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South Dakota: county data, all 66 of them.

907,428 residents across 66 county-equivalents, 28,739 business establishments, and 2,239 SBA approvals worth $1.20 bn. Every figure on this page is those counties summed, and every county has its own page.

32 state-level values · 66 county pages · underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency

How many people live in South Dakota?

  • Population907,428
  • Households365,544
  • Average household size2.48
  • County-equivalents66
  • People per square mile12

South Dakota has 907,428 residents in 365,544 households across 66 county-equivalents, every one of which has its own data page below.

US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.

What is the South Dakota economy?

  • Combined county product, 2024$76.80 bn
  • County product per resident$84,630
  • Covered employment455,650
  • Average annual pay$58,063

The average annual pay of $58,063 is weighted by each county's covered employment, not averaged across counties, so a large labour market counts for more than a small one.

US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024. US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.

How many businesses are in South Dakota?

  • Business establishments28,739
  • Establishments per 1,000 residents31.7
  • Employment at those establishments378,905
  • Annual payroll$20.32 bn

US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.

Building permits in South Dakota

  • Housing units permitted6,017
  • Permitted construction value$1.41 bn
  • Units permitted per 1,000 households16.5

US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.

SBA loans in South Dakota (7(a) and 504)

  • 7(a) approvals recorded983
  • 7(a) approval dollars$404.8 m
  • Average 7(a) approval$411,799
  • 504 approvals recorded1,256
  • 504 approval dollars$799.6 m
  • Average 504 approval$636,612
  • Counties with a 7(a) record44 of 66

US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.

SBA loan default and charge-off rates in South Dakota

  • 7(a) charge-off rate over resolved loans7.10 percent
  • Resolved 7(a) loans behind that rate269
  • 7(a) loans charged off19
  • 504 charge-off rate over resolved loans3.50 percent
  • Resolved 504 loans behind that rate373
  • 504 loans charged off13

Of the 269 South Dakota 7(a) loans that have reached a final outcome, 7.10 percent were charged off. The rate is taken over resolved loans only, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed.

Compare against the national and state SBA charge-off rates, computed the same way over resolved loans only.

US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.

How large is South Dakota?

  • Land area75,811 sq mi
  • County-equivalents66
  • People per square mile12

US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.

The largest counties in South Dakota.

South Dakota county-equivalents by population, with the figures a site search compares them on
GeographyPopulationMedian incomeEstablishmentsCounty GDPSBA approvals
Minnehaha County203,289$76,8806,262$22.45 bn723
Pennington County113,512$74,5174,137$8.69 bn337
Lincoln County70,638$99,1662,184$8.82 bn268
Brown County37,877$70,8981,245$3.16 bn56
Brookings County35,353$70,064958$3.06 bn74
Meade County30,546$74,790805$1.30 bn69
Codington County28,767$72,7271,210$2.11 bn90
Lawrence County27,233$73,3841,248$1.85 bn121
Yankton County23,414$72,821707$1.76 bn29
Davison County19,952$66,208727$1.72 bn33

Counties

All 66 South Dakota county-equivalents.

