RANKING · 1990 CENSUS · 65 SHOWN OF 65

Most sparsely populated, South Dakota counties · 1990

South Dakota counties with the fewest residents per square mile (2023). This list covers the 65 counties in South Dakota that qualify, ranked against each other statewide.

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SAME RANKING BYCities States Metros

RELATEDLargest by population Fastest growing Fastest shrinking Most densely populated Best broadband access Worst broadband access

YEAR1990 2000 2010 2020 2025

RANKPLACESTATEPOPPOPULATION DENSITYVS 2000

01Harding County, SDSD1,3311+23%

02Ziebach County, SDSD2,3891−12%

03Jones County, SDSD9131+11%

04Perkins County, SDSD2,8531+17%

05Haakon County, SDSD1,8021+19%

06Jackson County, SDSD2,6662−4%

07Sully County, SDSD1,4792+2%

08Mellette County, SDSD2,1372+3%

09Stanley County, SDSD3,0182−12%

10Corson County, SDSD3,7812+0%

11Hyde County, SDSD1,1912+1%

12Lyman County, SDSD3,6942−7%

13Dewey County, SDSD5,4192−8%

14Campbell County, SDSD1,3773+10%

15Bennett County, SDSD3,3073−10%

16Faulk County, SDSD2,1783+4%

17McPherson County, SDSD2,3473+11%

18Hand County, SDSD3,1213+14%

19Butte County, SDSD10,8564−13%

20Potter County, SDSD2,3774+18%

21Buffalo County, SDSD1,8024−13%

22Edmunds County, SDSD4,0224−0%

23Custer County, SDSD9,4314−15%

24Fall River County, SDSD7,4674−1%

25Tripp County, SDSD5,7084+8%

26Aurora County, SDSD2,8014+3%

27Clark County, SDSD4,0315+6%

28Jerauld County, SDSD1,6545+6%

29Sanborn County, SDSD2,3885+6%

30Gregory County, SDSD4,0375+12%

31Spink County, SDSD6,1555+7%

32Miner County, SDSD2,2816+13%

33Marshall County, SDSD4,4266+6%

34Todd County, SDSD8,8636−8%

35Meade County, SDSD30,7116−10%

36Brule County, SDSD5,2787+2%

37Day County, SDSD5,4847+11%

38Hanson County, SDSD3,4567−5%

39Kingsbury County, SDSD5,2847+2%

40Deuel County, SDSD4,4087+1%

41Charles Mix County, SDSD9,3038−2%

42Walworth County, SDSD5,2179+2%

43Douglas County, SDSD2,8889+8%

44Roberts County, SDSD10,2559−1%

45Hamlin County, SDSD6,90010−10%

46McCook County, SDSD5,96410−2%

47Hutchinson County, SDSD7,41310+2%

48Grant County, SDSD7,53412+7%

49Moody County, SDSD6,63213−1%

50Bon Homme County, SDSD7,24413−2%

51Turner County, SDSD9,31414−3%

52Beadle County, SDSD19,62415+7%

53Lake County, SDSD10,99319−6%

54Hughes County, SDSD17,57020−10%

55Brown County, SDSD37,56121+0%

56Union County, SDSD17,40222−19%

57Lawrence County, SDSD29,45926−5%

58Lincoln County, SDSD77,14527−36%

59Pennington County, SDSD116,79229−8%

60Brookings County, SDSD37,63532−11%

61Clay County, SDSD15,03132−3%

62Codington County, SDSD29,56233−12%

63Yankton County, SDSD23,63537−11%

64Davison County, SDSD20,06940−7%

65Minnehaha County, SDSD212,691153−17%

SHOWING 1–65 OF 65

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UPDATED 2026-06-02 · DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR ESTIMATES