Meade County, South Dakota Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Meade 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 averageWealthier than 75% of counties in South Dakota
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C
Education Below averageBetter educated than 83% of counties in South Dakota
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Meade County | South Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 30,546 | 907,403 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 8.8 | 11.8 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 1.64% | 0.80% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 35.3 | 35.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 11,968 | 365,533 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Meade County grew by 26.6% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 30,546 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Meade County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 22.9% of residents. That is 0.9 points above South Dakota as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 6,984 22.9% +0.9 pts
- Millennials 29–44 6,681 21.9% +1.4 pts
- Gen X 45–60 5,927 19.4% +0.9 pts
- Boomers 61–79 5,085 16.6% -0.6 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 47.6% of the people living in Meade County and men 52.4%.
- Women 47.6% South Dakota 49.6%
- Men 52.4% South Dakota 50.4%
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Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Meade County
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Economy
Meade County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Meade County | South Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $74,726 | $75,087 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.40% | 4.61% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 2.9% | 2.9% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Meade County is about the same as in South Dakota.
Housing
| Metric | Meade County | South Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $225,000 | $92,142 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,264 | $946 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 72.9% | 68.6% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Meade County is about 14.8 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,264 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Meade County spend about 37 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 155 hours, about 6.5 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Meade County | South Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 18.7 | 15.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 37.3 | 30.7 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 155 | 128 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,820 | $3,961 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 8.1% | 9.7% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,715 | 2,777 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 691 | 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 Meade County is 19 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
Meade County has a education index of C, which means it is somewhat educated.
| Metric | Meade County | South Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 24.2% | 28.0% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.46 | 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
Meade County has a health index of A, which means it is very healthy.
| Metric | Meade County | South Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 81.0 | 79.9 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 9.4% | 13.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 17.1% | 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).
Meade County, SD Compared With Nearby Counties
How Meade County, SD compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meade County, SD | 30,546 | $74,726 #1/3 | $225,000 #2/3 | 18.7 min #3/3 |
| Pennington County, SD | 113,512 | $74,480 | $239,422 | 16.7 min |
| Lawrence County, SD | 27,233 | $72,290 | $37,034 | 13.2 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Meade County, South Dakota.
How big is Meade County, South Dakota by population?
About 30,546 people live in Meade County, South Dakota, in 11,968 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 35.3, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 2 years.
How densely populated is Meade County, South Dakota?
Averaged over its land area, Meade County, South Dakota has 9 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 10% of the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Meade County, South Dakota?
The median home costs 3.0 times the median household income ($225,000 against $74,726), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,264 a month takes about 20% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Meade County, South Dakota?
Unemployment in Meade 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.
How common is a college degree in Meade County, South Dakota?
24.2% of adults in Meade County, South Dakota hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 4), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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