South Dakota Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
South Dakota Population Density Map and Area Scores
State 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
-
C
Education Below averageLess educated than 71% of states in the US
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | South Dakota | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 907,403 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 11.8 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.80% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 35.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 365,533 | 130,235,071 |
Population in South Dakota grew by 13.9% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 907,403 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in South Dakota is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 22.0% of residents. That is 0.5 points above the US as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 199,221 22.0% +0.5 pts
- Millennials 29–44 185,518 20.4% -1.8 pts
- Gen X 45–60 167,841 18.5% -1.4 pts
- Boomers 61–79 156,590 17.3% +0.4 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 the US, 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 49.6% of the people living in South Dakota and men 50.4%.
- Women 49.6% the US 50.5%
- Men 50.4% the US 49.5%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in South Dakota
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
South Dakota has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | South Dakota | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $75,087 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.61% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 2.9% | 5.2% |
The median household income in South Dakota is about 7% lower than in US.
Housing
| Metric | South Dakota | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $92,142 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $946 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 68.6% | 65.2% |
The median home price in South Dakota is about 8.1 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 South Dakota spend about 31 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 128 hours, about 5.3 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | South Dakota | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 15.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 30.7 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 128 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $3,961 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 9.7% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,777 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 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 South Dakota is 15 minutes, shorter than the 22 minutes in US.
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
South Dakota has a education index of C, which means it is somewhat educated.
| Metric | South Dakota | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 28.0% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 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
South Dakota has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | South Dakota | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 79.9 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 13.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 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).
South Dakota Compared With Nearby States
South Dakota is the 5th largest of the 6 states compared here, 907,403 residents against a local median of 2,945,842. South Dakota's median home price, at $92,142, runs 40% below the $153,425 typical of the states around it.
The states themselves spread $132,074 on median home price, so South Dakota sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. South Dakota has the 6th highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Dakota | 907,403 | $75,087 #5/6 | $92,142 #6/6 | 15.3 min #2/6 |
| Nebraska | 1,978,686 | $76,615 | $175,282 | 17.0 min |
| North Dakota | 784,730 | $76,862 | $125,877 | 13.8 min |
| Kansas | 2,945,842 | $74,287 | $104,644 | 17.2 min |
| Minnesota | 5,724,000 | $89,852 | $236,718 | 20.3 min |
| Iowa | 3,204,793 | $75,133 | $153,425 | 17.0 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about South Dakota.
How many people live in South Dakota?
About 907,403 people live in South Dakota, in 365,533 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 35.5, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 2 years.
How densely populated is South Dakota?
Averaged over its land area, South Dakota has 12 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 14% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is South Dakota an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 1.2 times the median household income ($92,142 against $75,087), 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 it hard to find a job in South Dakota?
Unemployment in 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.
Analyze any area in the US
Get local demographics for any address, aggregated by drive time or radius, on the interactive map.
Explore the map →