CensusEasy
STATE · ADMITTED 1889 · 1990 CENSUS

South Dakota

696,004 residents · 66 counties · 485 cities · 75,811 sq mi · 242 census tracts
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The short version

South Dakota is a state of 696,004 people. The typical home is worth $45,000. Renters pay $306 a month at the median. The median household earns $22,503, about 25% below the national median. About 17% of adults have finished a four-year degree. The population has held roughly steady since 2000.

SD
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
696,004
−8%vs 2000
vs 754,844 in 2000
1990 – 2024
Median age
32.6
−8%vs 2000
vs 35.6 in 2000
US average: 33.0
Land area
75,811 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
675K738K802K865K929K19902000201020202024South Dakota
2024907K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 1990
Under 57.9%(54,778)
US avg: 7.3%
5 to 98.5%(59,087)
US avg: 7.3%
10 to 147.9%(54,930)
US avg: 6.9%
15 to 197.2%(50,445)
US avg: 7.1%
20 to 246.6%(46,264)
US avg: 7.5%
25 to 3415.8%(110,019)
US avg: 17.5%
35 to 4413.8%(96,144)
US avg: 15.1%
45 to 548.9%(62,068)
US avg: 10.2%
55 to 648.6%(59,739)
US avg: 8.5%
65 to 747.9%(54,934)
US avg: 7.3%
75 to 844.9%(34,185)
US avg: 4%
85 and over1.9%(13,411)
US avg: 1.2%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$22,503
−16%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $35,282 in 2000
US average: $30,130
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$10,661
−39%vs 2000
vs $17,562 in 2000
US average: $14,340
Poverty rate
15.9%
+2.7 ptsvs 2000
vs 13.2% in 2000
US average: 13.2%
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$45,000
−20%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $74,300 in 2000
US average: $93,722
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$306
−5%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $426 in 2000
US average: $450
Owner-occupied
66.1%
−2.1 ptsvs 2000
vs 68.2% in 2000
33.9% rent
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic88%(664,585)
Black0.6%(4,563)
Hispanic / Latino1.4%(10,903)
Asian0.6%(4,316)
Other0%
1990
White, non-Hispanic91.5%(637,181)
Black0.5%(3,133)
Hispanic / Latino0.8%(5,428)
Asian0.5%(3,327)
Other7.5%(52,363)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.

Hispanic origin
Mexican2.6%(23,737)
Guatemalan0.5%(4,273)
Puerto Rican0.4%(3,664)
Salvadoran0.3%(3,145)
South American0.2%(1,521)
Cuban0.1%(1,293)
Spaniard0.1%(789)
Honduran0.1%(767)
Nicaraguan0.1%(720)
Colombian0.1%(703)
Peruvian0%(325)
+ 10 more hispanic origin groups with data
Dominican0%(297)
Chilean0%(265)
Panamanian0%(192)
Argentine0%(70)
Uruguayan0%(17)
Bolivian0%(16)
Asian origin
Filipino0.3%(2,405)
Burmese0.3%(2,297)
Asian Indian0.2%(1,915)
Chinese0.1%(1,357)
Vietnamese0.1%(923)
Nepalese0.1%(894)
Korean0.1%(760)
Japanese0.1%(554)
Pakistani0%(238)
Hmong0%(232)
Thai0%(201)
Kazakh0%(175)
+ 7 more asian origin groups with data
Pacific Islander origin
Chamorro0%(250)
Samoan0%(181)
Tongan0%(11)
Ancestry
German33.1%(300,492)
Norwegian10.4%(94,707)
Irish9.9%(90,144)
English7.7%(69,679)
American4.4%(40,178)
Dutch3.9%(35,584)
Swedish2.6%(23,958)
Czech1.8%(16,620)
French1.8%(16,116)
Polish1.5%(13,997)
Danish1.5%(13,979)
Italian1.2%(11,311)
+ 49 more ancestry groups with data
Scottish1.1%(10,434)
Russian0.9%(8,546)
Scotch-Irish0.5%(4,648)
Finnish0.4%(3,679)
Welsh0.4%(3,658)
French Canadian0.3%(2,970)
Ukrainian0.3%(2,882)
Ethiopian0.3%(2,876)
Swiss0.3%(2,602)
Arab0.2%(1,841)
British0.2%(1,802)
Belgian0.2%(1,747)
Austrian0.2%(1,712)
Greek0.1%(1,282)
Hungarian0.1%(1,102)
West Indian0.1%(1,029)
Slovak0.1%(813)
Canadian0.1%(781)
Portuguese0.1%(764)
Lebanese0.1%(756)
Croatian0%(434)
Somali0%(428)
Nigerian0%(410)
Haitian0%(377)
Lithuanian0%(375)
Syrian0%(347)
Romanian0%(315)
Brazilian0%(260)
Egyptian0%(225)
Armenian0%(206)
Jamaican0%(191)
Australian0%(166)
Serbian0%(138)
Latvian0%(137)
Turkish0%(135)
Iraqi0%(123)
Iranian0%(109)
Moroccan0%(94)
Bulgarian0%(68)
Guyanese0%(68)
Slovene0%(58)
Ghanaian0%(43)
Kenyan0%(25)
Jordanian0%(21)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
17.2%
−4.3 ptsvs 2000
vs 21.5% in 2000
US average: 20.3%
High school or higher
77.1%
−7.5 ptsvs 2000
vs 84.6% in 2000
US average: 75.2%
Graduate degree
4.9%
−1.1 ptsvs 2000
vs 6.0% in 2000
US average: 7.1%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
21.9 min
+87%vs 2000
vs 11.7 min in 2000
US average: 21.9
Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status (2024)
Men 15+
Never married35.7%(131,119)
Married51.9%(190,950)
Widowed2.7%(9,818)
Divorced9.8%(35,907)
Women 15+
Never married28.2%(101,065)
Married52%(186,134)
Widowed8.5%(30,480)
Divorced11.2%(40,150)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

