Bennett County, South Dakota Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Bennett County, SD Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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D
Health Well below averageLess healthy than 90% of counties in South Dakota
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D
Income Well below averageLess wealthy than 89% of counties in South Dakota
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F
Education Well below averageAmong the 5 least educated counties in South Dakota
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Bennett County | South Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 3,345 | 907,403 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 2.8 | 11.8 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.37% | 0.80% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 28.2 | 35.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 920 | 365,533 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Bennett County declined by 1.8% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 3,345 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Bennett County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 25.1% of residents. That is 3.2 points above South Dakota as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 841 25.1% +3.2 pts
- Millennials 29–44 579 17.3% -3.1 pts
- Gen X 45–60 540 16.1% -2.4 pts
- Boomers 61–79 441 13.2% -4.1 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below South Dakota, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 53.0% of the people living in Bennett County and men 47.0%.
- Women 53.0% South Dakota 49.6%
- Men 47.0% South Dakota 50.4%
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Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Bennett County
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Economy
Bennett County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Bennett County | South Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $55,416 | $75,087 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 2.87% | 4.61% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 10.0% | 2.9% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Bennett County is about 26% lower than in South Dakota.
Housing
| Metric | Bennett County | South Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $125,000 | $92,142 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $616 | $946 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 61.2% | 68.6% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Bennett County is about 16.9 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $616 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Bennett County spend about 15 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 63 hours, about 2.6 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Bennett County | South Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 7.5 | 15.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 15.0 | 30.7 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 63 | 128 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $1,941 | $3,961 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 8.0% | 9.7% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 394 | 2,777 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 100 | 353 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
South Dakota:
Jones County (6.7 min), Bennett County (7.5 min), Jackson County (7.8 min).
Slowest:
Custer County (25.5 min), McCook County (25.4 min), Turner County (23.1 min).
The average commute time in Bennett County is 8 minutes, shorter than the 15 minutes in South Dakota.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Bennett County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Bennett County | South Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 15.5% | 28.0% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 3.59 | 2.40 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
South Dakota:
Clay County (0.4), Lincoln County (0.3), Stanley County (0.3).
Lowest:
Buffalo County (0.1), Mellette County (0.2), Oglala Lakota County (0.2).
Health
Bennett County has a health index of D, which means it is barely healthy.
| Metric | Bennett County | South Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 76.2 | 79.9 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 21.0% | 13.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 31.8% | 19.9% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
South Dakota:
Brookings County (0.8), Lincoln County (0.8), Clay County (0.8).
Lowest:
Todd County (0.7), Buffalo County (0.7), Mellette County (0.7).
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Bennett County, South Dakota.
How big is Bennett County, South Dakota by population?
About 3,345 people live in Bennett County, South Dakota, in 920 households of 3.6 people on average. The median age is 28.2, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 9 years.
How densely populated is Bennett County, South Dakota?
Averaged over its land area, Bennett County, South Dakota has 3 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 3% of the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Bennett County, South Dakota?
The median home costs 2.3 times the median household income ($125,000 against $55,416), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $616 a month takes about 13% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is it hard to find a job in Bennett County, South Dakota?
Unemployment in Bennett County, South Dakota is 10.0%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
How common is a college degree in Bennett County, South Dakota?
15.5% of adults in Bennett County, South Dakota hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 6), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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