HomeSouth DakotaMcCook County
McCook County, South Dakota: commercial real estate data.
McCook County, South Dakota had an estimated 5,771 residents on July 1, 2024, up 1.5 percent since the 2020 census base of 5,683, across 574 square miles. County output reached $406.2 m in 2024, 184 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 2 7(a) approvals worth $776,800 since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
McCook County
How many people live in McCook County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-20245,751
- Households2,221
- Average household size2.59
- Median household income$83,852
- Median age39.5
- Median gross rent$945 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$230,100
- Home value to household income2.7 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income13.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher29.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree9.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over3,731
- Population under 181,637
- Share under 1828.5 percent
- Population 65 and over1,082
- Share 65 and over18.8 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 643,032
- Civilian labor force2,985
- Unemployment rate1.8 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over72.6 percent
- Rank by population among South Dakota counties30th of 66
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included2833rd of 3,222
McCook County is the 30th largest of 66 South Dakota counties by population. A median home costs 2.7 times median household income, which is affordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 28.5 percent against 18.8 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
McCook County
Is McCook County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 20245,771
- Census 2020 base population5,683
- Population change since the 2020 census base1.55 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024-38
- Births, 202472
- Deaths, 202471
- Natural change, 20241
- Net domestic migration, 2024-38
- Net international migration, 20240
- Total net migration, 2024-38
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 202490
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1312th of 3,144
The county has grown 1.55 percent since the 2020 census base. More people left than moved in during 2024 and births over deaths did not make up the difference, so the population fell.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
McCook County
Where are people moving to McCook County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving157
- People arriving, from those returns272
- Tax returns filed by households leaving173
- Net household movement-16
- Adjusted gross income arriving$9.4 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$-163,000
- Average income of an arriving household$59,860
- Average income of a leaving household$55,266
- Largest single originMinnehaha County (61 households)
- Largest single destinationMinnehaha County (67 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minnehaha County | 61 | 115 | $4.0 m |
Households arriving report $4,594 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 Minnehaha 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.
McCook County
What is the McCook County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$406.2 m
- County GDP, 2023$391.1 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20243.9 percent
- GDP change over five years63.2 percent
- Rank by GDP among the South Dakota areas BEA publishes28th of 66
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes2536th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$70,632
Output grew 3.9 percent in the latest year and 63.2 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.
McCook County
Employment by industry in McCook County
- Covered employment, annual average1,338
- Establishments reporting246
- Average annual pay$50,576
- Average weekly wage$973
- Retail trade, employment147
- Retail trade, average annual pay$26,616
- Wholesale trade, employment146
- Wholesale trade, average annual pay$71,712
- Construction, employment134
- Construction, average annual pay$63,364
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, employment111
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, average annual pay$45,926
- Professional, scientific and technical services, employment78
- Other services, except public administration, employment54
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 147 | 17 | $26,616 |
| Wholesale trade | 146 | 28 | $71,712 |
| Construction | 134 | 34 | $63,364 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting | 111 | 12 | $45,926 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 78 | 23 | $117,270 |
| Other services, except public administration | 54 | 20 | $41,608 |
| Finance and insurance | 41 | 12 | $77,033 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 18 | 10 | $42,540 |
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 147 jobs, 11.0 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
McCook County
How many businesses are in McCook County?
- Establishments, all industries184
- Employment at those establishments944
- Annual payroll$44.0 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents32.0
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.
McCook County
Building permits in McCook County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 202421
- Declared construction value permitted$5.4 m
- Single family units authorized21
- Multifamily units authorized0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$255,000
- Units authorized per 1,000 households9.5
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.
McCook County
SBA loans in McCook County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded2
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$776,800
- Average 7(a) approval$388,400
- Median 7(a) approval$388,400
- Largest single approval$760,200
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)32
- Jobs per approval16.0
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active2
- Distinct industries receiving approvals2
- Median 7(a) term102 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer0.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms0
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter2
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- 504 approvals recorded17
- 504 gross approval dollars$3.5 m
- Average 504 approval$203,118
- Median 504 approval$147,000
- Distinct CDCs active2
- 504 jobs per approval3.9
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved19.1
- Most active CDCDakota Business Finance (15)
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$4.2 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.
McCook County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in McCook County
Do SBA loans in McCook County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded0
- Paid in full0
- Charged off0
- Status: Cancelled1
- Status: Exempt from disclosure1
Only 0 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.
McCook County
SBA lending by place in McCook County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending2
- Salem, approvals1
- Canistota, approvals1
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Salem | 1 | $760,200 |
| Canistota | 1 | $16,600 |
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
McCook County
How large is McCook County?
- Land area574 sq mi
- Rank by land area among South Dakota counties52nd of 66
- Width, east to west24 mi
- Height, north to south24.1 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land10
- Establishments per square mile0.32
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.
McCook County
Flood risk in McCook County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community McCook County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 460280
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book6
- Of those, participating in the NFIP6
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in McCook County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/LZone 1
The county's own community in the status book, unincorporated McCook County (community 460280), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places McCook County in radon zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. 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 McCook 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 McCook County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-20245,751
- Households2,221
- Average household size2.59
- Median household income$83,852
- Median age39.5
Common questions
McCook County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in McCook County, South Dakota?
The Census Bureau estimates 5,771 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 5,751, in 2,221 households, ranking 30th of 66 South Dakota counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is McCook County's population growing?
The population has grown 1.55 percent since the 2020 census base of 5,683, to 5,771 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 72 births against 71 deaths, with net migration of -38. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in McCook County?
$83,852. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $230,100, which is 2.7 times income, and median gross rent is $945 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in McCook County?
184 establishments, employing 944 people with an annual payroll of $44.0 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 McCook County?
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 147 jobs, 11.0 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 1,338 jobs at an average annual pay of $50,576, or $973 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in McCook County?
2 7(a) approvals totaling $776,800 since FY2020, across 2 lenders, with a median approval of $388,400, plus 17 504 approvals worth $3.5 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in McCook County?
21 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $5.4 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for McCook County?
Zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 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 McCook County come from?
The largest single origin is Minnehaha County, with 61 households. Arriving households report an average income of $59,860 against $55,266 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for McCook 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 McCook 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.
McCook County
Cities and places in McCook.
7 Census places lie wholly or partly in McCook County. All 7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salem | city | 1,216 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Canistota | city | 711 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Montrose | city | 483 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Bridgewater | city | 451 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Spencer | city | 103 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Golden View Colony | CDP | 60 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Orland Colony | CDP | 37 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |