South Dakota

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Population

882,235

1.45% growth

Median Age

37.2


Median Household Income

$56,274

0.437% decline

Poverty Rate

13.9%


Number of Employees

424,560

0.944% growth

Median Property Value

$171,500

2.33% growth

About

Economy

Health

Diversity

Education

Housing & Living

About

In 2018, South Dakota had a population of 882k people with a median age of 37.2 and a median household income of $56,274. Between 2017 and 2018 the population of South Dakota grew from 869,666 to 882,235, a 1.45% increase and its median household income declined from $56,521 to $56,274, a -0.437% decrease.

The population of South Dakota is 81.5% White Alone, 8.49% American Indian & Alaska Native Alone, and 3.85% Hispanic or Latino. N/A% of the people in South Dakota speak a non-English language, and 97.5% are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in South Dakota are South Dakota State University (2,546 degrees awarded in 2017), University of South Dakota (2,205 degrees), and Southeast Technical Institute (916 degrees).

The median property value in South Dakota is $171,500, and the homeownership rate is 67.9%. Most people in South Dakota commute by Drove Alone, and the average commute time is 16.3 minutes. The average car ownership in South Dakota is 2 cars per household.

South Dakota borders Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, Montana, North Dakota, and Wyoming.

About the photo: An old school no longer in operation, at the junction of SD Highways 26 & 45, north of Miller, SD

Photo by Keith Ewing

United States

Economy

The economy of South Dakota employs 425k people. The largest industries in South Dakota are Elementary & secondary schools (32,099 people), General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals (26,704 people), and Construction (26,529 people), and the highest paying industries are Used merchandise stores ($171,995), Offices of physicians ($123,143), and Support activities for mining ($120,719).

Median household income in South Dakota is $56,274. Males in South Dakota have an average income that is 1.33 times higher than the average income of females, which is $40,566. The income inequality in South Dakota (measured using the Gini index) is 0.427, which is lower than than the national average.

Wages

Median Household Income

$56,274

2018 value

± $1,454

-0.437%

1 Year Growth

± 3.49%

Households in South Dakota have a median annual income of $56,274, which is less than the median annual income of $61,937 across the entire United States. This is in comparison to a median income of $56,521 in 2017, which represents a -0.437% annual growth.

Look at the chart to see how the median household income in South Dakota compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Wage by Gender in Common Jobs

$54,051

Average Male Salary

± $2,874

$40,566

Average Female Salary

± $2,375

In 2018, full-time male employees in South Dakota made 1.33 times more than female employees.

This chart shows the gender-based wage disparity in the 5 most common occupations in South Dakota by number of full-time employees.

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Wage by Race and Ethnicity in Common Jobs

Highest Average Salaries by Race & Ethnicity

  1. White

    $43,085 ± $1,822

  2. Other

    $33,804 ± $14,708

  3. Asian

    $30,278 ± $14,911

In 2018 the highest paid race/ethnicity of South Dakota workers was White. These workers were paid 1.27 times more than Other workers, who made the second highest salary of any race/ethnicity.

This chart shows the race- and ethnicity-based wage disparities in the 5 most common occupations in South Dakota by number of full-time employees.

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Wage Distribution

0.427

2018 Wage GINI

0.44

2017 Wage GINI

In 2018, the income inequality in South Dakota was 0.427 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 2.95% decline from 2017 to 2018, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even.

The 2018 the GINI for South Dakota was lower than than the national average of 0.479. 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.

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Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

  1. Pennington County, SD

  2. Minnehaha County, SD

  3. N/A

In 2018, the county with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in South Dakota was Pennington County, SD with a value of $59,006, followed by Minnehaha County, SD and N/A, with respective values of $58,742 and N/A.

The following map shows all of the counties in South Dakota colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

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Poverty by Age and Gender

Females 18 - 24

Largest Demographic Living in Poverty

13.9% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in South Dakota (115k out of 826k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 13.1%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 18 - 24, followed by Males 18 - 24 and then Females 25 - 34.

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.

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Poverty by Race and Ethnicity

Largest Race or Ethnicity Living in Poverty

  1. White

    67,289 ± 1,726

  2. Native American

    34,402 ± 968

  3. Hispanic

    7,025 ± 605

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in South Dakota 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.

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Occupations

Employment by Occupations

425k

2018 Value

0.944%

1 Year growth

± 0.944%

From 2017 to 2018, employment in South Dakota grew at a rate of 0.944%, from 421k employees to 425k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in South Dakota, are Elementary & middle school teachers (13,137 people), Driver/sales workers & truck drivers (10,816 people), and Retail salespersons (10,132 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of South Dakota.

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Most Common

The most common jobs held by residents of South Dakota, by number of employees, are Elementary & middle school teachers (13,137 people), Driver/sales workers & truck drivers (10,816 people), and Retail salespersons (10,132 people).

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Most Specialized

Compared to other states, South Dakota has an unusually high number of residents working as Farmers, ranchers, & other agricultural managers (8.89 times higher than expected), Cabinetmakers & bench carpenters (6.06 times), and Agricultural & food scientists (5.7 times).

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Highest Paid

The highest paid jobs held by residents of South Dakota, by average salary, are Physicians ($267,180), Chief executives & legislators ($135,737), and Aircraft pilots & flight engineers ($108,416).

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Industries

Employment by Industries

425k

2018 Value

0.944%

1 Year growth

± 0.944%

From 2017 to 2018, employment in South Dakota grew at a rate of 0.944%, from 421k employees to 425k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in South Dakota, are Elementary & secondary schools (32,099 people), General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals (26,704 people), and Construction (26,529 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of South Dakota, though some of these residents may live in South Dakota and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

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Most Common

The most common industries in South Dakota, by number of employees, are Elementary & secondary schools (32,099 people), General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals (26,704 people), and Construction (26,529 people).

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Most Specialized

Compared to other states, South Dakota has an unusually high number of Farm product raw material merchant wholesalers (22.8 times higher than expected), Textile product mills, except carpets & rugs (7.7 times), and Animal slaughtering & processing (6.66 times) industries.

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Highest Paying

The highest paying industries in South Dakota, by average salary, are Used merchandise stores ($171,995), Offices of physicians ($123,143), and Support activities for mining ($120,719).

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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

  1. Cereal grains

    $11.8B

  2. Live animals/fish

    $4.58B

  3. Coal-n.e.c.

    $4.53B

In 2015, the top outbound South Dakota product (by dollars) was Cereal grains with $11.8B, followed by Live animals/fish ($4.58B) and Coal-n.e.c. ($4.53B).

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

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Domestic Trade Growth

$66.6B

2020 Value

$92.2B

Projected 2045 Value

38.4% growth

In 2020, total outbound South Dakota trade was $66.6B. This is expected to increase 38.4% to $92.2B by 2045.

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

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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

  1. Minnesota

    $8.77B

  2. Iowa

    $2.47B

  3. Nebraska

    $2.17B

In 2015, the top outbound South Dakota domestic partner for goods and services (by dollars) was Minnesota with $8.77B, followed by Iowa with $2.47B and Nebraska and $2.17B.

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

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Health

90.9% of the population of South Dakota has health coverage, with 49.4% on employee plans, 11.4% on Medicaid, 11.6% on Medicare, 15.7% on non-group plans, and 2.78% on military or VA plans.

Per capita personal health care spending in the state of South Dakota was $8,933 in 2014. This is a 4.52% increase from the previous year ($8,547).

Primary care physicians in South Dakota see 1293 patients per year on average, which represents a 2.85% decrease from the previous year (1331 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1714 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 610 patients per year.

Comparing across all counties in the state, Oglala Lakota County has the highest prevalence of diabetes (17.1%). Additionally, Ziebach County has the highest prevalence of adult obesity (44.5%)

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,293 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio

Primary care physicians in South Dakota see an average of 1,293 patients per year. This represents a 2.85% decrease from the previous year (1,331 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in South Dakota in comparison to neighboring states.

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Behavioral Health Conditions

Data only available at the state level.

State with the Highest Prevalence

  1. West Virginia

    8.26% of the population affected

  2. Arkansas

    8.13% of the population affected

  3. New Hampshire

    7.98% of the population affected

In 2016, West Virginia had the highest prevalence of adults with major depressive episode, with 8.26% of the population affected. The second highest is Arkansas (8.13%), followed by New Hampshire (7.98%).

The following map shows the percent of individuals with major depressive episode by state over multiple years.

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Access and Quality

Data only available at state level.

Most prevalent states

  1. Mississippi

    19.2% of adults

  2. Texas

    17.9% of adults

  3. Louisiana

    17.6% of adults

In 2016, Mississippi had the highest prevalence of adults who haven't seen a doctor in the past 12 months due to cost, at 19.2%. It is followed by Texas (17.9%) and Louisiana (17.6%).

The following map shows the prevalence of adults who haven't seen a doctor in the past 12 months due to cost by state over multiple years.

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Health Care Spending

$8,933

Total Per Capita Spending on Personal Health Care 

$4,335

Per Enrollee Private Health Insurance Spending on Personal Health Care

$7,056

Per Enrollee Medicaid Spending on Personal Health Care

$9,315

Per Enrollee Medicare Spending on Personal Health Care

Between 2013 and 2014, all personal health care spending per capita in South Dakota (including private, Medicare, and Medicaid) grew 4.52%, from $8,547 to $8,933.

The following chart shows how this spending changed over time in comparison to Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurance spending, per enrollee.

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Health Care Coverage

9.08%

Uninsured

49.4%

Employer Coverage

11.4%

Medicaid

11.6%

Medicare

15.7%

Non-Group

2.78%

Military or VA

Between 2016 and 2017, the percent of uninsured citizens in South Dakota grew by 3.83% from 8.74% to 9.08%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in South Dakota changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

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Health Risks

Data available at the county level.

Most at risk counties

  1. Oglala Lakota County

    17.1% prevalence

  2. Todd County

    16.6% prevalence

  3. Ziebach County

    16.4% prevalence

Oglala Lakota County has the highest prevalence of diabetes in South Dakota, at 17.1%.

The following map shows the prevalence of diabetes in South Dakota by county over multiple years.

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Diversity

South Dakota is home to a population of 882k people, from which 97.5% are citizens. As of 2017, 3.26% of South Dakota residents were born outside of the country (28.4k people).

The ethnic composition of the population of South Dakota is composed of 719k White Alone residents (81.5%), 74.9k American Indian & Alaska Native Alone residents (8.49%), 34k Hispanic or Latino residents (3.85%), 20.6k Two or More Races residents (2.33%), 18.9k Black or African American Alone residents (2.14%), 14.8k Asian Alone residents (1.68%), 271 Some Other Race Alone residents (0.0307%), and 51 Native Hawaiian & Other Pacific Islander Alone residents (0.00578%).

Age

Age by Nativity

38

Median Native-Born Age

± 0.4

33

Median Foreign-Born Age

± 3.2

In 2018, the median age of all people in South Dakota was 37.2. Native-born citizens, with a median age of 38, were generally older than than foreign-born citizens, with a median age of 33. But people in South Dakota are getting getting older. In 2017, the average age of all South Dakota residents was 37.

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Heritage

Foreign-Born Population

3.26%

2017 Foreign-Born Population

28.4k people

3.14%

2016 Foreign-Born Population

27.2k people

As of 2017, 3.26% of South Dakota residents (28.4k people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.7%. In 2016, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in South Dakota was 3.14%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in South Dakota compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Global Diversity

Most Common Origin

  1. Guatemala

    2,351 ± 1,189 people

  2. Philippines

    2,157 ± 1,139 people

  3. Mexico

    1,961 ± 1,086 people

In 2018, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of South Dakota was Guatemala, the natal country of 2,351 South Dakota residents, followed by Philippines with 2,157 and Mexico with 1,961.

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Citizenship

97.5%

2018 Citizenship

98.1%

2017 Citizenship

As of 2018, 97.5% of South Dakota residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2017, the percentage of US citizens in South Dakota was 98.1%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in South Dakota compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Race and Ethnicity

Most Common

  1. White Alone

    719k ± 433

  2. American Indian & Alaska Native Alone

    74.9k ± 2.42k

  3. Hispanic or Latino

    34k ± 3.47k

In 2018, there were 9.6 times more White Alone residents (719k people) in South Dakota than any other race or ethnicity. There were 74.9k American Indian & Alaska Native Alone and 34k Hispanic or Latino residents, the second and third most common racial or ethnic groups.

The following bar chart shows the 8 races and ethnicities represented in South Dakota as a share of the total population.

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Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

  1. Vietnam

    19,443 ± 1,971

  2. Gulf War (2001-)

    12,178 ± 1,695

  3. Gulf War (1990s)

    6,837 ± 1,278

South Dakota has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.6 times greater than any other conflict.

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Education

In 2017, universities in South Dakota awarded 12,050 degrees. The student population of South Dakota is skewed towards women, with 24,234 male students and 29,725 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in South Dakota are White (10,206 and 87.4%), followed by American Indian or Alaska Native (372 and 3.18%), Hispanic or Latino (300 and 2.57%), and Black or African American (274 and 2.35%).

The largest universities in South Dakota by number of degrees awarded are South Dakota State University (2,546 and 21.1%), University of South Dakota (2,205 and 18.3%), and Southeast Technical Institute (916 and 7.6%).

The most popular majors in South Dakota are Registered Nursing (935 and 7.76%), General Business Administration & Management (725 and 6.02%), and General Biological Sciences (304 and 2.52%).

The median tuition costs in South Dakota are $25,430 for private four year colleges, and $7,191 and $10,438 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Concentrations

Most Common

  1. Registered Nursing

    849 degrees awarded

  2. General Business Administration & Management

    455 degrees awarded

  3. Elementary Education & Teaching

    267 degrees awarded

In 2015, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in South Dakota was Registered Nursing with 849 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in South Dakota according to their major.

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Universities

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

  1. South Dakota State University

    2,546 degrees awarded

  2. University of South Dakota

    2,205 degrees awarded

  3. Southeast Technical Institute

    916 degrees awarded

$7,191

Median In-State Public

$25,430

Median Private

In 2017, the South Dakota institution with the largest number of graduating students was South Dakota State University with 2,546 degrees awarded.

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Student Gender for Common Institutions

5,385

Degrees Awarded to Men

6,665

Degrees Awarded to Women

In 2017, 5,385 men were awarded degrees from institutions in South Dakota, which is 0.808 times less than the 6,665 female students who received degrees in the same year.

This chart displays the gender disparity between the top 5 institutions in South Dakota by degrees awarded.

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Student Race and Ethnicity

Most Common Student Race or Ethnicity

  1. White

    10,206 degrees awarded

  2. American Indian or Alaska Native

    372 degrees awarded

  3. Hispanic or Latino

    300 degrees awarded

In 2017 the majority of degrees awarded at institutions in South Dakota were to White students. These 10,206 degrees mean that there were 27.4 times more White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, American Indian or Alaska Native, with 372 degrees awarded.

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Housing & Living

The median property value in South Dakota was $171,500 in 2018, which is 0.747 times smaller than the national average of $229,700. Between 2017 and 2018 the median property value increased from $167,600 to $171,500, a 2.33% increase. The homeownership rate in South Dakota is 67.9%, which is higher than the national average of 63.9%. People in South Dakota have an average commute time of 16.3 minutes, and they commute by Drove Alone. Car ownership in South Dakota is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property Value

$171,500

2018 Median

± $3,010

$167,600

2017 Median

± $2,519

In 2018, the median property value in South Dakota grew to to $171,500 from the previous year's value of $167,600.

The following charts display, first, the property values in South Dakota compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies and, second, owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property value buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In South Dakota the largest share of households have a property value in the $200k - $250k range.

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Household Income

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

$56,274

Median Household Income

± $1,454

345k

Number of Households

± 8,708

In 2018, the median household income of the 345k households in South Dakota declined from $56,274 from the previous year's value of $56,521.

The following chart displays the households in South Dakota 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.

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Property Taxes

$3k+

Average Range

This chart shows the households in South Dakota distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In South Dakota the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

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Rent vs Own

67.9%

2018 Homeownership

67.7%

2017 Homeownership

In 2018, 67.9% of the housing units in South Dakota were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 67.7%.

This percentage of owner-occupation is higher than the national average of 63.9%. This chart shows the ownership percentage in South Dakota compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

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Commute Time

16.3 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in South Dakota have a shorter commute time (16.3 minutes) than the normal US worker (25.7 minutes). Additionally, 1% of the workforce in South Dakota have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in South Dakota compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Commuter Transportation

Most Common Method of Travel

  1. Drove Alone

    81.1%

  2. Carpooled

    8.79%

  3. Worked At Home

    6.16%

In 2018, the most common method of travel for workers in South Dakota was Drove Alone (81.1%), followed by those who Carpooled (8.79%) and those who Worked At Home (6.16%).

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.

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Transportation

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in South Dakota distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in South Dakota have 2 cars, followed by 3 cars.

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