Dewey County, South Dakota Income Statistics
Dewey County Wealth Score
The wealth index reflects the overall economic prosperity and financial well-being of a county's residents based on income levels, employment rates, and income inequality metrics.
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D
Dewey County Well below averageLess wealthy than 88% of counties in South Dakota
Source: Map AI Methodology
Income Statistics Overview
| Metric | Dewey County | South Dakota Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Household Income | $54,400 | $75,087 | $80,455 |
| Median Personal Income | $41,179 | $53,860 | $60,758 |
| Average Yearly Income Growth | 3.9% | 4.6% | 4.8% |
| Six-Figure Earners | 5.8% | 10.1% | 13.9% |
| $200k+ Households | 2.7% | 8.1% | 13.2% |
The median household income in Dewey County is about 28% lower than in South Dakota. Income has been growing slower in Dewey County (3.9%/yr) than in South Dakota (4.6%/yr).
About 6% of adults in Dewey County earn six figures ($100,000 or more) a year, lower than the South Dakota average of 10%.
Median Household Income 2009–2024 Trend
Median Household Income Over Time
Median household income in Dewey County, South Dakota grew by 51.8% from 2009 to 2024, reaching $54,400 in 2024. That's an average of about 3.9% per year.
Dewey County has stayed well below the U.S. median household income in every year from 2009 to 2024 and has never reached it. It came closest in 2019, at 24% lower. The gap has widened from 30% in 2009 to 32% in 2024.
Income Distribution in Dewey County
How incomes are spread across brackets, compared with the U.S. Pick a range to count who falls in it.
Households by income, 2024
Income range calculator
About 412 households (24.3% of all households) have an income of $100,000 or more.
Across the U.S.: 40.2% of all households.
In 2024, 35.2% of households in Dewey County had an income under $35,000 and 11.3% had $150,000 or more. Across the U.S., those shares were 21.6% and 22.8%.
Compared with the U.S., Dewey County has a larger share of households earning under $10,000 (9.7% vs 5.1%) and a smaller share earning $200,000 or more (2.7% vs 13.2%).
| Household income | Households | Share | U.S. share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under $10,000 | 164 | 9.7% | 5.1% |
| $10,000 to $14,999 | 112 | 6.6% | 3.5% |
| $15,000 to $24,999 | 135 | 8.0% | 6.4% |
| $25,000 to $34,999 | 184 | 10.9% | 6.7% |
| $35,000 to $49,999 | 207 | 12.2% | 10.1% |
| $50,000 to $74,999 | 311 | 18.4% | 15.5% |
| $75,000 to $99,999 | 167 | 9.9% | 12.6% |
| $100,000 to $149,999 | 221 | 13.1% | 17.4% |
| $150,000 to $199,999 | 145 | 8.6% | 9.5% |
| $200,000 or more | 46 | 2.7% | 13.2% |
Shares are of all 1,692 households, one per occupied home whatever its size. Households with zero or negative income are counted in the lowest bracket. Source: ACS 5-year estimates ending 2024 (table B19001).
Residents 15+ by personal income, 2024
Income range calculator
About 205 residents (5.8% of residents aged 15 and over) have a personal income of $100,000 or more.
Across the U.S.: 13.9% of residents aged 15 and over.
That is 7.3% of residents who have any income.
In 2024, 20.3% of Dewey County residents aged 15 and over reported no personal income, 32.7% had some income but less than $25,000, and 9.2% had $75,000 or more. Across the U.S., those shares were 12.8%, 28.7% and 22.0%.
Compared with the U.S., Dewey County has a larger share of residents with no personal income (20.3% vs 12.8%) and a smaller share earning $100,000 or more (5.8% vs 13.9%).
| Personal income | Residents | Share | U.S. share |
|---|---|---|---|
| No income | 711 | 20.3% | 12.8% |
| $1 to $9,999 | 496 | 14.1% | 11.2% |
| $10,000 to $14,999 | 290 | 8.3% | 7.0% |
| $15,000 to $24,999 | 360 | 10.3% | 10.5% |
| $25,000 to $34,999 | 378 | 10.8% | 9.5% |
| $35,000 to $49,999 | 464 | 13.2% | 12.6% |
| $50,000 to $74,999 | 484 | 13.8% | 14.3% |
| $75,000 to $99,999 | 118 | 3.4% | 8.2% |
| $100,000 or more | 205 | 5.8% | 13.9% |
Shares are of the 3,506 residents aged 15 and over, the only people the Census Bureau asks about income, and include those who reported none. A share of the whole population would count children as people without income, while a share of earners alone would hide the 20.3% with no income; the calculator adds that second share whenever your range leaves out people with no income. Source: ACS 5-year estimates ending 2024 (table B19325).
