Lincoln County, South Dakota Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Lincoln 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 3 healthiest counties in South Dakota
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A
Income Above averageAmong the top 3 wealthiest counties in South Dakota
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B
Education Around averageAmong the top 3 best educated counties in South Dakota
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Lincoln County | South Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 70,639 | 907,403 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 122.3 | 11.8 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 4.06% | 0.80% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 36.6 | 35.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 27,879 | 365,533 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Lincoln County grew by 87.8% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 70,639 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Lincoln County is Millennials, aged 29–44, at 24.6% of residents. That is 4.2 points above South Dakota as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 14,535 20.6% -1.4 pts
- Millennials 29–44 17,412 24.6% +4.2 pts
- Gen X 45–60 13,444 19.0% +0.5 pts
- Boomers 61–79 8,765 12.4% -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 50.2% of the people living in Lincoln County and men 49.8%.
- Women 50.2% South Dakota 49.6%
- Men 49.8% South Dakota 50.4%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Lincoln County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Lincoln County has a the economy index of A, which means it is very prosperous.
| Metric | Lincoln County | South Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $98,826 | $75,087 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 2.99% | 4.61% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 1.7% | 2.9% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Lincoln County is about 32% higher than in South Dakota.
Housing
| Metric | Lincoln County | South Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $337,722 | $92,142 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,260 | $946 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 71.2% | 68.6% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Lincoln County is about 22.3 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,260 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Lincoln County spend about 36 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 151 hours, about 6.3 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Lincoln County | South Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 18.1 | 15.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 36.2 | 30.7 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 151 | 128 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,679 | $3,961 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 12.3% | 9.7% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 5,517 | 2,777 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 841 | 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 Lincoln County is 18 minutes, longer 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
Lincoln County has a education index of B, which means it is quite educated.
| Metric | Lincoln County | South Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 39.4% | 28.0% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.52 | 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
Lincoln County has a health index of A, which means it is very healthy.
| Metric | Lincoln County | South Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 80.6 | 79.9 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 8.1% | 13.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 15.4% | 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).
Lincoln County, SD Compared With Nearby Counties
How Lincoln County, SD compares with the 1 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln County, SD | 70,639 | $98,826 #1/2 | $337,722 #1/2 | 18.1 min #2/2 |
| Minnehaha County, SD | 203,266 | $77,010 | $96,546 | 16.7 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Lincoln County, South Dakota.
How many people live in Lincoln County, South Dakota?
About 70,639 people live in Lincoln County, South Dakota, in 27,879 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 36.6, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
Is Lincoln County, South Dakota urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Lincoln County, South Dakota has 122 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is close to the U.S. average of 86.
Is Lincoln County, South Dakota an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 3.4 times the median household income ($337,722 against $98,826), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,260 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 Lincoln County, South Dakota?
Unemployment in Lincoln 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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