HomeSouth DakotaLawrence County
Lawrence County, South Dakota: commercial real estate data.
Lawrence County, South Dakota had an estimated 28,809 residents on July 1, 2024, up 11.8 percent since the 2020 census base of 25,776, across 800 square miles. County output reached $1.85 bn in 2024, 1,248 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 75 7(a) approvals worth $27.4 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Lawrence County
How many people live in Lawrence County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202427,233
- Households12,054
- Average household size2.26
- Median household income$73,384
- Median age44.8
- Median gross rent$938 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$346,500
- Home value to household income4.7 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income15.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher32.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree11.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over19,838
- Population under 184,435
- Share under 1816.3 percent
- Population 65 and over6,813
- Share 65 and over25.0 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6415,985
- Civilian labor force14,936
- Unemployment rate1.7 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over65.5 percent
- Rank by population among South Dakota counties8th of 66
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included1570th of 3,222
Lawrence County is the 8th largest of 66 South Dakota counties by population. A median home costs 4.7 times median household income, which is seriously unaffordable by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 25.0 percent against 16.3 percent, which points demand at health care, services and single story product rather than schools.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Lawrence County
Is Lawrence County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 202428,809
- Census 2020 base population25,776
- Population change since the 2020 census base11.77 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024703
- Births, 2024236
- Deaths, 2024271
- Natural change, 2024-35
- Net domestic migration, 2024694
- Net international migration, 202441
- Total net migration, 2024735
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20242,969
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents115th of 3,144
The county has grown 11.77 percent since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024 and the population still grew, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration is more sensitive to a change in relative cost than one growing from household formation.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Lawrence County
Where are people moving to Lawrence County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving1,366
- People arriving, from those returns2,421
- Tax returns filed by households leaving864
- Net household movement502
- Adjusted gross income arriving$145.8 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$87.8 m
- Average income of an arriving household$106,709
- Average income of a leaving household$67,141
- Largest single originPennington County (137 households)
- Largest single destinationPennington County (112 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pennington County | 137 | 230 | $9.3 m |
| Meade County | 105 | 204 | $5.3 m |
| Butte County | 78 | 135 | $4.8 m |
| Campbell County | 30 | 58 | $2.7 m |
| Maricopa County | 26 | 50 | $5.2 m |
| Minnehaha County | 23 | 38 | $1.7 m |
| Los Angeles County | 22 | 36 | $3.6 m |
Households arriving report $39,568 more average income than households leaving, so the migration is raising local spending power rather than just moving it around. The largest single source of arrivals is Pennington 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.
Lawrence County
What is the Lawrence County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$1.85 bn
- County GDP, 2023$1.80 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20242.8 percent
- GDP change over five years49.0 percent
- Rank by GDP among the South Dakota areas BEA publishes8th of 66
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes1352nd of 3,127
- GDP per resident$67,852
Output grew 2.8 percent in the latest year and 49.0 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.
Lawrence County
Employment by industry in Lawrence County
- Covered employment, annual average13,566
- Establishments reporting1,630
- Average annual pay$50,201
- Average weekly wage$965
- Accommodation and food services, employment3,304
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$29,426
- Retail trade, employment1,748
- Retail trade, average annual pay$39,173
- Health care and social assistance, employment1,682
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$64,316
- Construction, employment920
- Construction, average annual pay$59,505
- Professional, scientific and technical services, employment695
- Arts, entertainment and recreation, employment587
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accommodation and food services | 3,304 | 155 | $29,426 |
| Retail trade | 1,748 | 158 | $39,173 |
| Health care and social assistance | 1,682 | 106 | $64,316 |
| Construction | 920 | 214 | $59,505 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 695 | 256 | $81,631 |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 587 | 41 | $34,661 |
| Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction | 468 | 13 | $114,868 |
| Manufacturing | 415 | 32 | $63,782 |
Accommodation and food services is the largest private sector at 3,304 jobs, 24.4 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Lawrence County
How many businesses are in Lawrence County?
- Establishments, all industries1,248
- Employment at those establishments11,109
- Annual payroll$493.8 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents45.8
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.
