Sanborn County, South Dakota Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Sanborn 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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B
Health Around average
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B
Income Around averageWealthier than 85% of counties in South Dakota
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Sanborn County | South Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 2,384 | 907,403 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 4.2 | 11.8 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.19% | 0.80% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 40.2 | 35.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 946 | 365,533 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Sanborn County declined by 3.0% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 2,384 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Sanborn County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 20.6% of residents. That is 3.3 points above South Dakota as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 421 17.7% -4.3 pts
- Millennials 29–44 429 18.0% -2.4 pts
- Gen X 45–60 475 19.9% +1.4 pts
- Boomers 61–79 490 20.6% +3.3 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 48.7% of the people living in Sanborn County and men 51.3%.
- Women 48.7% South Dakota 49.6%
- Men 51.3% South Dakota 50.4%
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100% of everyone living in Sanborn County
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Economy
Sanborn County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Sanborn County | South Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $78,104 | $75,087 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.39% | 4.61% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 1.0% | 2.9% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Sanborn County is about 4% higher than in South Dakota.
Housing
| Metric | Sanborn County | South Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $24,642 | $92,142 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $724 | $946 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 78.6% | 68.6% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Sanborn County is about 2.8 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $725 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Sanborn County spend about 41 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 173 hours, about 7.2 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Sanborn County | South Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 20.7 | 15.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 41.5 | 30.7 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 173 | 128 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,359 | $3,961 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 18.6% | 9.7% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 716 | 2,777 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 204 | 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 Sanborn County is 21 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
Sanborn County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Sanborn County | South Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 20.0% | 28.0% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.47 | 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
Sanborn County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Sanborn County | South Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 79.2 | 79.9 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 11.6% | 13.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 16.8% | 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).
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Sanborn County, South Dakota.
What is the population of Sanborn County, South Dakota?
About 2,384 people live in Sanborn County, South Dakota, in 946 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 40.2, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 3 years.
Is Sanborn County, South Dakota urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Sanborn County, South Dakota has 4 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 5% of the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Sanborn County, South Dakota?
The median home costs 0.3 times the median household income ($24,642 against $78,104), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $725 a month takes about 11% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Sanborn County, South Dakota?
Unemployment in Sanborn County, South Dakota is only 1.0%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
How educated are people in Sanborn County, South Dakota?
20.0% of adults in Sanborn County, South Dakota hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 5), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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