HomeSouth DakotaButte County
Butte County, South Dakota: commercial real estate data.
Butte County, South Dakota had an estimated 10,891 residents on July 1, 2024, up 6.3 percent since the 2020 census base of 10,242, across 2,250 square miles. County output reached $474.8 m in 2024, 380 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 16 7(a) approvals worth $3.6 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Butte County
How many people live in Butte County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202410,676
- Households4,306
- Average household size2.48
- Median household income$75,652
- Median age40.2
- Median gross rent$972 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$244,600
- Home value to household income3.2 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income15.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher19.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree5.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over7,252
- Population under 182,647
- Share under 1824.8 percent
- Population 65 and over2,149
- Share 65 and over20.1 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 645,880
- Civilian labor force5,791
- Unemployment rate1.8 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over72.1 percent
- Rank by population among South Dakota counties17th of 66
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included2441st of 3,222
Butte County is the 17th largest of 66 South Dakota counties by population. A median home costs 3.2 times median household income, which is moderately unaffordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 24.8 percent against 20.1 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Butte County
Is Butte County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 202410,891
- Census 2020 base population10,242
- Population change since the 2020 census base6.34 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 202423
- Births, 2024128
- Deaths, 2024106
- Natural change, 202422
- Net domestic migration, 20243
- Net international migration, 2024-2
- Total net migration, 20241
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024543
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents366th of 3,144
The county has grown 6.34 percent since the 2020 census base. The population grew in 2024 from both sources: births exceeded deaths and more people moved in than left.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Butte County
Where are people moving to Butte County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving375
- People arriving, from those returns662
- Tax returns filed by households leaving302
- Net household movement73
- Adjusted gross income arriving$20.1 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$3.7 m
- Average income of an arriving household$53,688
- Average income of a leaving household$54,361
- Largest single originLawrence County (100 households)
- Largest single destinationLawrence County (78 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lawrence County | 100 | 177 | $5.3 m |
| Pennington County | 34 | 64 | $1.6 m |
| Meade County | 29 | 48 | $1.0 m |
Households arriving report $673 less average income than households leaving, which drains spending power even where headcount holds up. The largest single source of arrivals is Lawrence County, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Butte County
What is the Butte County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$474.8 m
- County GDP, 2023$460.3 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20243.2 percent
- GDP change over five years43.7 percent
- Rank by GDP among the South Dakota areas BEA publishes24th of 66
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes2436th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$44,472
Output grew 3.2 percent in the latest year and 43.7 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Butte County
Employment by industry in Butte County
- Covered employment, annual average2,940
- Establishments reporting474
- Average annual pay$45,795
- Average weekly wage$881
- Retail trade, employment471
- Retail trade, average annual pay$39,277
- Accommodation and food services, employment308
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$21,165
- Construction, employment243
- Construction, average annual pay$46,911
- Manufacturing, employment182
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$47,238
- Wholesale trade, employment176
- Other services, except public administration, employment115
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 471 | 60 | $39,277 |
| Accommodation and food services | 308 | 31 | $21,165 |
| Construction | 243 | 81 | $46,911 |
| Manufacturing | 182 | 13 | $47,238 |
| Wholesale trade | 176 | 26 | $64,198 |
| Other services, except public administration | 115 | 35 | $48,130 |
| Finance and insurance | 68 | 21 | $61,452 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 65 | 22 | $58,046 |
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 471 jobs, 16.0 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Butte County
How many businesses are in Butte County?
- Establishments, all industries380
- Employment at those establishments2,393
- Annual payroll$95.3 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents35.6
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against. County Business Patterns counts private establishments with paid employees in March 2023, while the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages above counts every unemployment-insured employer, public ones included, as a 2024 annual average, so the two establishment and employment counts differ.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Butte County
Building permits in Butte County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 202470
- Declared construction value permitted$22.2 m
- Single family units authorized70
- Multifamily units authorized0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$316,732
- Units authorized per 1,000 households16.3
Single-family homes are 100.0 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is predominantly single-family.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Butte County
SBA loans in Butte County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded16
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$3.6 m
- Average 7(a) approval$227,431
- Median 7(a) approval$122,700
- Largest single approval$1,653,300
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)64
- Jobs per approval4.0
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active12
- Distinct industries receiving approvals13
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer12.5 percent
- Loans on real estate terms2
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter12
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- 504 approvals recorded7
- 504 gross approval dollars$3.3 m
- Average 504 approval$465,143
- Median 504 approval$187,000
- Distinct CDCs active2
- 504 jobs per approval5.3
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved11.4
- Most active CDCAlly Dakota Development, Inc. (6)
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$6.9 m
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.
Butte County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Butte County
Do SBA loans in Butte County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded2
- Paid in full2
- Charged off0
- Status: Cancelled3
- Status: Paid in full2
- Status: Exempt from disclosure11
Only 2 loans have reached a final outcome, fewer than the 30 a charge-off rate needs, so no rate is published.
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.
Butte County
SBA lending by place in Butte County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending2
- Belle Fourche, approvals15
- Vale, approvals1
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Belle Fourche | 15 | $3,488,900 |
| Vale | 1 | $150,000 |
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Butte County
How large is Butte County?
- Land area2,250 sq mi
- Rank by land area among South Dakota counties7th of 66
- Width, east to west54 mi
- Height, north to south44.3 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land5
- Establishments per square mile0.17
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. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Butte County
Flood risk in Butte County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Butte County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 460236
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book5
- Of those, participating in the NFIP2
- NFIP participation rate40.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Butte County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/LZone 2
The county's own community in the status book, unincorporated Butte County (community 460236), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Butte County in radon zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. 40.0 percent of the county's listed communities participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, per Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26.
Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26. US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Traffic counts, zoning and the flood zone at an address are not on this page; they resolve at the address in the platform. How this page was built →
Feasibility studies
When a Butte County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Butte County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202410,676
- Households4,306
- Average household size2.48
- Median household income$75,652
- Median age40.2
Common questions
Butte County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Butte County, South Dakota?
The Census Bureau estimates 10,891 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 10,676, in 4,306 households, ranking 17th of 66 South Dakota counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Butte County's population growing?
The population has grown 6.34 percent since the 2020 census base of 10,242, to 10,891 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 128 births against 106 deaths, with net migration of 1. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Butte County?
$75,652. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $244,600, which is 3.2 times income, and median gross rent is $972 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Butte County?
380 establishments, employing 2,393 people with an annual payroll of $95.3 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is employment by industry in Butte County?
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 471 jobs, 16.0 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 2,940 jobs at an average annual pay of $45,795, or $881 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Butte County?
16 7(a) approvals totaling $3.6 m since FY2020, across 12 lenders, with a median approval of $122,700, plus 7 504 approvals worth $3.3 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Butte County?
70 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $22.2 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Butte County?
Zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Butte County come from?
The largest single origin is Lawrence County, with 100 households. Arriving households report an average income of $53,688 against $54,361 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Butte County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Butte County?
No. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame, to be confirmed locally.
Butte County
Cities and places in Butte.
5 Census places lie wholly or partly in Butte County. All 5 carry enough published place level data for a page of their own and are linked.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA 7(a) approvals, projects in this county | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belle Fourche | city | 5,804 | 15 | Wholly in this county |
| Newell | city | 378 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Fruitdale | town | 134 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Nisland | town | 109 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Vale | CDP | 73 | 1 | Wholly in this county |