Lawrence County, South Dakota Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Lawrence 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
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C
Income Below average
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B
Education Around averageAmong the top 5 best educated counties in South Dakota
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Lawrence County | South Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 27,233 | 907,403 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 34.0 | 11.8 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 1.15% | 0.80% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 43.7 | 35.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 12,054 | 365,533 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Lawrence County grew by 17.6% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 27,233 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Lawrence County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 23.3% of residents. That is 1.4 points above South Dakota as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 6,352 23.3% +1.4 pts
- Millennials 29–44 4,988 18.3% -2.1 pts
- Gen X 45–60 5,238 19.2% +0.7 pts
- Boomers 61–79 5,992 22.0% +4.7 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 50.3% of the people living in Lawrence County and men 49.7%.
- Women 50.3% South Dakota 49.6%
- Men 49.7% South Dakota 50.4%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Lawrence County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Lawrence County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Lawrence County | South Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $72,290 | $75,087 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.42% | 4.61% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 1.7% | 2.9% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Lawrence County is about 4% lower than in South Dakota.
Housing
| Metric | Lawrence County | South Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $37,034 | $92,142 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $937 | $946 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 65.1% | 68.6% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Lawrence County is about 3.3 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $937 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Lawrence County spend about 26 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 110 hours, about 4.6 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Lawrence County | South Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 13.2 | 15.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 26.5 | 30.7 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 110 | 128 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $3,423 | $3,961 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 6.5% | 9.7% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,322 | 2,777 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 437 | 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 Lawrence County is 13 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
Lawrence County has a education index of B, which means it is quite educated.
| Metric | Lawrence County | South Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 32.4% | 28.0% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.18 | 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
Lawrence County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Lawrence County | South Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 79.0 | 79.9 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 11.1% | 13.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 17.5% | 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).
Lawrence County, SD Compared With Nearby Counties
How Lawrence County, SD compares with the 1 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lawrence County, SD | 27,233 | $72,290 #2/2 | $37,034 #2/2 | 13.2 min #1/2 |
| Pennington County, SD | 113,512 | $74,480 | $239,422 | 16.7 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Lawrence County, South Dakota.
How big is Lawrence County, South Dakota by population?
About 27,233 people live in Lawrence County, South Dakota, in 12,054 households of 2.2 people on average. The median age is 43.7, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 6 years.
Is Lawrence County, South Dakota urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Lawrence County, South Dakota has 34 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 39% of the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Lawrence County, South Dakota?
The median home costs 0.5 times the median household income ($37,034 against $72,290), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $937 a month takes about 16% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Lawrence County, South Dakota?
Unemployment in Lawrence County, South Dakota is only 1.7%, 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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