COUNTY
Pennington County
South Dakota · 116,792 residents (2025 est.) · 2,777 sq mi
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Part of the Rapid City metro area
The short version
With 113,512 people, Pennington County is a county in South Dakota. That puts it in the top 7% of US counties for household income. 2% of locals were born outside the United States. 24,947 more people live here than in 2000. There are 41 people per square mile. Getting to work takes 19 minutes on average.
At a glance
Lower income
median household income $74,517, below the US median
US median: $82,259
Mid-age
median age 40.1
US median: 38.9
Average education
35% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 98%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place
What stands out about Pennington County
What changed most since 1990
- Median home value (2024 dollars)$135,364 → $302,200 (+123%)US over the same years: +67%
- White share88.4% → 77.8% (−10.6 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts
- Homes owned by their occupants61.4% → 69.3% (+7.9 pts)US over the same years: +0.9 pts
Among the 66 counties in South Dakota
- 24th in household income$74,517
- 8th in share with a bachelor's degree34.6%
- 5th in home value$302,200
- 11th in diversity score46.4
Section 01
Population & growth
113,512
+28%since 2000
from 88,565 in 2000
116,792 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Land area
2,777 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
2024114K
Age distribution, 2024
Under 56%(6,841)
5 to 96.3%(7,119)
10 to 145.9%(6,736)
15 to 196.1%(6,959)
20 to 245.9%(6,675)
25 to 3412.8%(14,480)
35 to 4412.1%(13,682)
45 to 5410.8%(12,295)
55 to 6414%(15,855)
65 to 7412.9%(14,671)
75 to 845.1%(5,758)
85 and over2.2%(2,441)
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy
$74,517
+9%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $37,485 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Households earning $100K+
49.7%
+25.3 ptssince 2009
from 24.4% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information12%
Wholesale trade10%
Retail trade6.6%
Other services5.7%
Public administration4.4%
Finance & insurance3.9%
Professional, scientific, technical2.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing2.1%
Transportation & warehousing1.9%
Arts, entertainment, food1.3%
Construction1.2%
Education & health services1.1%
Manufacturing0.8%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03
Housing
$302,200
+98%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $83,800 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
4.1
+31%since 2009
from 3.1 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
72
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity
2000
White, non-Hispanic85.6%(75,797)
Black0.8%(722)
Hispanic / Latino2.6%(2,341)
Asian0.9%(763)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic77.8%(88,293)
Black1.1%(1,244)
Hispanic / Latino5.7%(6,444)
Asian1.2%(1,401)
Other14.2%(16,130)
46
+30%since 2009
from 36 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
21
−22%since 2020
from 26 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
Hispanic origin
Mexican3.6%(4,070)
South American0.6%(663)
Puerto Rican0.5%(585)
Colombian0.4%(401)
Central American0.3%(363)
Peruvian0.2%(199)
Spaniard0.1%(169)
Honduran0.1%(160)
Nicaraguan0.1%(113)
Cuban0.1%(96)
Panamanian0%(50)
Venezuelan0%(32)
+ 3 more hispanic origin groups with data
Asian origin
Filipino0.5%(561)
Korean0.2%(209)
Burmese0.2%(171)
Chinese0.1%(163)
Japanese0.1%(125)
Bangladeshi0.1%(71)
Thai0%(37)
Vietnamese0%(37)
Asian Indian0%(17)
Indonesian0%(10)
Ancestry
German29.1%(33,073)
Irish13.5%(15,297)
English11.9%(13,524)
Norwegian7.8%(8,890)
American3.6%(4,052)
French2.7%(3,061)
Swedish2.5%(2,891)
Italian2.5%(2,825)
Dutch2.4%(2,781)
Scottish2.4%(2,755)
Polish2.3%(2,601)
Czech1.4%(1,588)
+ 40 more ancestry groups with data
Danish1.4%(1,581)
Scotch-Irish0.9%(1,038)
Russian0.8%(882)
Welsh0.8%(880)
Greek0.4%(448)
Finnish0.4%(408)
Swiss0.3%(392)
British0.3%(349)
Arab0.3%(309)
Hungarian0.3%(302)
French Canadian0.3%(287)
Subsaharan African0.2%(275)
Austrian0.2%(271)
Canadian0.2%(268)
Lithuanian0.2%(198)
West Indian0.2%(185)
Lebanese0.1%(157)
Haitian0.1%(150)
Ukrainian0.1%(128)
Egyptian0.1%(109)
Ethiopian0.1%(85)
Belgian0.1%(84)
Portuguese0.1%(77)
Syrian0.1%(73)
