Davison County, South Dakota Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Davison 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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B
Health Around averageHealthier than 79% of counties in South Dakota
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C
Income Below average
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D
Education Well below averageBetter educated than 75% of counties in South Dakota
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Davison County | South Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 19,952 | 907,403 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 45.7 | 11.8 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.08% | 0.80% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 38.0 | 35.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 8,899 | 365,533 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Davison County grew by 5.4% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 19,952 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Davison County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 21.6% of residents. That is 0.3 points below South Dakota as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 4,318 21.6% -0.3 pts
- Millennials 29–44 3,833 19.2% -1.2 pts
- Gen X 45–60 3,950 19.8% +1.3 pts
- Boomers 61–79 3,449 17.3% on par
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 50.3% of the people living in Davison County and men 49.7%.
- Women 50.3% South Dakota 49.6%
- Men 49.7% South Dakota 50.4%
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Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Davison County
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Economy
Davison County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Davison County | South Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $65,072 | $75,087 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.00% | 4.61% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 1.0% | 2.9% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Davison County is about 13% lower than in South Dakota.
Housing
| Metric | Davison County | South Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $184,226 | $92,142 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $846 | $946 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 61.5% | 68.6% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Davison County is about 18.1 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $846 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Davison County spend about 23 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 95 hours, about 4.0 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Davison County | South Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 11.4 | 15.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 22.8 | 30.7 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 95 | 128 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $2,948 | $3,961 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 8.9% | 9.7% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,127 | 2,777 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 733 | 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 Davison County is 11 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
Davison County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Davison County | South Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 21.1% | 28.0% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.16 | 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
Davison County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Davison County | South Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 80.9 | 79.9 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 11.4% | 13.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 17.3% | 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 Davison County, South Dakota.
What is the population of Davison County, South Dakota?
About 19,952 people live in Davison County, South Dakota, in 8,899 households of 2.2 people on average. The median age is 38.0, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
How densely populated is Davison County, South Dakota?
Averaged over its land area, Davison County, South Dakota has 46 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 53% of the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Davison County, South Dakota?
The median home costs 2.8 times the median household income ($184,226 against $65,072), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $846 a month takes about 16% 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 Davison County, South Dakota?
Unemployment in Davison County, South Dakota is only 1.0%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
How educated are people in Davison County, South Dakota?
21.1% of adults in Davison County, South Dakota hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 5), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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