RANKING · 2010 CENSUS · 65 SHOWN OF 65

Most sparsely populated, South Dakota counties · 2010

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, SDSD1,3310−7%

02Jones County, SDSD9131−16%

03Perkins County, SDSD2,8531−11%

04Haakon County, SDSD1,8021−12%

05Sully County, SDSD1,4791−12%

06Ziebach County, SDSD2,3891+11%

07Mellette County, SDSD2,1372−2%

08Jackson County, SDSD2,6662+3%

09Corson County, SDSD3,7812−3%

10Hyde County, SDSD1,1912−15%

11Campbell County, SDSD1,3772−18%

12Stanley County, SDSD3,0182+7%

13McPherson County, SDSD2,3472−15%

14Lyman County, SDSD3,6942−4%

15Dewey County, SDSD5,4192−11%

16Hand County, SDSD3,1212−8%

17Faulk County, SDSD2,1782−10%

18Potter County, SDSD2,3773−14%

19Bennett County, SDSD3,3073−4%

20Tripp County, SDSD5,7084−12%

21Edmunds County, SDSD4,0224−7%

22Aurora County, SDSD2,8014−11%

23Clark County, SDSD4,0314−11%

24Jerauld County, SDSD1,6544−10%

25Buffalo County, SDSD1,8024−6%

26Fall River County, SDSD7,4674−5%

27Sanborn County, SDSD2,3884−12%

28Miner County, SDSD2,2814−17%

29Gregory County, SDSD4,0374−11%

30Spink County, SDSD6,1554−14%

31Butte County, SDSD10,8564+11%

32Custer County, SDSD9,4315+13%

33Day County, SDSD5,4846−9%

34Marshall County, SDSD4,4266+2%

35Kingsbury County, SDSD5,2846−11%

36Brule County, SDSD5,2786−2%

37Todd County, SDSD8,8637+6%

38Douglas County, SDSD2,8887−13%

39Deuel County, SDSD4,4087−3%

40Meade County, SDSD30,7117+5%

41Hanson County, SDSD3,4568+6%

42Walworth County, SDSD5,2178−9%

43Charles Mix County, SDSD9,3038−2%

44Hutchinson County, SDSD7,4139−9%

45Roberts County, SDSD10,2559+1%

46McCook County, SDSD5,96410−4%

47Grant County, SDSD7,53411−6%

48Hamlin County, SDSD6,90012+7%

49Moody County, SDSD6,63212−2%

50Bon Homme County, SDSD7,24413−3%

51Turner County, SDSD9,31414−6%

52Beadle County, SDSD19,62414+2%

53Lake County, SDSD10,99320−1%

54Brown County, SDSD37,56121+3%

55Hughes County, SDSD17,57023+3%

56Lawrence County, SDSD29,45930+11%

57Union County, SDSD17,40231+14%

58Clay County, SDSD15,03134+2%

59Pennington County, SDSD116,79236+14%

60Codington County, SDSD29,56240+5%

61Brookings County, SDSD37,63540+13%

62Yankton County, SDSD23,63543+4%

63Davison County, SDSD20,06945+4%

64Lincoln County, SDSD77,14578+86%

65Minnehaha County, SDSD212,691210+14%

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