Lake County, South Dakota Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Lake 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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A
Health Above averageAmong the top 5 healthiest counties in South Dakota
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B
Income Around average
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C
Education Below averageBetter educated than 85% of counties in South Dakota
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Lake County | South Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 10,972 | 907,403 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 19.1 | 11.8 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -1.37% | 0.80% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 41.7 | 35.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 4,716 | 365,533 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Lake County declined by 4.6% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 10,972 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Lake County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 22.2% of residents. That is 0.2 points above South Dakota as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 2,432 22.2% +0.2 pts
- Millennials 29–44 1,779 16.2% -4.2 pts
- Gen X 45–60 2,201 20.1% +1.6 pts
- Boomers 61–79 2,425 22.1% +4.8 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 48.1% of the people living in Lake County and men 51.9%.
- Women 48.1% South Dakota 49.6%
- Men 51.9% South Dakota 50.4%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Lake County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Lake County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Lake County | South Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $78,179 | $75,087 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.41% | 4.61% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 2.9% | 2.9% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Lake County is about 4% higher than in South Dakota.
Housing
| Metric | Lake County | South Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $18,812 | $92,142 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $946 | $946 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 73.8% | 68.6% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Lake County is about 1.7 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $946 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Lake County spend about 22 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 90 hours, about 3.8 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Lake County | South Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 10.9 | 15.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 21.7 | 30.7 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 90 | 128 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $2,803 | $3,961 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 10.5% | 9.7% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 6,139 | 2,777 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 630 | 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 Lake 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
Lake County has a education index of C, which means it is somewhat educated.
| Metric | Lake County | South Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 31.2% | 28.0% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.22 | 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
Lake County has a health index of A, which means it is very healthy.
| Metric | Lake County | South Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 83.5 | 79.9 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 10.1% | 13.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 15.7% | 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).
Lake County, SD Compared With Nearby Counties
How Lake County, SD compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake County, SD | 10,972 | $78,179 #1/3 | $18,812 #3/3 | 10.9 min #1/3 |
| Minnehaha County, SD | 203,266 | $77,010 | $96,546 | 16.7 min |
| Brookings County, SD | 35,353 | $70,805 | $118,181 | 11.9 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Lake County, South Dakota.
How big is Lake County, South Dakota by population?
About 10,972 people live in Lake County, South Dakota, in 4,716 households of 2.2 people on average. The median age is 41.7, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 4 years.
Is Lake County, South Dakota urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Lake County, South Dakota has 19 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 22% of the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Lake County, South Dakota?
The median home costs 0.2 times the median household income ($18,812 against $78,179), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $946 a month takes about 15% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Lake County, South Dakota?
Unemployment in Lake County, South Dakota is only 2.9%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
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