South Dakota

South Dakota by the Numbers:
Key Statistical Data and Facts

Key Details

• South Dakota has a population of 909,824, with an estimated median age of 37.6 years. 
• As of 2022, South Dakota has 408,306 housing units with a median value of $187,000 and a median rent of $830. 
• Kristi Noem serves as the 33rd Governor of the state 
• According to 2021 US Census estimates, South Dakota has a median of $66,243, lower than the national median household income ($69,717).  
• South Dakota's marriage rate in 2020 was 6 per 1,000 population. 

South Dakota Population Demographics

South Dakota has the 16th-largest geographical area in the United States. According to US Census estimates the Mount Rushmore State is home to approximately 909,824 people. Roughly 6.5% of residents were under five years, while 24.6% were under 18 years. Residents aged 65 and older constituted 17.0%.

As of 2022, the median age in South Dakota is 1.2% less than the national median age of 38.8%. The ratio of males to females is nearly equal, with 50.5% males and 49.5% females.

South Dakota Housing

408,306 housing

According to 2022 US Census data, South Dakota has 408,306 housing units.

68.4%

From 2017 to 2021, the average owner-occupied housing unit rate was 68.4%

$187,000

While the median value of owner-occupied housing units was $187,000.

$1,434

At the same time, the median selected monthly owner costs (with a mortgage) was $1,434.

$809.

In contrast, the median selected monthly owner cost (without a mortgage) was $809.

$830

In 2022, South Dakota’s median gross rent was $830, compared to $1,191 nationally.

69.4%

The homeownership rate in the state was 69.4%.

South Dakota Racial Demographics

Note: White Americans include residents who indicate white as their race in their response to the census questionnaires. This includes people of European, Middle East, and North African descent.

Elections in South Dakota

Regarding gubernatorial elections, South Dakota is a stronghold for the Republican Party. Out of 19 governorship elections that have taken place since 1960, the Republicans have won all but two of them. The last time South Dakota voters elected a Democrat as governor was in 1972. This was the last election in the state to elect the governor for a two-year term. Before that, a Democratic governor was also appointed in 1970. 

During the November 2022 general elections, South Dakota voters re-elected the incumbent governor, Kristi Noem, for a second term in office. Governor Noem, a Republican, defeated the Democratic Party candidate, Jamie Smith, by 217,035 (62.0%) votes to 123,148 (35.2%) votes. In total, 354,670 votes were cast, representing 59.4% of all registered voters (597,073). 

As of May 2023, the Republican Party holds a 31-4 majority in the state legislature's upper chamber. Senate President Larry Rhoden (R) and Majority Leader Casey Crabtree (R) are Republicans. Reynold Nesiba (Democrat) is the Senate Minority Leader. 

2020 Presidential Election 

During the 2020 presidential elections, Donald Trump won South Dakota’s vote. Trump defeated Joe Biden by 261,043 votes (61.77%) to 150,471 votes (35.61%)—a 29.8% margin. The last time a candidate of either party won by such a huge margin was when Republican Dwight D. Eisenhower won by 38.5% in 1952. 

In the 33 presidential elections held in South Dakota since it became a state, South Dakota electors have supported 28 Republican candidates, 4 Democratic candidates, and one presidential candidate from a third party. 

Donald Trump

Joe Biden

In the 33 presidential elections held in South Dakota since it became a state, South Dakota electors have supported 28 Republican candidates, 4 Democratic candidates, and one presidential candidate from a third party.

South Dakota Voting Statistics

According to election and voting records from the South Dakota Secretary of State website, there are 151,145 registered Democrats and 301,965 registered Republicans in the state as of 2023. The voters’ list for the period also included 2,920 registered Libertarians. Registered voters with no party affiliation and unrecognized political party affiliation comprised 148,756 and 1,400 registered voters, respectively. As of May 2023, South Dakota has 606,186 registered voters.  

General Election

How Educated is South Dakota

According to the 2022 Census projections, about 30% of South Dakota residents above 25 had a high school diploma or equivalent degree. Residents who had some college experience but no degree made up 20.1%. South Dakota residents with associate’s, bachelor’s, or graduate or professional degrees constituted 12.0%, 21.6%, and 10.1%, respectively. 

The gender distribution of South Dakota residents aged 25 years and above showed that 92.0% of males and 94.1% of females had a high school diploma or higher. 

A closer look at the educational attainment of racial groups in South Dakota revealed that Asians constituted the largest racial group with a bachelor’s degree or higher, with 63.3%. Next to them are residents of white-only origin, with 31.6%. Other racial groups include blacks with 17.7%, Hispanics or Latinos with 15.8%, and American Indians or Alaska Natives with 10.7%. 

South Dakota Employment Rate

As of April 2023, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics and the South Dakota Department of Labor Regulations put the unemployment rate in South Dakota at 1.9%. The state’s labor force stands at 478,800 workers, with 9,000 unemployed persons. 

A study of South Dakota workers indicated that about 60% were employed by private enterprises. Local, state, and federal government employees comprised 15.0% of the workforce, while private non-profit wage and salary workers comprised 12.0%. Other workers include 4.6% who were self-employed in their incorporated firms, 8.7% who worked in their unincorporated businesses, and unpaid family workers.

Further analysis of employment sectors where residents older than 16 years work showed that the educational services, health care, and social assistance sector is the highest employer (24.9%). This is followed by retail trade (12.2%), manufacturing (9.9%), arts, entertainment, and recreation, and accommodation and food services (7.8%). Employment in construction, finance/insurance/real estate, and agriculture/forestry/fishing/mining accounted for 7.6%, 7.6%, and 6.9%, respectively.

