South Dakota

State

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Population

882,235

1.45% 1-year growth

US Senator

John Thune

Republican Party

US Senator

Mike Rounds

Republican Party

Median Age

37.2

Poverty Rate

13.6%

Median Household Income

$56,274

0.437% 1-year decline

Median Property Value

$171,500

2.33% 1-year growth

Number of Employees

424,560

0.944% 1-year growth

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 5 largest ethnic groups in South Dakota are White (Non-Hispanic) (81.5%), American Indian & Alaska Native (Non-Hispanic) (8.49%), White (Hispanic) (2.5%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (2.33%), and Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (2.14%). NaNk% 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, Montana, North Dakota, Nebraska, 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

COVID-19

Daily New Cases by Date

Hospitalization data for some states may be delayed or not reported.

This chart shows the number of COVID-19 daily new cases by date in South Dakota, as a 7-day rolling average, compared with the four states with the most similar number of confirmed cases.

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Impact on Employment

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

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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Community Mobility

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

This chart presents movement trends over time in the state of South Dakota across different categories of places such as retail and recreation, groceries and pharmacies, parks, transit stations, workplaces, and residential.

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Civics

In the 2016 presidential election, the popular vote in South Dakota went to Donald J. Trump with 61.5% of the vote. The runner-up was Hillary Rodham Clinton (31.7%), followed by Gary Johnson (5.63%). The most partisan county was Harding County, SD with 90.3% of the vote going to Donald J. Trump running for the Republican Party.

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.

N/A is currently represented by N/A in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Showing data up to the 2016 election. Updated election results are currently being processed, and will be released in the coming months.

2016 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (61.5%)
Republican Party
Hillary Rodham Clinton (31.7%)
Democratic Party
Gary Johnson (5.63%)
Libertarian Party

In the 2016 presidential election, the popular vote in South Dakota went to Donald J. Trump with 61.5% of the vote. The runner-up was Hillary Rodham Clinton (31.7%), followed by Gary Johnson (5.63%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in South Dakota for each registered party from 1976 to 2016.

Presidential Popular Vote by County

Showing data up to the 2016 election. Updated election results are currently being processed, and will be released in the coming months.

Donald J. Trump

Popular Vote for South Dakota

61.5% for the Republican Party

Most Partisan Counties in South Dakota

Harding County, SD
90.3% for Donald J. Trump (Republican Party)
Haakon County, SD
89.7% for Donald J. Trump (Republican Party)
Oglala Lakota County, SD
86.4% for Hillary Rodham Clinton (Democratic Party)

In the 2016 presidential election, the most partisan county in South Dakota was Harding County, SD with 90.3% of the vote going to Donald J. Trump running for the Republican Party.

The following map shows the counties in South Dakota colored by their party leaning.

US Senators from 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 Representatives from N/A

Members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms, and the following chart shows the how the N/A for N/A have changed over time starting in 2008.

Diversity

South Dakota is home to a population of 882k people, from which 97.5% are citizens. As of 2018, 3.41% of South Dakota residents were born outside of the country (30.1k people).

In 2018, there were 9.6 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (719k people) in South Dakota than any other race or ethnicity. There were 74.9k American Indian & Alaska Native (Non-Hispanic) and 22.1k White (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in South Dakota

White (Non-Hispanic)
719k ± 433
American Indian & Alaska Native (Non-Hispanic)
74.9k ± 2.42k
White (Hispanic)
22.1k ± 2.29k

3.85%

Hispanic Population

34k people

3.85% of the people in South Dakota are hispanic (34k people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in South Dakota as a share of the total population.

Heritage

Foreign-Born Population

3.41%

2018 Foreign-Born Population

30.1k people

3.26%

2017 Foreign-Born Population

28.4k people

As of 2018, 3.41% of South Dakota residents (30.1k people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.7%. In 2017, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in South Dakota was 3.26%, 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.

Age by Nativity

Median Native-Born Age

± 0.4

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.

Global Diversity

Most Common Origin

Guatemala
2,351 ± 1,189 people
Philippines
2,157 ± 1,139 people
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.

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.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
19,443 ± 1,971
Gulf War (2001-)
12,178 ± 1,695
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.

Economy

Median household income in South Dakota is $56,274. In 2018, the county with the highest Median Household Income 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.

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.

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).

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.

The following chart shows how the median household income in South Dakota compares to that of its neighboring and parent geographies.

Wage by Gender in Common Jobs

$54,051

Average Male Salary in South Dakota

± $2,874

$40,566

Average Female Salary in South Dakota

± $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.

Wage by Race and Ethnicity in Common Jobs

Highest Average Salaries by Race & Ethnicity in South Dakota

White
$43,085 ± $1,822
Other
$33,804 ± $14,708
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 in South Dakota.

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.

Wage Distribution

0.427

2018 Wage GINI in South Dakota

0.44

2017 Wage GINI in South Dakota

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 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.

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

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).

Poverty by Age and Gender

Females 18 - 24

Largest Demographic Living in Poverty

13.6% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in South Dakota (113k out of 835k 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.

Poverty by Race and Ethnicity

Largest Race or Ethnicity Living in Poverty

White
64,652 ± 1,768
Native American
35,398 ± 1,023
Hispanic
7,068 ± 598

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

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.

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).

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).

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).

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.

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).

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.

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).

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 2015, the top outbound South Dakota product (by dollars) was Cereal grains with $11.7B, followed by Other ag prods. ($4.44B) and Live animals/fish ($4.29B).

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.

$60.8B

2015 Value in South Dakota

$92.2B

Projected 2045 Value in South Dakota

51.7% growth

In 2015, total outbound South Dakota trade was $60.8B. This is expected to increase 51.7% 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.

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
$7.37B
Iowa
$2.21B
Nebraska
$1.95B

In 2015, the top outbound South Dakota domestic partner for goods and services (by dollars) was Minnesota with $7.37B, followed by Iowa with $2.21B and Nebraska and $1.95B.

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

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

Registered Nursing
849 degree-majorss awarded
General Business Administration & Management
455 degree-majorss awarded
Elementary Education & Teaching
267 degree-majorss awarded

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

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

Universities

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

South Dakota State University
2,546 degrees awarded
University of South Dakota
2,205 degrees awarded
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.

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.

Student Race and Ethnicity

Most Common Student Race or Ethnicity

White
10,206 degrees awarded
American Indian or Alaska Native
372 degrees awarded
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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Method of Travel

Drove Alone
81.1%
Carpooled
8.79%
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.

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.

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 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 in South Dakota

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 its neighboring geographies.

Behavioral Health Conditions

Data only available at the state level.

State with the Highest Prevalence

West Virginia
8.26% of the population affected
Arkansas
8.13% of the population affected
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.

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.

Access and Quality

Data only available at state level.

Most prevalent states

Mississippi
19.2% of adults
Texas
17.9% of adults
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.

Health Care Spending

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

$8,933

Total Per Capita Spending on Personal Health Care in South Dakota

$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.

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.