Turner County, South Dakota Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Turner 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 71% of counties in South Dakota
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D
Education Well below averageBetter educated than 71% of counties in South Dakota
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Turner County | South Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 8,882 | 907,403 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 14.4 | 11.8 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.87% | 0.80% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 41.4 | 35.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 3,568 | 365,533 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Turner County grew by 6.6% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 8,882 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Turner County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 21.0% of residents. That is 2.5 points above South Dakota as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 1,612 18.2% -3.8 pts
- Millennials 29–44 1,699 19.1% -1.3 pts
- Gen X 45–60 1,869 21.0% +2.5 pts
- Boomers 61–79 1,710 19.2% +2.0 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 50.3% of the people living in Turner County and men 49.7%.
- Women 50.3% South Dakota 49.6%
- Men 49.7% South Dakota 50.4%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Turner County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Turner County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Turner County | South Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $76,210 | $75,087 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.56% | 4.61% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 2.1% | 2.9% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Turner County is about 1% higher than in South Dakota.
Housing
| Metric | Turner County | South Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $46,249 | $92,142 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $741 | $946 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 79.0% | 68.6% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Turner County is about 5.2 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $741 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Turner County spend about 46 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 192 hours, about 8.0 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Turner County | South Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 23.1 | 15.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 46.1 | 30.7 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 192 | 128 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,961 | $3,961 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 7.0% | 9.7% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 4,561 | 2,777 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 364 | 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 Turner County is 23 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
Turner County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Turner County | South Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 25.9% | 28.0% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.42 | 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
Turner County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Turner County | South Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 80.1 | 79.9 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 11.9% | 13.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 17.4% | 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).
Turner County, SD Compared With Nearby Counties
Turner County, SD is the smallest of the 4 counties compared here, 8,882 residents against a local median of 70,639. Where Turner County, SD breaks from the counties next to it is median home price, sitting 52% below the local median of $96,546 at $46,249.
Commute tells the same story from another angle: 23.1 min against a local median of 16.7 min, 38% above it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is commute, and at 38% above the local median it puts Turner County, SD at the weaker end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $314,914 on median home price, so Turner County, SD sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Turner County, SD has the 3rd highest median home price of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turner County, SD | 8,882 | $76,210 #3/4 | $46,249 #3/4 | 23.1 min #4/4 |
| Yankton County, SD | 23,415 | $73,291 | $22,808 | 11.8 min |
| Lincoln County, SD | 70,639 | $98,826 | $337,722 | 18.1 min |
| Minnehaha County, SD | 203,266 | $77,010 | $96,546 | 16.7 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Turner County, South Dakota.
How big is Turner County, South Dakota by population?
About 8,882 people live in Turner County, South Dakota, in 3,568 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 41.4, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 4 years.
How densely populated is Turner County, South Dakota?
Averaged over its land area, Turner County, South Dakota has 14 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 17% of the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Turner County, South Dakota?
The median home costs 0.6 times the median household income ($46,249 against $76,210), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $741 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 Turner County, South Dakota?
Unemployment in Turner County, South Dakota is only 2.1%, 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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