Lawrence County
Building permits in Lawrence County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 2024219
- Declared construction value permitted$101.6 m
- Single family units authorized203
- Multifamily units authorized16
- Multifamily share of units7.3 percent
- Average declared value per unit$463,726
- Units authorized per 1,000 households18.2
Single-family homes are 92.7 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is predominantly single-family.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Lawrence County
SBA loans in Lawrence County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded75
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$27.4 m
- Average 7(a) approval$365,572
- Median 7(a) approval$150,000
- 10th percentile approval$46,600
- 90th percentile approval$743,020
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)623
- Jobs per approval8.3
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active16
- Distinct industries receiving approvals43
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer16.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms12
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter62
- Franchise loans3
- Franchise share of approvals4.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countNew Single-Family Housing Construction (except For-Sale Builders) (10)
- Most active lenderFirst National Bank (23)
- 504 approvals recorded46
- 504 gross approval dollars$20.8 m
- Average 504 approval$451,696
- Median 504 approval$315,000
- Distinct CDCs active3
- 504 jobs per approval5.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved11.2
- Most active CDCAlly Dakota Development, Inc. (39)
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$48.2 m
The average approval of $365,572 sits well above the median of $150,000, pulled up by a few larger deals, so the median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here gets. Only 16.0 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
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.
Lawrence County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Lawrence County
Do SBA loans in Lawrence County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded29
- Paid in full29
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full29
- Status: Exempt from disclosure28
- Status: Cancelled17
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed1
Only 29 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.
Lawrence County
SBA lending by place in Lawrence County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending6
- Spearfish, approvals47
- Deadwood, approvals13
- Lead, approvals8
- Whitewood, approvals4
- Belle Fourche, approvals2
- Bell Fourche, approvals1
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Spearfish | 47 | $15,004,900 |
| Deadwood | 13 | $8,121,600 |
| Lead | 8 | $1,081,700 |
| Whitewood | 4 | $339,800 |
| Belle Fourche | 2 | $569,900 |
| Bell Fourche | 1 | $2,300,000 |
Spearfish accounts for 47 approvals against 13 in Deadwood. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Lawrence County
How large is Lawrence County?
- Land area800 sq mi
- Rank by land area among South Dakota counties41st of 66
- Width, east to west29.8 mi
- Height, north to south32 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land34
- Establishments per square mile1.56
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.
Lawrence County
Flood risk in Lawrence County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Lawrence County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 460094
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book6
- Of those, participating in the NFIP6
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Best Community Rating System class in the county A lower CRS class is a larger flood insurance premium discount.Class 9
- Communities carrying a CRS class1
- Radon levels in Lawrence 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 Lawrence County (community 460094), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Lawrence 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. The best Community Rating System class among the county's communities is 9, which carries a flood insurance premium discount for policies written in that community. 100.0 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 Lawrence 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 Lawrence County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202427,233
- Households12,054
- Average household size2.26
- Median household income$73,384
- Median age44.8
Common questions
Lawrence County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Lawrence County, South Dakota?
The Census Bureau estimates 28,809 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 27,233, in 12,054 households, ranking 8th of 66 South Dakota counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Lawrence County's population growing?
The population has grown 11.77 percent since the 2020 census base of 25,776, to 28,809 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 236 births against 271 deaths, with net migration of 735. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Lawrence County?
$73,384. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $346,500, which is 4.7 times income, and median gross rent is $938 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Lawrence County?
1,248 establishments, employing 11,109 people with an annual payroll of $493.8 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 Lawrence County?
Accommodation and food services is the largest private sector at 3,304 jobs, 24.4 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 13,566 jobs at an average annual pay of $50,201, or $965 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Lawrence County?
75 7(a) approvals totaling $27.4 m since FY2020, across 16 lenders, with a median approval of $150,000, plus 46 504 approvals worth $20.8 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Lawrence County?
219 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $101.6 m. Multifamily was 7.3 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Lawrence 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 Lawrence County come from?
The largest single origin is Pennington County, with 137 households. Arriving households report an average income of $106,709 against $67,141 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Lawrence 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 Lawrence 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.
Lawrence County
Cities and places in Lawrence.
10 Census places lie wholly or partly in Lawrence County. All 10 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spearfish | city | 12,930 | 47 | Wholly in this county |
| Lead | city | 3,006 | 8 | Wholly in this county |
| North Spearfish | CDP | 1,858 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Deadwood | city | 1,209 | 13 | Wholly in this county |
| Whitewood | city | 912 | 4 | Wholly in this county |
| Boulder Canyon | CDP | 841 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Mountain Plains | CDP | 350 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Crook City | CDP | 279 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Central City | city | 140 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| St. Onge | CDP | 40 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
A further 3 of the county's 75 SBA 7(a) approvals are to borrowers in cities that match no Census place in Lawrence County, the largest being Belle Fourche (2), Bell Fourche (1). Those are postal cities, unincorporated areas and cities outside the county, so no place row claims them; they are counted in the county total above.