Pennington County, South Dakota Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Pennington 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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B
Income Around average
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B
Education Around averageBetter educated than 86% of counties in South Dakota
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Pennington County | South Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 113,512 | 907,403 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 40.8 | 11.8 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.72% | 0.80% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 40.1 | 35.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 46,370 | 365,533 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Pennington County grew by 17.1% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 113,512 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Pennington County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 20.7% of residents. That is 1.2 points below South Dakota as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 23,552 20.7% -1.2 pts
- Millennials 29–44 23,075 20.3% -0.1 pts
- Gen X 45–60 22,138 19.5% +1.0 pts
- Boomers 61–79 21,516 19.0% +1.7 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 49.3% of the people living in Pennington County and men 50.7%.
- Women 49.3% South Dakota 49.6%
- Men 50.7% South Dakota 50.4%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Pennington County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Pennington County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Pennington County | South Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $74,480 | $75,087 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.75% | 4.61% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.1% | 2.9% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Pennington County is about 1% lower than in South Dakota.
Housing
| Metric | Pennington County | South Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $239,422 | $92,142 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,119 | $946 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 69.3% | 68.6% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Pennington County is about 17.8 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,119 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Pennington County spend about 33 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 139 hours, about 5.8 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Pennington County | South Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 16.7 | 15.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 33.4 | 30.7 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 139 | 128 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,318 | $3,961 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 9.6% | 9.7% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,928 | 2,777 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 603 | 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 Pennington County is 17 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
Pennington County has a education index of B, which means it is quite educated.
| Metric | Pennington County | South Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 30.4% | 28.0% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.37 | 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
Pennington County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Pennington County | South Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 79.3 | 79.9 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 12.4% | 13.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 19.2% | 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).
Pennington County, SD Compared With Nearby Counties
How Pennington County, SD compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pennington County, SD | 113,512 | $74,480 #2/3 | $239,422 #1/3 | 16.7 min #2/3 |
| Meade County, SD | 30,546 | $74,726 | $225,000 | 18.7 min |
| Lawrence County, SD | 27,233 | $72,290 | $37,034 | 13.2 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Pennington County, South Dakota.
How big is Pennington County, South Dakota by population?
About 113,512 people live in Pennington County, South Dakota, in 46,370 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 40.1, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 3 years.
Is Pennington County, South Dakota mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Pennington County, South Dakota has 41 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 47% of the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Pennington County, South Dakota?
The median home costs 3.2 times the median household income ($239,422 against $74,480), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,119 a month takes about 18% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Pennington County, South Dakota?
Unemployment in Pennington County, South Dakota is only 3.1%, 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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