.1%(1,774)

US avg: 7.1%

20 to 246.4%(1,396)

US avg: 7.5%

25 to 3417.9%(3,918)

US avg: 17.5%

35 to 4416.2%(3,544)

US avg: 15.1%

45 to 547.5%(1,634)

US avg: 10.2%

55 to 646.7%(1,476)

US avg: 8.5%

65 to 745.6%(1,236)

US avg: 7.3%

75 to 843.1%(682)

US avg: 4%

85 and over1%(229)

US avg: 1.2%

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE

Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income

$24,672

−12%inflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $36,992 in 2000

US average: $30,130

1990 – 2024

Per capita income

$9,725

−45%vs 2000

vs $17,680 in 2000

US average: $14,340

Poverty rate

10.4%

+1.0 ptsvs 2000

vs 9.4% in 2000

US average: 13.2%

Section 03

Housing

Median home value

$50,600

−15%inflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $78,400 in 2000

US average: $93,722

1990 – 2024

Median gross rent

$315

−11%inflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $468 in 2000

US average: $450

Owner-occupied

66.8%

−1.4 ptsvs 2000

vs 68.2% in 2000

33.2% rent

Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000

White, non-Hispanic91.6%(22,212)

Black1.4%(346)

Hispanic / Latino2.1%(509)

Asian0.6%(152)

Other0%

1990

White, non-Hispanic93.9%(20,535)

Black2.2%(489)

Hispanic / Latino1.5%(334)

Asian1.6%(342)

Other2.3%(512)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.

Hispanic origin

Mexican2.9%(889)

Puerto Rican1.1%(326)

Central American0.2%(56)

Honduran0.2%(49)

Dominican0.1%(45)

Spaniard0.1%(40)

Cuban0.1%(37)

Salvadoran0%(7)

Asian origin

Filipino0.3%(79)

Chinese0.2%(74)

Japanese0.1%(34)

Korean0%(12)

Asian Indian0%(5)

Pacific Islander origin

Native Hawaiian0.1%(16)

Samoan0%(12)

Chamorro0%(9)

Ancestry

German30.7%(9,390)

Irish11.3%(3,458)

Norwegian8.3%(2,532)

English8.3%(2,530)

American4.6%(1,417)

Polish2.8%(862)

Swedish2.3%(694)

Italian2.1%(640)

French1.8%(541)

Scottish1.6%(500)

Czech1.5%(458)

Dutch1.5%(446)

+ 22 more ancestry groups with data

Russian0.9%(283)

Danish0.8%(253)

Welsh0.5%(168)

Subsaharan African0.5%(151)

Scotch-Irish0.5%(139)

Canadian0.4%(116)

Finnish0.4%(109)

Swiss0.3%(105)

French Canadian0.3%(104)

Hungarian0.3%(86)

Arab0.2%(75)

Lebanese0.2%(75)

British0.2%(51)

Turkish0.1%(36)

Nigerian0.1%(31)

Ukrainian0.1%(23)

West Indian0%(15)

Ethiopian0%(11)

Belgian0%(9)

Slovene0%(9)

Greek0%(2)

Jamaican0%(2)

RANKED:Largest German population · Largest Irish population · Largest Norwegian population · Largest English population · Largest American population

Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher

16.4%

−0.4 ptsvs 2000

vs 16.8% in 2000

US average: 20.3%

High school or higher

81.8%

−5.8 ptsvs 2000

vs 87.7% in 2000

US average: 75.2%

Graduate degree

4.8%

Unchangedvs 2000

vs 4.8% in 2000

US average: 7.1%

Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute

23.0 min

+93%vs 2000

vs 11.9 min in 2000

US average: 21.9

Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status (2024)

Men 15+

Never married35.9%(4,775)

Married53.1%(7,064)

Widowed2%(266)

Divorced9.1%(1,209)

Women 15+

Never married25.7%(3,083)

Married59.4%(7,133)

Widowed5.3%(635)

Divorced9.7%(1,163)

SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024

Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

Uninsured

9.4%

−2.0 ptssince 2013

from 11.4% in 2013

US average: 8.4%

Employer-based

52.4%

+1.1 ptssince 2020

from 51.3% in 2020

US average: 54.8%

Direct-purchase

15.6%

−1.3 ptssince 2020

from 16.9% in 2020

US average: 13.8%

Medicare

18.5%

+1.5 ptssince 2020

from 17.0% in 2020

US average: 18.4%

Medicaid

11.2%

+0.4 ptssince 2020

from 10.8% in 2020

US average: 20.9%

VA health care

5.2%

Unchangedsince 2020

from 5.2% in 2020

US average: 2.2%

Any private

75.3%

+1.6 ptssince 2020

from 73.7% in 2020

US average: 67.1%

Any public

30.5%

+3.0 ptssince 2020

from 27.5% 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)43.1%(1,232)

US avg: 26.4%

Gulf War (1990s)26.4%(755)

US avg: 24.3%

Vietnam era21.8%(624)

US avg: 33.1%

Korean War2.4%(69)

US avg: 4.5%

World War II0.3%(8)

US avg: 1%

Share of the 2,861 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

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