RANKING · 2000 CENSUS · 65 SHOWN OF 65

Most sparsely populated, South Dakota counties · 2000

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+0%

02Perkins County, SDSD2,8531+0%

03Haakon County, SDSD1,8021+0%

04Jones County, SDSD9131+0%

05Ziebach County, SDSD2,3891+0%

06Sully County, SDSD1,4792+0%

07Jackson County, SDSD2,6662+0%

08Mellette County, SDSD2,1372+0%

09Corson County, SDSD3,7812+0%

10Stanley County, SDSD3,0182+0%

11Hyde County, SDSD1,1912+0%

12Lyman County, SDSD3,6942+0%

13Campbell County, SDSD1,3772+0%

14McPherson County, SDSD2,3473+0%

15Dewey County, SDSD5,4193+0%

16Hand County, SDSD3,1213+0%

17Faulk County, SDSD2,1783+0%

18Bennett County, SDSD3,3073+0%

19Potter County, SDSD2,3773+0%

20Edmunds County, SDSD4,0224+0%

21Tripp County, SDSD5,7084+0%

22Butte County, SDSD10,8564+0%

23Fall River County, SDSD7,4674+0%

24Buffalo County, SDSD1,8024+0%

25Aurora County, SDSD2,8014+0%

26Clark County, SDSD4,0314+0%

27Jerauld County, SDSD1,6544+0%

28Custer County, SDSD9,4315+0%

29Sanborn County, SDSD2,3885+0%

30Gregory County, SDSD4,0375+0%

31Spink County, SDSD6,1555+0%

32Miner County, SDSD2,2815+0%

33Marshall County, SDSD4,4265+0%

34Day County, SDSD5,4846+0%

35Todd County, SDSD8,8637+0%

36Brule County, SDSD5,2787+0%

37Kingsbury County, SDSD5,2847+0%

38Meade County, SDSD30,7117+0%

39Deuel County, SDSD4,4087+0%

40Hanson County, SDSD3,4567+0%

41Douglas County, SDSD2,8888+0%

42Walworth County, SDSD5,2178+0%

43Charles Mix County, SDSD9,3039+0%

44Roberts County, SDSD10,2559+0%

45Hutchinson County, SDSD7,41310+0%

46McCook County, SDSD5,96410+0%

47Hamlin County, SDSD6,90011+0%

48Grant County, SDSD7,53412+0%

49Moody County, SDSD6,63213+0%

50Bon Homme County, SDSD7,24413+0%

51Beadle County, SDSD19,62414+0%

52Turner County, SDSD9,31414+0%

53Lake County, SDSD10,99320+0%

54Brown County, SDSD37,56121+0%

55Hughes County, SDSD17,57022+0%

56Lawrence County, SDSD29,45927+0%

57Union County, SDSD17,40227+0%

58Pennington County, SDSD116,79232+0%

59Clay County, SDSD15,03133+0%

60Brookings County, SDSD37,63536+0%

61Codington County, SDSD29,56238+0%

62Yankton County, SDSD23,63542+0%

63Lincoln County, SDSD77,14542+0%

64Davison County, SDSD20,06943+0%

65Minnehaha County, SDSD212,691184+0%

SHOWING 1–65 OF 65

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