County facts · Population · October 25, 2026
South Dakota Population by County, 2025 Census Estimates
South Dakota population by county: July 2025 Census estimates for all 66 counties, change since 2020, density, and a link to each official parcel map.
Looking for South Dakota population by county? The Census Bureau estimates that South Dakota had 935,094 residents on July 1, 2025, spread across 66 counties. Minnehaha County is the most populous, with 212,691 people (23% of the state), and Jones County is the least populous, with 913.
The table below lists every county with its 2025 estimate, its April 2020 starting point, the change, people per square mile, and a link to its official parcel viewer.
South Dakota population at a glance
- Counties: 66
- Statewide, July 1, 2025: 935,094 (April 1, 2020 estimates base: 886,656; change +48,438, +5.5%)
- Most populous: Minnehaha County (212,691); least populous: Jones County (913)
- Median county: about 5,352 residents (half of the counties are smaller)
- The 5 largest counties hold 52% of all South Dakota residents
- Counties with 1,000,000+ residents: 0 · 100,000+: 2 · under 10,000: 48
- Statewide density: about 12 people per square mile of land
South Dakota population by county, July 2025 (all 66)
Percent change runs from the April 1, 2020 estimates base to July 1, 2025. People per square mile is the July 2025 estimate divided by the county's land area in the Census Bureau's 2020 Gazetteer file, so lakes and bays are left out.
How South Dakota's population is spread out
Grouping the counties by size shows how concentrated the state is:
| Residents (July 2025) | Counties | Total residents | Share of state |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100,000 to 249,999 | 2 | 329,483 | 35% |
| 25,000 to 99,999 | 6 | 242,073 | 26% |
| 10,000 to 24,999 | 10 | 158,773 | 17% |
| Under 10,000 | 48 | 204,765 | 22% |
Most and least densely populated
The most crowded counties by people per square mile of land:
- Minnehaha County: 264 per sq mi (212,691 people on 807 sq mi)
- Lincoln County: 134 per sq mi (77,145 people on 577 sq mi)
- Brookings County: 48 per sq mi (37,635 people on 792 sq mi)
- Davison County: 46 per sq mi (20,069 people on 436 sq mi)
- Yankton County: 45 per sq mi (23,635 people on 521 sq mi)
The most thinly settled:
- Harding County: 0.5 per sq mi (1,331 people on 2,672 sq mi)
- Jones County: 0.9 per sq mi (913 people on 970 sq mi)
- Perkins County: 1.0 per sq mi (2,853 people on 2,870 sq mi)
- Haakon County: 1.0 per sq mi (1,802 people on 1,811 sq mi)
- Ziebach County: 1.2 per sq mi (2,389 people on 1,961 sq mi)
About these numbers
- They are estimates. Between censuses the Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program updates county totals each year from births, deaths and migration records. The next full count is the 2030 census.
- The base is April 1, 2020. The estimates start from an April 1, 2020 "estimates base" built from the 2020 census, which is why it is slightly different from the published census count.
- Each new release revises the past. A newer vintage can change earlier years as well, so compare numbers from the same release, as this page does.
- Statewide total. The counties add up exactly to the statewide figure of 935,094 in the same file.
Using population numbers in a land search
- Big counties, busy offices. In the most populous counties, parcel maps and deed records are usually online and searchable, but recording and permit offices are busier. Allow for that if you are on a deadline.
- Small counties, fewer sales. In counties with only a few thousand people, land changes hands less often, so there are fewer recent sales to compare a price with. Recorded deeds and the local assessor's sales records are the best source.
- Density hints at lot size. A low people-per-square-mile figure usually means farms, ranches and timber tracts; a high one means subdivided lots. The parcel viewer shows the actual parcel lines.
- Check the official map. Use the parcel viewer link in the table for boundaries, parcel numbers and owner names, then confirm anything important with the local assessor and the office that records deeds.
Related guides
- Fastest growing counties in South Dakota
- Largest counties in South Dakota
- South Dakota county GIS websites by viewer
- South Dakota landowner maps for hunting
- Most populous counties in the US
- Where people are moving in the US
More: All South Dakota counties on Platbookmapper
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, county totals, Vintage 2025 (April 1, 2020 estimates base and July 1, 2020–2025 estimates, with components of change). Statewide totals are the sum of the counties and match the file's state row.
- U.S. Census Bureau Gazetteer files, 2020 county land and water area (for people per square mile).
- Platbookmapper county GIS directory (live data file behind our county pages, pulled October 25, 2026) for each official parcel viewer.