CensusEasy
STATE · ADMITTED 1889 · 2000 CENSUS

South Dakota

754,844 residents · 66 counties · 485 cities · 75,811 sq mi · 242 census tracts
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The short version

With 754,844 people, South Dakota is a state. The typical home is worth $74,300, having risen by half since 1990. Getting to work takes 12 minutes on average. Median rent is $426 a month. The median household earns $35,282, about 17% below the national median. About 22% of adults have finished a four-year degree.

SD
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
754,844
+8%since 1990
from 696,004 in 1990
1990 – 2024
Median age
35.6
+9%since 1990
from 32.6 in 1990
US average: 35.2
Land area
75,811 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
675K738K802K865K929K19902000201020202024South Dakota
2024907K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2000
Under 56.8%(51,069)
US avg: 6.8%
5 to 97.2%(54,486)
US avg: 7.3%
10 to 147.9%(59,463)
US avg: 7.3%
15 to 198.3%(62,463)
US avg: 7.2%
20 to 247%(52,802)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3412.1%(91,013)
US avg: 14.2%
35 to 4415.3%(115,386)
US avg: 16%
45 to 5412.9%(97,682)
US avg: 13.4%
55 to 648.3%(62,349)
US avg: 8.6%
65 to 747%(53,129)
US avg: 6.5%
75 to 845.2%(38,916)
US avg: 4.4%
85 and over2.1%(16,086)
US avg: 1.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$35,282
+19%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $22,503 in 1990
US average: $42,589
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$17,562
+65%since 1990
from $10,661 in 1990
US average: $21,522
Poverty rate
13.2%
−2.7 ptssince 1990
from 15.9% in 1990
US average: 12.4%
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$74,300
+25%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $45,000 in 1990
US average: $120,530
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$426
+6%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $306 in 1990
US average: $602
Owner-occupied
68.2%
+2.1 ptssince 1990
from 66.1% in 1990
31.8% rent
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

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

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
21.5%
+4.3 ptssince 1990
from 17.2% in 1990
US average: 24.4%
High school or higher
84.6%
+7.5 ptssince 1990
from 77.1% in 1990
US average: 80.3%
Graduate degree
6.0%
+1.1 ptssince 1990
from 4.9% in 1990
US average: 8.8%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
11.7 min
−47%since 1990
from 21.9 min in 1990
US average: 17.6
Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status
Men 15+
Never married29.8%(86,466)
Married59.2%(171,700)
Widowed2.4%(7,040)
Divorced8.5%(24,652)
Women 15+
Never married22.5%(67,567)
Married57%(170,962)
Widowed11.4%(34,104)
Divorced9%(27,121)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2000
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 754,844 residents according to the 2000 Census.

What is the median household income in South Dakota?

The typical household in South Dakota earns about $35,282 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 $74,300, and the typical rent is about $426 a month.

How educated are people in South Dakota?

About 21.5% 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 13.2% of people in South Dakota live below the federal poverty line.

Has South Dakota grown since 1990?

Yes, South Dakota has grown since 1990. The population has added about 58,840 residents, a change of about 8 percent over that period.

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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 →