Average Income in South Dakota

According to the 2021 US Census estimates, the median income in South Dakota was $66,143. This figure is $3,574 less than the national median household income of $69,717. 

When looking at the different types of families and their median incomes, married couples had the highest median income ($93,567). This was followed by families ($40,405) and nonfamily households ($82,562). 

A detailed examination of the income groups by households indicated that the largest income group were households that earned $50,000 to $74,999 (19.9%). Homes with an average income of $100,000 to $149,999, $75,000 to $99,999, and $35,000 to $49,999 made up 16.7%, 15.3%, and 12.5%, respectively. Households earning between $10,000 and $14,999 comprised the lowest income group ( 3.9%). 

Families in South Dakota

South Dakota Marriage Rates

A 5-year analysis (2017-2021) of marriage occurrences in South Dakota revealed a 1.2% marriage decline from 2017 to 2018. Further decreases of 6.1% and 0.8% were observed from 2018 to 2019 and 2019 to 2020, respectively. However, there was a 5.2% increase between 2020 and 2021.

South Dakota Divorce Rates

Divorce records published by the South Dakota Department of Health, Office of Statistics in 2021 indicated that the state’s divorce rate was 2.5 per 1,000 population. This was the lowest divorce rate since 1972. The average duration of the marriages in South Dakota that ended in divorce during 2021 was 12 years, while the median was nine years. 

Life Expectancy in South Dakota

According to the National Center for Health Statistics, the fertility rate of women aged 15-44 was 68.6% per 1,000 women in 2020. At the same time, the teen birth rate was 17.0 births per 1,000 females, while the infant mortality rate was 6.9% infant deaths per 1,000 births. 

Other state birth data revealed that the percentage of unmarried mothers, cesarean delivery, and preterm birth rates were 35.9, 24.6, and 7.13 per 1,000 births, respectively. 

The leading cause of death in the state was cancer, heart disease, and COVID-19, to mention a few. The drug overdose death rate was 12.6 per 100,000 population, while firearm injury deaths occurred at 14.3 per 100,000 population. 

South Dakota Crime Rates

24

169

512

2127

According to the National Incident-Based Reporting System, South Dakota had 2,836 violent crime incidents and 3,111 offenses reported in 2021. Reported violent crimes include the following: 24 homicides, 512 rape incidents, 169 robberies, and 2,127 aggravated assault cases.

Property crimes included 72 arson, 2,024 burglaries, 10,572 larceny thefts, and 1,959 motor vehicle thefts. 

According to a 5-year analysis of reported violent crimes in South Dakota (2016-2020), recorded violent crimes climbed by 1.85% from 2016 to 2017 and decreased by 0.08% from 2017 and 2018. Violent crimes increased minimally by 0.18% from 2018 to 2019 but fell by 26.27% from 2019 to 2020.  

In a breakdown of violent crime offenders by victim demographics, offenders aged 20 to 29 committed 841 crimes, while those aged 30 to 39 committed 813 offenses. Other age groups of offenders include those between 10 and 19 years old, 40 to 49 years old, and 50 to 59 years old, who committed 433, 372, and 171 crimes, respectively.  

South Dakota Incarceration Rate

3,530 inmates

As of April 2023, the South Dakota Department of Corrections reported 3,530 inmates in state prisons. A breakdown of the gender distribution in the various correctional facilities indicated that there were 2,971 male convicts incarcerated in facilities such as the State Penitentiary, Jameson Annex, and Yankton Minimum Center. On the other hand, female inmates were housed at the Women's Prison, Pierre Minimum Center, and Rapid City Minimum Center, among others.

1,751 were white, 1,306 were Native American, and 302 were black

A closer examination of the racial composition of inmates showed that 1,751 were white, 1,306 were Native American, and 302 were black. Hispanics and Asians constituted 152 and 21 inmates, respectively. Native Americans (4 inmates) and other ethnic groups (10 inmates) make up the remaining inmates in the state’s jail facilities.

304

Of all the women in prison, just 93 were there for violent crimes, while the remaining 304 were there for non-violent offenses.

1,479

Analysis of crime patterns among South Dakota's inmates as of February 2023 found that 1,479 (51%) male inmates were behind bars for violent crimes and 1,333 (46%) for non-violent offenses.

The majority of inmates' non-violent offenses involved drug offenses, while the rest involved property and public order violations.

South Dakota Bankruptcy Rate

2022

15,558 bankruptcy cases

As of April 2023, the South Dakota Department of Corrections reported 3,530 inmates in state prisons. A breakdown of the gender distribution in the various correctional facilities indicated that there were 2,971 male convicts incarcerated in facilities such as the State Penitentiary, Jameson Annex, and Yankton Minimum Center. On the other hand, female inmates were housed at the Women's Prison, Pierre Minimum Center, and Rapid City Minimum Center, among others. 

A closer examination of the racial composition of inmates showed that 1,751 were white, 1,306 were Native American, and 302 were black. Hispanics and Asians constituted 152 and 21 inmates, respectively. Native Americans (4 inmates) and other ethnic groups (10 inmates) make up the remaining inmates in the state’s jail facilities. 

Analysis of crime patterns among South Dakota's inmates as of February 2023 found that 1,479 (51%) male inmates were behind bars for violent crimes and 1,333 (46%) for non-violent offenses. Of all the women in prison, just 93 were there for violent crimes, while the remaining 304 were there for non-violent offenses. 

The majority of inmates' non-violent offenses involved drug offenses, while the rest involved property and public order violations. 

Weird Laws in South Dakota