Income Inequality and the Gender Pay Gap in Dewey County
| Metric | Dewey County | South Dakota Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gini Coefficient | 0.591 | 0.504 | 0.552 |
| Male Median Income | $52,182 | $62,990 | $69,667 |
| Female Median Income | $41,249 | $50,603 | $56,850 |
| Gender Pay Gap | 21.0% | 19.7% | 18.4% |
The Gini coefficient measures how evenly income is shared between richer and poorer households, from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns nearly everything). The lower the number, the more equally income is distributed. In Dewey County, it is 0.591, higher than South Dakota's 0.504, so income is less evenly distributed here than there, and higher than the US's 0.552, so income is less evenly distributed here than there.
Men's income is about 27% more than women's income in Dewey County, South Dakota. Over a 35-year career, a 27% wage gap accumulates to roughly $382,655 in unearned income for female workers in the area.
Income by Sex Over Time
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Dewey County, South Dakota has widened from about 11% to 21% in 2024. Over that period the gap in 2016 women out-earned men by 1%. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $7,216 since 2009.
Sharply against the trend: the pay gap in Dewey County widened by 10.1 points while South Dakota's narrowed by 4.5 points.
Employment
| Metric | Dewey County | South Dakota Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment Rate | 13.9% | 2.9% | 5.2% |
| Working from Home | 13.5% | 9.7% | 15.0% |
| Commute time (minutes) | 12 | 15 | 22 |
Approximately 291 people are unemployed in Dewey County, South Dakota.
The average commute time in Dewey County is 12 minutes, shorter than the 15 minutes in South Dakota.
Unemployment Rate Over Time
Since 2011, the unemployment rate in Dewey County, South Dakota has fallen from 20.0% to 13.9% in 2024.
Dewey County has been far above the U.S. unemployment rate in every year from 2011 to 2024. Even at its closest, in 2012, its rate was 8.1 points higher. The gap has narrowed from 11.3 points in 2011 to 8.6 points in 2024.
Dewey County, SD Wealth Compared With Nearby Counties
Dewey County, SD is the 2nd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 5,205 residents against a local median of 3,015. The measure that sets Dewey County, SD apart most is unemployment: 13.9%, 299% above the local median of 3.5%. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
Income inequality tells the same story from another angle: 0.591 against a local median of 0.489, 21% above it. Every measure here with a clear better direction points the same way, and it is the wrong way: Dewey County, SD reads weaker than its neighbours on all of them. The counties themselves spread 19.0% on unemployment, so Dewey County, SD sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Dewey County, SD has the 4th lowest unemployment of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Income growthAverage yearly change in median household income since 2016. Each year is measured in its own dollars, so this is growth before inflation. | Unemployment | Income inequalityGini coefficient: 0 would mean every household earns the same, 1 that a single household earns everything. The lower the number, the more equally income is shared here. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dewey County, SD | 5,205 | $54,400 #4/6 | 3.9%/yr #5/6 | 13.9% #4/6 | 0.591 #4/6 |
| Corson County, SD | 3,806 | $46,956 | 5.2%/yr | 20.0% | 0.645 |
| Stanley County, SD | 3,015 | $80,929 | 4.0%/yr | 1.0% | 0.444 |
| Ziebach County, SD | 2,377 | $52,273 | 4.6%/yr | 20.0% | 0.635 |
| Sully County, SD | 1,526 | $72,742 | 2.6%/yr | 1.0% | 0.442 |
| Walworth County, SD | 5,271 | $63,610 | 4.0%/yr | 3.5% | 0.489 |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Dewey County, South Dakota has an overall wealth index grade of D, making it somewhat worse than South Dakota, and somewhat worse than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about income and wealth in Dewey County, South Dakota.
How Rich Is Dewey County, South Dakota?
Dewey County has a wealth index grade of D. The wealth index grades areas from A+ (best) to F- by combining income levels, employment rates, and income inequality; a D grade means residents are somewhat worse off than the U.S. average. The median household income is $54,400, about 28% lower than the South Dakota average of $75,087.
Are incomes growing in Dewey County, South Dakota?
Between 2009 and 2024, the median household income in Dewey County, South Dakota rose 52%, from $35,832 to $54,400. Over the same years, income here lagged behind South Dakota as a whole: +52% against +67%.
What was the median household income in Dewey County in 2023?
In 2023, the median household income in Dewey County, South Dakota was $57,683, up 7% from $53,806 in 2022. The South Dakota median that year was $72,558.
What was the median household income in Dewey County in 2020?
In 2020, the median household income in Dewey County, South Dakota was $45,809. By 2024 it had risen 19% to $54,400.
How strong is the job market in Dewey County, South Dakota?
Unemployment in Dewey County, South Dakota is 13.9%, well above the South Dakota rate of 2.9%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
What is the Gini coefficient in Dewey County, South Dakota?
The Gini coefficient in Dewey County is 0.591. It measures income inequality on a scale from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns everything). That is higher than the US average of 0.552, so income is distributed less equally than in the country overall.
How has the income gap between men and women changed in Dewey County, South Dakota?
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Dewey County, South Dakota has widened from about 11% to 21% in 2024. Over that period the gap in 2016 women out-earned men by 1%. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $7,216 since 2009.
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