Sully County, South Dakota Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Sully 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 averageAmong the top 5 wealthiest counties in South Dakota
-
D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Sully County | South Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 1,526 | 907,403 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 1.4 | 11.8 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.72% | 0.80% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 45.3 | 35.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 637 | 365,533 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Sully County grew by 12.0% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 1,526 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Sully County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 25.8% of residents. That is 7.3 points above South Dakota as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 265 17.4% -4.6 pts
- Millennials 29–44 225 14.8% -5.7 pts
- Gen X 45–60 394 25.8% +7.3 pts
- Boomers 61–79 339 22.2% +5.0 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 45.3% of the people living in Sully County and men 54.7%.
- Women 45.3% South Dakota 49.6%
- Men 54.7% South Dakota 50.4%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Sully County
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Economy
Sully County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Sully County | South Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $72,742 | $75,087 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 2.60% | 4.61% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 1.0% | 2.9% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Sully County is about 3% lower than in South Dakota.
Housing
| Metric | Sully County | South Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | — | $92,142 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $841 | $946 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 72.8% | 68.6% | 65.2% |
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Sully 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 94 hours, about 3.9 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Sully County | South Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 11.3 | 15.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 22.7 | 30.7 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 94 | 128 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $2,926 | $3,961 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 13.4% | 9.7% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 864 | 2,777 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 132 | 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 Sully 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
Sully County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Sully County | South Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 23.6% | 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
Sully County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Sully County | South Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 79.4 | 79.9 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 11.3% | 13.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 17.0% | 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 Sully County, South Dakota.
What is the population of Sully County, South Dakota?
About 1,526 people live in Sully County, South Dakota, in 637 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 45.3, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 8 years.
Is Sully County, South Dakota mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Sully County, South Dakota has 1 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 2% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is unemployment high in Sully County, South Dakota?
Unemployment in Sully 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 Sully County, South Dakota?
23.6% of adults in Sully 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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