Uninsured
9.0%
−2.8 ptssince 2013
from 11.8% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
55.3%
+0.6 ptssince 2020
from 54.7% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
17.9%
−0.3 ptssince 2020
from 18.2% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
18.9%
+0.9 ptssince 2020
from 18.0% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
13.6%
−0.4 ptssince 2020
from 14.0% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
3.7%
+0.1 ptssince 2020
from 3.6% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
72.8%
+0.2 ptssince 2020
from 72.6% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
31.2%
+0.5 ptssince 2020
from 30.7% 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)27%(14,568)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)24.1%(12,985)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era34.5%(18,606)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War4.2%(2,284)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.4%(230)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 53,890 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
Section 02

Largest cities

See all cities in South Dakota →
1.Sioux Falls213,748
2.Rapid City80,589
3.Aberdeen27,961
4.Brookings25,355
5.Watertown23,736
6.Yankton15,816
7.Mitchell15,756
8.Huron14,607
9.Spearfish14,154
10.Box Elder13,936
11.Pierre13,848
12.Vermillion11,720
13.Brandon11,306
14.Harrisburg10,405
15.Tea8,019
16.Rapid Valley6,975
17.Sturgis6,922
18.Madison6,065
20.Dakota Dunes3,936
21.Dell Rapids3,852
22.Hot Springs3,670
23.Hartford3,635
24.Milbank3,512
25.Mobridge3,192
26.Lead3,064
28.Summerset3,030
29.Canton3,001
30.Winner2,969
31.Blackhawk2,934
32.Lennox2,657
34.Volga2,458
35.Chamberlain2,453
36.Sisseton2,413
37.Flandreau2,396
38.Pine Ridge2,246
39.Fort Pierre2,166
40.Redfield2,114
41.Beresford2,105
42.Elk Point2,080
43.Springfield1,926
45.Custer1,803
Section 03

Metropolitan & micropolitan areas

Metropolitan areas (2)
1.Sioux Falls314,638
2.Rapid City156,934
Micropolitan areas (9)
1.Aberdeen41,583
2.Brookings37,635
3.Watertown29,562
4.Spearfish29,459
5.Mitchell25,913
6.Yankton23,635
7.Pierre20,588
8.Huron19,624
9.Vermillion15,031

Metropolitan areas are built around an urban core of 50,000 or more people; micropolitan areas around a core of 10,000 to 50,000. A statistical area can cross state lines, so each is listed under its primary state.

Frequently asked

How many people live in South Dakota?

South Dakota has about 696,004 residents according to the 1990 Census.

What is the median household income in South Dakota?

The typical household in South Dakota earns about $22,503 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is South Dakota expensive?

In South Dakota, the median home is worth about $45,000, and the typical rent is about $306 a month.

How educated are people in South Dakota?

About 17.2% of adults age 25 and over in South Dakota hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in South Dakota?

About 15.9% of people in South Dakota live below the federal poverty line.

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All 66 counties
Minnehaha CountyPennington CountyLincoln CountyBrookings CountyBrown CountyMeade CountyCodington CountyLawrence CountyYankton CountyDavison CountyBeadle CountyHughes CountyUnion CountyClay CountyOglala Lakota CountyLake CountyButte CountyRoberts CountyCuster CountyTurner CountyCharles Mix CountyTodd CountyGrant CountyFall River CountyHutchinson CountyBon Homme CountyHamlin CountyMoody CountySpink CountyMcCook CountyTripp CountyDay CountyDewey CountyKingsbury CountyBrule CountyWalworth CountyMarshall CountyDeuel CountyGregory CountyClark CountyEdmunds CountyCorson CountyLyman CountyHanson CountyBennett CountyHand CountyStanley CountyDouglas CountyPerkins CountyAurora CountyJackson CountyZiebach CountySanborn CountyPotter CountyMcPherson CountyMiner CountyFaulk CountyMellette CountyBuffalo CountyHaakon CountyJerauld CountySully CountyCampbell CountyHarding CountyHyde CountyJones County

DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →