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Most sparsely populated, South Dakota counties

South Dakota counties with the fewest residents per square mile (2025). This list covers the 66 counties in South Dakota that qualify, ranked against each other statewide. The median across all 66 is 6. Biggest climber in the top 100 since 2020: Buffalo County, SD, up 6 places to #23.

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SAME RANKING BYCities States Metros

RELATEDLargest by population Fastest growing Fastest shrinking Most population gained Most population lost Most densely populated

YEAR1990 2000 2010 2020 2025

RANKPLACESTATEPOPPOPULATION DENSITYVS 2000

01Harding County, SDSD1,3310−2%

02Jones County, SDSD9131−23%

03Perkins County, SDSD2,8531−15%

04Haakon County, SDSD1,8021−18%

05Ziebach County, SDSD2,3891−5%

06▲1Hyde County, SDSD1,1911−29%

07▲2Jackson County, SDSD2,6661−9%

08▼2Sully County, SDSD1,4791−5%

09▲1Corson County, SDSD3,7812−10%

10▼2Mellette County, SDSD2,1372+3%

11Campbell County, SDSD1,3772−23%

12▲1McPherson County, SDSD2,3472−19%

13▼1Stanley County, SDSD3,0182+9%

14▲1Hand County, SDSD3,1212−17%

15▼1Faulk County, SDSD2,1782−18%

16Lyman County, SDSD3,6942−5%

17Dewey County, SDSD5,4192−9%

18▲1Potter County, SDSD2,3773−12%

19▼1Bennett County, SDSD3,3073−7%

20Jerauld County, SDSD1,6543−28%

21Tripp County, SDSD5,7084−11%

22Edmunds County, SDSD4,0224−8%

23▲6Buffalo County, SDSD1,8024−11%

24▼1Aurora County, SDSD2,8014−8%

25▼1Gregory County, SDSD4,0374−16%

26▲1Miner County, SDSD2,2814−21%

27▲3Spink County, SDSD6,1554−17%

28Sanborn County, SDSD2,3884−11%

29▼4Clark County, SDSD4,0314−3%

30▼4Fall River County, SDSD7,46740%

31Butte County, SDSD10,8565+19%

32Marshall County, SDSD4,4265−3%

33Day County, SDSD5,4845−12%

34Custer County, SDSD9,4316+30%

35Kingsbury County, SDSD5,2846−9%

36▲1Oglala Lakota County, SDSD13,3386–

37▲2Todd County, SDSD8,8636−2%

38▼2Brule County, SDSD5,2786−2%

39▼1Douglas County, SDSD2,8887−16%

40Deuel County, SDSD4,4087−2%

41Walworth County, SDSD5,2177−13%

42Hanson County, SDSD3,4568+10%

43Charles Mix County, SDSD9,3038−1%

44Meade County, SDSD30,7119+27%

45Hutchinson County, SDSD7,4139−8%

46Roberts County, SDSD10,2559+2%

47McCook County, SDSD5,96410+2%

48Grant County, SDSD7,53411−4%

49▲1Moody County, SDSD6,63213+1%

50▲1Bon Homme County, SDSD7,244130%

51▼2Hamlin County, SDSD6,90014+25%

52Turner County, SDSD9,31415+5%

53Beadle County, SDSD19,62416+15%

54Lake County, SDSD10,99320−3%

55Brown County, SDSD37,56122+6%

56Hughes County, SDSD17,57024+7%

57▲1Clay County, SDSD15,03136+11%

58▼1Lawrence County, SDSD29,45937+35%

59Union County, SDSD17,40238+38%

60Pennington County, SDSD116,79242+32%

61Codington County, SDSD29,56243+14%

62▲1Yankton County, SDSD23,63545+9%

63▲1Davison County, SDSD20,06946+7%

64▼2Brookings County, SDSD37,63548+33%

65Lincoln County, SDSD77,145134+220%

66Minnehaha County, SDSD212,691264+43%

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UPDATED 2026-09-11 · DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU POPULATION ESTIMATES