Day County, South Dakota Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Day 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 averageLess healthy than 80% of counties in South Dakota
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C
Income Below averageLess wealthy than 71% of counties in South Dakota
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Day County | South Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 5,437 | 907,403 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 5.0 | 11.8 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.34% | 0.80% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 43.9 | 35.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 2,371 | 365,533 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Day County declined by 3.5% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 5,437 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Day County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 23.3% of residents. That is 6.0 points above South Dakota as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 937 17.2% -4.7 pts
- Millennials 29–44 887 16.3% -4.1 pts
- Gen X 45–60 1,093 20.1% +1.6 pts
- Boomers 61–79 1,266 23.3% +6.0 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 49.0% of the people living in Day County and men 51.0%.
- Women 49.0% South Dakota 49.6%
- Men 51.0% South Dakota 50.4%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Day County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Day County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Day County | South Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $66,062 | $75,087 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 6.28% | 4.61% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 2.1% | 2.9% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Day County is about 12% lower than in South Dakota.
Housing
| Metric | Day County | South Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $13,194 | $92,142 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $660 | $946 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 74.6% | 68.6% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Day County is about 1.7 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $660 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Day County spend about 31 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 127 hours, about 5.3 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Day County | South Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 15.3 | 15.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 30.5 | 30.7 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 127 | 128 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $3,942 | $3,961 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 12.0% | 9.7% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,251 | 2,777 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 221 | 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 Day County is about the same as 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
Day County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Day County | South Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 21.6% | 28.0% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.24 | 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
Day County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Day County | South Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.7 | 79.9 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 14.3% | 13.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 19.4% | 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).
Day County, SD Compared With Nearby Counties
How Day County, SD compares with the 1 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day County, SD | 5,437 | $66,062 #2/2 | $13,194 #2/2 | 15.3 min #2/2 |
| Codington County, SD | 28,767 | $72,712 | $153,409 | 11.8 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Day County, South Dakota.
How many people live in Day County, South Dakota?
About 5,437 people live in Day County, South Dakota, in 2,371 households of 2.2 people on average. The median age is 43.9, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 7 years.
Is Day County, South Dakota urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Day County, South Dakota has 5 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 6% of the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Day County, South Dakota?
The median home costs 0.2 times the median household income ($13,194 against $66,062), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $660 a month takes about 12% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Day County, South Dakota?
Unemployment in Day County, South Dakota is only 2.1%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
How common is a college degree in Day County, South Dakota?
21.6% of adults in Day 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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