Latvian0.1%(69)
Romanian0%(53)
Nigerian0%(43)
Palestinian0%(37)
Iranian0%(34)
Turkish0%(33)
Jamaican0%(27)
Iraqi0%(21)
Australian0%(21)
Croatian0%(21)
Slovak0%(21)
Kenyan0%(21)
Ghanaian0%(20)
Slovene0%(17)
Bulgarian0%(4)
Somali0%(1)
Section 05
Education
High school or higher
94.6%
+6.8 ptssince 2000
from 87.8% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Section 06
Commute & transportation
Section 07
Work & employment
Women 20-64 in the labor force
77.5%
+0.1 ptssince 2020
from 77.4% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Section 08
People & community
Computer in household
95.2%
+3.1 ptssince 2020
from 92.1% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married34.6%(16,393)
Married51.1%(24,195)
Widowed3.2%(1,508)
Divorced11.1%(5,251)
Women 15+
Never married26.2%(11,924)
Married49.8%(22,652)
Widowed8.6%(3,927)
Divorced15.3%(6,966)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage
Direct-purchase
16.6%
+0.5 ptssince 2020
from 16.1% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
VA health care
6.0%
Unchangedsince 2020
from 6.0% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
71.4%
+1.9 ptssince 2020
from 69.5% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
34.9%
−0.5 ptssince 2020
from 35.4% 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)30%(3,218)
Gulf War (1990s)31.4%(3,371)
Vietnam era33.3%(3,574)
Korean War2.5%(272)
World War II0%(5)
Share of the 10,727 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
Pennington County, decade by decade
| Year | Population | Median household income | Median home value | Bachelor's degree+ | Diversity score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 81,343 | $60,818 | $135,364 | 21.2% | 26.6 |
| 2000 | 88,565 | $68,285 | $152,655 | 25.0% | 32.1 |
| 2010 | 100,948 | $67,396 | $215,354 | 27.8% | 39.8 |
| 2020 | 109,222 | $70,635 | $239,014 | 31.7% | 50.9 |
| 2024 | 113,512 | $74,517 | $302,200 | 34.6% | 46.4 |
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.
Drill deeper
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Places similar to Pennington CountyHead to head
Compare Pennington County to nearby counties
PENNINGTON COUNTY VS
Custer County
Income$84,112+13%
Home value$372,100+23%
Population9,431−92%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
PENNINGTON COUNTY VS
Meade County
Income$74,790same
Home value$310,900+3%
Population30,711−74%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
PENNINGTON COUNTY VS
Oglala Lakota County
Income$41,417−44%
Home value$52,900−82%
Population13,338−89%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
PENNINGTON COUNTY VS
Lawrence County
Income$73,384−2%
Home value$346,500+15%
Population29,459−75%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked
How many people live in Pennington County, South Dakota?
Pennington County, South Dakota has about 113,512 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Pennington County, South Dakota?
The typical household in Pennington County, South Dakota earns about $74,517 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Pennington County, South Dakota expensive?
In Pennington County, South Dakota, the median home is worth about $302,200, and the typical rent is about $1,120 a month.
How educated are people in Pennington County, South Dakota?
About 34.6% of adults age 25 and over in Pennington County, South Dakota hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Pennington County, South Dakota?
About 11.2% of people in Pennington County, South Dakota live below the federal poverty line.
Has Pennington County, South Dakota grown since 1990?
Yes, Pennington County, South Dakota has grown since 1990. The population has added about 32,169 residents, a change of about 40 percent over that period.
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Explore from here
25 census tracts (top 20 by population)
Census Tract 114Census Tract 110.04Census Tract 109.08Census Tract 109.05Census Tract 110.02Census Tract 113Census Tract 109.06Census Tract 109.04Census Tract 116.01Census Tract 116.02Census Tract 107Census Tract 109.07Census Tract 108Census Tract 117Census Tract 104Census Tract 103Census Tract 106Census Tract 112Census Tract 105Census Tract 111Up the hierarchy
All counties in South DakotaDATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024