Custer County, SD

County

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2021 Population

8,360

5.28% 1-year decline

US Senator

John Thune

Republican Party

US Senator

Mike Rounds

Republican Party

US Representative

Dusty Johnson

Republican Party

2021 Median Age

55.8

0.179% 1-year decrease

2021 Poverty Rate

11.4%

9.7% 1-year decrease

2021 Median Household Income

$68,736

6.47% 1-year growth

2021 Median Property Value

$255,500

10.1% 1-year growth

About

In 2021, Custer County, SD had a population of 8.36k people with a median age of 55.8 and a median household income of $68,736. Between 2020 and 2021 the population of Custer County, SD declined from 8,826 to 8,360, a −5.28% decrease and its median household income grew from $64,556 to $68,736, a 6.47% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Custer County, SD are White (Non-Hispanic) (88.4%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (3.28%), White (Hispanic) (2.97%), American Indian & Alaska Native (Non-Hispanic) (2.86%), and Two+ (Hispanic) (0.981%).

None of the households in Custer County, SD reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

99.2% of the residents in Custer County, SD are U.S. citizens.

In 2021, the median property value in Custer County, SD was $255,500, and the homeownership rate was 83.1%.

Most people in Custer County, SD drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 30.1 minutes. The average car ownership in Custer County, SD was 2 cars per household.

Custer County, SD borders Fall River County, SD, Oglala Lakota County, SD, Pennington County, SD, Niobrara County, WY, and Weston County, WY.

Photo by Jack Flanagan

United States South Dakota Rapid City, SD

Population & Diversity

Custer County, SD is home to a population of 8.36k people, from which 99.2% are citizens. As of 2021, 1.52% of Custer County, SD residents were born outside of the country (127 people).

In 2021, there were 27 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (7.39k people) in Custer County, SD than any other race or ethnicity. There were 274 Two+ (Non-Hispanic) and 248 White (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Citizenship

99.2%

2021 Citizenship

99.3%

2020 Citizenship

As of 2021, 99.2% of Custer County, SD residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2020, the percentage of US citizens in Custer County, SD was 99.3%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Custer County, SD compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Custer County, SD

White (Non-Hispanic)
7.39k ± 22
Two+ (Non-Hispanic)
274 ± 74.5
White (Hispanic)
248 ± 77

4.13%

Hispanic Population

345 people

4.13% of the people in Custer County, SD are hispanic (345 people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Custer County, SD as a share of the total population.

Foreign-Born Population

1.52%

2021 Foreign-Born Population

127 people

1.62%

2020 Foreign-Born Population

143 people

As of 2021, 1.52% of Custer County, SD residents (127 people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.6%. In 2020, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Custer County, SD was 1.62%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Custer County, SD compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
524 ± 176
Gulf War (2001-)
184 ± 99
Gulf War (1990s)
176 ± 72

Custer County, SD has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 2.85 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Custer County, SD employs 3.63k people. The largest industries in Custer County, SD are Health Care & Social Assistance (554 people), Construction (339 people), and Accommodation & Food Services (329 people), and the highest paying industries are Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($110,905), Transportation & Warehousing ($87,109), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($79,602).

Employment

Occupations

3.63k

2021 Value

± 389

−7.05%

1 Year decline

± 16.2%

From 2020 to 2021, employment in Custer County, SD declined at a rate of −7.05%, from 3.9k employees to 3.63k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Custer County, SD, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (451 people), Sales & Related Occupations (438 people), and Management Occupations (340 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Custer County, SD.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for false.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in South Dakota (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

3.63k

2021 Value

± 389

−7.05%

1 Year decline

± 16.2%

From 2020 to 2021, employment in Custer County, SD declined at a rate of −7.05%, from 3.9k employees to 3.63k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Custer County, SD, are Health Care & Social Assistance (554 people), Construction (339 people), and Accommodation & Food Services (329 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Custer County, SD, though some of these residents may live in Custer County, SD and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$51,944

Median earning men ± $7,969

$31,335

Median earning women ± $7,297

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2021 are Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($79,801), Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($70,081), and Public Administration ($70,000).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2021 are Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($66,964), Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($47,434), and Public Administration ($39,620).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for false.

Y-Axis

2.75%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 155M people employed in South Dakota. This represents a 2.75% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in South Dakota.

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Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

77
Arts, Entertainment & Recreation and Accommodation & Food Services
64
Educational Services, Health Care & Social Assistance
50
Professional, Scientific & Management, and Administrative & Waste Management Services

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

Domestic Trade

Domestic Production & Consumption

Domestic production and consumption consists of products and services shipped from South Dakota to other states, or from other states to South Dakota.

Top Domestic Production in Dollars

In 2020, the top outbound South Dakota product (by dollars) was Cereal grains with $6.49B, followed by Other ag prods. ($5.75B) and Live animals/fish ($4.59B).

The following chart shows the share of these products in relation to all outbound South Dakota products.

Domestic Trade Growth

Showing data for South Dakota.

$51.6B

2020 Value in South Dakota

$98.1B

Projected 2050 Value in South Dakota

90.3% growth

In 2020, total outbound South Dakota trade was $51.6B. This is expected to increase 90.3% to $98.1B by 2050.

