Dewey County, South Dakota Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Dewey 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 92% of counties in South Dakota
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D
Income Well below averageLess wealthy than 88% of counties in South Dakota
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F
Education Well below averageLess educated than 91% of counties in South Dakota
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Dewey County | South Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 5,205 | 907,403 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 2.1 | 11.8 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.98% | 0.80% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 28.4 | 35.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 1,692 | 365,533 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Dewey County declined by 13.4% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 5,205 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Dewey County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 24.2% of residents. That is 2.3 points above South Dakota as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 1,261 24.2% +2.3 pts
- Millennials 29–44 969 18.6% -1.8 pts
- Gen X 45–60 852 16.4% -2.1 pts
- Boomers 61–79 615 11.8% -5.4 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 49.9% of the people living in Dewey County and men 50.1%.
- Women 49.9% South Dakota 49.6%
- Men 50.1% South Dakota 50.4%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Dewey County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Dewey County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Dewey County | South Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $54,400 | $75,087 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.91% | 4.61% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 13.9% | 2.9% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Dewey County is about 28% lower than in South Dakota.
Housing
| Metric | Dewey County | South Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | — | $92,142 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $691 | $946 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 61.2% | 68.6% | 65.2% |
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Dewey County spend about 24 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 101 hours, about 4.2 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Dewey County | South Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 12.1 | 15.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 24.3 | 30.7 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 101 | 128 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $3,133 | $3,961 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 13.5% | 9.7% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,465 | 2,777 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 110 | 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 Dewey County is 12 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
Dewey County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Dewey County | South Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 15.3% | 28.0% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 3.02 | 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
Dewey County has a health index of D, which means it is barely healthy.
| Metric | Dewey County | South Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.8 | 79.9 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 21.8% | 13.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 31.3% | 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 Dewey County, South Dakota.
How big is Dewey County, South Dakota by population?
About 5,205 people live in Dewey County, South Dakota, in 1,692 households of 3.0 people on average. The median age is 28.4, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 9 years.
Is Dewey County, South Dakota urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Dewey County, South Dakota has 2 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 2% of the U.S. average of 86.
How strong is the job market in Dewey County, South Dakota?
Unemployment in Dewey County, South Dakota is 13.9%, 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 Dewey County, South Dakota?
15.3% of adults in Dewey County, South Dakota hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 7), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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