Douglas County, South Dakota Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Douglas 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.
-
B
Health Around average
-
B
Income Around average
-
D
Education Well below averageLess educated than 80% of counties in South Dakota
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Douglas County | South Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 2,828 | 907,403 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 6.5 | 11.8 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.57% | 0.80% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 43.8 | 35.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 1,138 | 365,533 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Douglas County declined by 7.3% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 2,828 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Douglas County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 21.7% of residents. That is 4.4 points above South Dakota as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 473 16.7% -5.2 pts
- Millennials 29–44 412 14.6% -5.9 pts
- Gen X 45–60 570 20.2% +1.7 pts
- Boomers 61–79 612 21.7% +4.4 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 50.5% of the people living in Douglas County and men 49.5%.
- Women 50.5% South Dakota 49.6%
- Men 49.5% South Dakota 50.4%
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100% of everyone living in Douglas County
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Economy
Douglas County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Douglas County | South Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $86,928 | $75,087 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 6.87% | 4.61% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 1.0% | 2.9% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Douglas County is about 16% higher than in South Dakota.
Housing
| Metric | Douglas County | South Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $131,250 | $92,142 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $876 | $946 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 76.7% | 68.6% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Douglas County is about 12.5 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $876 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Douglas County spend about 27 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 113 hours, about 4.7 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Douglas County | South Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 13.6 | 15.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 27.1 | 30.7 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 113 | 128 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $3,503 | $3,961 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 7.1% | 9.7% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | — | 2,777 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 141 | 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 Douglas County is 14 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
Douglas County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Douglas County | South Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 19.3% | 28.0% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.36 | 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
Douglas County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Douglas County | South Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 82.7 | 79.9 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 12.4% | 13.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 16.5% | 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 Douglas County, South Dakota.
How big is Douglas County, South Dakota by population?
About 2,828 people live in Douglas County, South Dakota, in 1,138 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 43.8, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 7 years.
How densely populated is Douglas County, South Dakota?
Averaged over its land area, Douglas County, South Dakota has 7 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 8% of the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Douglas County, South Dakota?
The median home costs 1.5 times the median household income ($131,250 against $86,928), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $876 a month takes about 12% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Douglas County, South Dakota?
Unemployment in Douglas 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 Douglas County, South Dakota?
19.3% of adults in Douglas 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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