Spink County, South Dakota Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Spink 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
-
B
Income Around average
-
D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Spink County | South Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 6,219 | 907,403 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 4.1 | 11.8 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.62% | 0.80% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 46.1 | 35.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 2,486 | 365,533 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Spink County declined by 6.8% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 6,219 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Spink County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 21.7% of residents. That is 3.2 points above South Dakota as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 1,102 17.7% -4.2 pts
- Millennials 29–44 1,061 17.1% -3.4 pts
- Gen X 45–60 1,350 21.7% +3.2 pts
- Boomers 61–79 1,254 20.2% +2.9 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 49.2% of the people living in Spink County and men 50.8%.
- Women 49.2% South Dakota 49.6%
- Men 50.8% South Dakota 50.4%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Spink County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Spink County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Spink County | South Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $71,068 | $75,087 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.62% | 4.61% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 1.3% | 2.9% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Spink County is about 5% lower than in South Dakota.
Housing
| Metric | Spink County | South Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $72,500 | $92,142 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $734 | $946 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 72.7% | 68.6% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Spink County is about 8.2 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $734 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Spink County spend about 23 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 95 hours, about 4.0 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Spink County | South Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 11.4 | 15.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 22.9 | 30.7 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 95 | 128 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $2,956 | $3,961 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 14.7% | 9.7% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 823 | 2,777 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 175 | 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 Spink County is 11 minutes, shorter 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
Spink County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Spink County | South Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 23.9% | 28.0% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.39 | 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
Spink County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Spink County | South Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 81.2 | 79.9 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 12.0% | 13.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 17.3% | 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).
Spink County, SD Compared With Nearby Counties
How Spink County, SD compares with the 1 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spink County, SD | 6,219 | $71,068 #1/2 | $72,500 #1/2 | 11.4 min #1/2 |
| Brown County, SD | 37,877 | $69,714 | $62,333 | 11.7 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Spink County, South Dakota.
What is the population of Spink County, South Dakota?
About 6,219 people live in Spink County, South Dakota, in 2,486 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 46.1, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 9 years.
Is Spink County, South Dakota mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Spink 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.
Is Spink County, South Dakota an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 1.0 times the median household income ($72,500 against $71,068), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $734 a month takes about 12% 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 Spink County, South Dakota?
Unemployment in Spink County, South Dakota is only 1.3%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
What share of adults in Spink County, South Dakota have a college degree?
23.9% of adults in Spink 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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