South Dakota counties: population, income, establishments and SBA activity
GeographyPopulationMedian incomeEstablishmentsCounty GDPSBA approvalsLand area, sq mi
Aurora County2,642$72,88578$155.8 m4708
Beadle County19,309$67,681573$1.24 bn211,259
Bennett County3,345$53,75060$142.7 mNone recorded1,185
Bon Homme County7,044$64,435176$284.4 m6564
Brookings County35,353$70,064958$3.06 bn74792
Brown County37,877$70,8981,245$3.16 bn561,713
Brule County5,283$73,720222$335.7 m4817
Buffalo County1,808$47,04511$95.5 mNone recorded471
Butte County10,676$75,652380$474.8 m232,250
Campbell County1,593$68,92956$103.5 m1734
Charles Mix County9,281$64,038299$599.6 m71,097
Clark County3,917$70,726125$337.4 m3958
Clay County15,219$56,850298$877.1 m25412
Codington County28,767$72,7271,210$2.11 bn90688
Corson County3,806$46,40639$121.1 m32,470
Custer County8,892$84,112327$397.6 m331,557
Davison County19,952$66,208727$1.72 bn33436
Day County5,437$66,033226$380.7 m41,028
Deuel County4,328$83,112143$553.0 m9623
Dewey County5,205$54,104103$270.6 m12,302
Douglas County2,828$86,442101$269.0 m5432
Edmunds County4,048$81,630116$257.3 mNone recorded1,126
Fall River County7,258$67,917209$372.0 m131,740
Faulk County2,126$57,75064$169.3 m2982
Grant County7,563$75,028284$831.0 m13681
Gregory County4,016$62,917180$237.7 m21,015
Haakon County1,722$65,62582$132.8 m31,811
Hamlin County6,373$87,101213$424.8 m14507
Hand County3,140$74,635135$282.4 m21,437
Hanson County3,472$81,07190$217.2 m2435
Harding County1,148$80,44143$90.7 m12,671
Hughes County17,664$81,395632$1.66 bn40742
Hutchinson County7,404$73,977239$555.5 m12813
Hyde County1,191$73,47240$173.0 m4861
Jackson County2,802$35,41753$107.2 m11,864
Jerauld County1,772$73,75071$171.8 m2526
Jones County1,004$65,11943$85.5 m4970
Kingsbury County5,244$74,000188$370.0 m12832
Lake County10,972$76,808339$934.4 m15563
Lawrence County27,233$73,3841,248$1.85 bn121800
Lincoln County70,638$99,1662,184$8.82 bn268577
Lyman County3,724$67,14387$194.3 m21,642
Marshall County4,344$78,156140$453.8 m5838
McCook County5,751$83,852184$406.2 m19574
McPherson County2,145$66,90673$141.0 mNone recorded1,137
Meade County30,546$74,790805$1.30 bn693,471
Mellette County1,943$54,07621$71.1 m11,307
Miner County2,300$76,14073$176.7 m2570
Minnehaha County203,289$76,8806,262$22.45 bn723807
Moody County6,397$78,427158$485.8 m8519
Oglala Lakota County13,491$41,41784$432.7 mNone recorded2,094
Pennington County113,512$74,5174,137$8.69 bn3372,777
Perkins County3,001$66,908113$175.6 m32,870
Potter County2,388$72,04597$149.2 m6861
Roberts County10,221$65,130231$563.0 m71,101
Sanborn County2,384$78,75058$157.6 m1569
Spink County6,219$70,139197$549.1 m121,504
Stanley County3,015$87,712119$186.1 m141,444
Sully County1,526$72,57867$108.4 mNone recorded1,007
Todd County9,244$42,07559$312.8 mNone recorded1,389
Tripp County5,611$58,987200$353.2 m11,612
Turner County8,882$75,771261$612.7 m17617
Union County17,081$89,636555$2.26 bn46461
Walworth County5,271$65,026210$319.3 m4709
Yankton County23,414$72,821707$1.76 bn29521
Ziebach County2,377$53,95831$56.1 mNone recorded1,961

The register

Every source behind these 66 pages.

SourcePeriod coveredLicence
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates2020-2024 5-yearUS Census Bureau, public domain
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024US Census Bureau, public domain
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2CAGDP2, through 2024US Bureau of Economic Analysis, public domain
US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001US EPA, public domain
FEMA OpenFEMA, NFIP Community Status BookCommunity Status Book, as retrievedFEMA OpenFEMA, public domain
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA releaseFY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30FOIA release, public domain
US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA releaseFY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30FOIA release, public domain
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary verticesTIGER county boundariesUS Census Bureau, public domain
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns2023US Census Bureau, public domain
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages2024 annual averagesUS BLS, public domain
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey2024 annualUS Census Bureau, public domain
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows2021 to 2022 filing yearsIRS SOI, public domain

A South Dakota statutory guide is in preparation.

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