The following chart shows how the domestic outbound South Dakota trade is projected to change in comparison to its neighboring states.

Interstate Trade

Interstate trade consists of products and services shipped from South Dakota to other states, or from other states to South Dakota.

Most Common Trade Partners

Minnesota
$6.09B
Iowa
$3.04B
North Dakota
$2.14B

In 2020, the top outbound South Dakota domestic partner for goods and services (by dollars) was Minnesota with $6.09B, followed by Iowa with $3.04B and North Dakota and $2.14B.

The following map shows the amount of trade that South Dakota shares with each state (excluding itself).

Civics

In the 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in Custer County, SD went to Donald J. Trump with 70.1% of the vote. The runner-up was Joseph R Biden Jr. (27.7%), followed by Jo Jorgensen (2.18%).

John Thune and Mike Rounds are the senators currently representing the state of South Dakota. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Custer County, SD is currently represented by Dusty Johnson in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

2020 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (70.1%)
Republican Party
Joseph R Biden Jr. (27.7%)
Democratic Party
Jo Jorgensen (2.18%)
Libertarian Party

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Custer County, SD for each registered party from 1976 to 2020.

Senator Elections

US Senators from South Dakota

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for South Dakota.

John Thune

Senator from South Dakota

Assumed office on January 3, 2005

Mike Rounds

Senator from South Dakota

Assumed office on January 3, 2015

John Thune and Mike Rounds are the senators currently representing South Dakota.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in South Dakota over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

US Representative Elections

US Representatives from Custer County, SD

Dusty Johnson

South Dakota at-large Representative

Republican Party

Custer County, SD is currently represented by Dusty Johnson (Republican Party).

Members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms, and the following chart shows the how the member for Custer County, SD have changed over time starting in 2008.

Education

Completions

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for South Dakota.

Measure

In 2021, 0.528% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.395% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for South Dakota.

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2021 were High School or Equivalent (202k), Some college (152k), and Bachelors Degree (127k).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Custer County, SD was $255,500 in 2021, which is 1.04 times larger than the national average of $244,900. Between 2020 and 2021 the median property value increased from $232,000 to $255,500, a 10.1% increase. The homeownership rate in Custer County, SD is 83.1%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 64.6%.

People in Custer County, SD have an average commute time of 30.1 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Custer County, SD is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Property

$255,500

Median Property Value 2021

±$18,569

$3,015

Median Property Taxes

±$334

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Custer County, SD the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Custer County, SD compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

83.1%

Homeownership

2021

63.2%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2021

In 2021, 83.1% of the housing units in Custer County, SD were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 83.5%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Custer County, SD compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

Census Tract 9652
Census Tract 9651

The following map shows all of the tracts in Custer County, SD colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$68,736

Median Household Income

± $6,719

3.63k

Number of Households

± 376

In 2021, the median household income of the 3.63k households in Custer County, SD grew to $68,736 from the previous year's value of $64,556.

The following chart displays the households in Custer County, SD distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Custer County, SD is from South Dakota.

0.439

2021 Wage GINI in South Dakota

0.43

2020 Wage GINI in South Dakota

In 2021, the income inequality in South Dakota was 0.439 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 1.94% growth from 2020 to 2021, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat less even. The GINI for South Dakota was lower than than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in South Dakota in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in South Dakota across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2021

Drove Alone (74.8%)
Worked At Home (9.61%)
Carpooled (7.15%)

In 2021, 74.8% of workers in Custer County, SD drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (9.61%) and those who carpooled to work (7.15%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

30.1 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Custer County, SD have a longer commute time (30.1 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.8 minutes). Additionally, 5.72% of the workforce in Custer County, SD have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Custer County, SD compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Custer County, SD distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Custer County, SD have 2 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

11.4% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Custer County, SD (936 out of 8.19k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.6%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 18 - 24, followed by Females 65 - 74 and then Females 75+.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Custer County, SD is White, followed by Native American and Hispanic.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Health

89.5% of the population of Custer County, SD has health coverage, with 36% on employee plans, 6.92% on Medicaid, 21% on Medicare, 22% on non-group plans, and 3.72% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Custer County, SD see 2243 patients per year on average, which represents a 2.8% increase from the previous year (2182 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 9017 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 1803 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.7% were men and 50.3% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

2,243 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Custer County, SD

Primary care physicians in Custer County, SD see an average of 2,243 patients per year. This represents a 2.8% increase from the previous year (2,182 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Custer County, SD in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2021, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 16.7% under 18 years, 10.6% between 18 and 34 years, 42.8% between 35 and 64 years, and 29.8% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.7% were men and 50.3% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

10.5%

Uninsured

36%

Employer Coverage

6.92%

Medicaid

21%

Medicare

22%

Non-Group

3.72%

Military or VA

Between 2020 and 2021, the percent of uninsured citizens in Custer County, SD grew by 42.4% from 7.35% to 10.5%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Custer County, SD changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Custer County, SD.

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Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2022, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 31% in Custer County, SD.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Custer County, SD.

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