Butte County, SD

County

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2023 Population

10,538

1.63% 1-year growth

US Senator

John Thune

Republican Party

US Senator

Mike Rounds

Republican Party

2023 Median Age

39.3

2.48% 1-year decrease

2023 Poverty Rate

7.2%

12.6% 1-year decrease

2023 Median Household Income

$67,692

16.5% 1-year growth

2023 Median Property Value

$207,700

9.89% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

5,434

6.36% 1-year growth

About

In the year of 2023, Butte County, SD had a population of 10.5k people with a median age of 39.3 and a median household income of $67,692. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Butte County, SD grew from 10,369 to 10,538, a 1.63% increase and its median household income grew from $58,106 to $67,692, a 16.5% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Butte County, SD are White (Non-Hispanic) (88%), Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) (3.73%), Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) (1.68%), American Indian & Alaska Native (Non-Hispanic) (1.67%), and Two Races Including Other (Non-Hispanic) (1.39%).

None of the households in Butte County, SD reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

99.8% of the residents in Butte County, SD are U.S. citizens.

In 2023, the median property value in Butte County, SD was $207,700, and the homeownership rate was 80.5%.

Most people in Butte County, SD drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 21.7 minutes. The average car ownership in Butte County, SD was 2 cars per household.

Butte County, SD borders Carter County, MT, Harding County, SD, Lawrence County, SD, Meade County, SD, Perkins County, SD, and Crook County, WY.

United States South Dakota

Population & Diversity

Butte County, SD is home to a population of 10.5k people, from which 99.8% are citizens. As of 2023, 1.05% of Butte County, SD residents were born outside of the country (111 people).

In 2023, there were 23.6 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (9.28k people) in Butte County, SD than any other race or ethnicity. There were 393 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) and 177 Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

99.8%

2023 Citizenship

99.9%

2022 Citizenship

As of 2023, 99.8% of Butte County, SD residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2022, the percentage of US citizens in Butte County, SD was 99.9%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Butte County, SD compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Butte County, SD

White (Non-Hispanic)
9.28k ± 155
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
393 ± 129
Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
177 ± 113

4.19%

Hispanic Population

442 people

4.19% of the people in Butte County, SD are hispanic (442 people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Butte County, SD as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for South Dakota.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
3,626 ± 1,475 people
Guatemala
2,932 ± 1,327 people
Ethiopia
2,627 ± 1,257 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of South Dakota was Mexico, the natal country of 3,626 South Dakota residents, followed by Guatemala with 2,932 and Ethiopia with 2,627.

Foreign-Born Population

1.05%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

111 people

0.627%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

65 people

As of 2023, 1.05% of Butte County, SD residents (111 people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 13.8%. In 2022, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Butte County, SD was 0.627%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Butte County, SD compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
177 ± 86
Gulf War (2001-)
176 ± 93
Gulf War (1990s)
78 ± 53

Butte County, SD has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.01 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Butte County, SD employs 5.43k people. In 2023, the largest industries in Butte County, SD were Retail Trade (642 people), Manufacturing (591 people), and Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting (529 people), and the highest paying industries were Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($83,811), Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($69,375), and Finance & Insurance ($61,875).

Employment

Occupations

5.43k

2023 Value

± 502

6.36%

1 Year growth

± 12.7%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Butte County, SD grew at a rate of 6.36%, from 5.11k employees to 5.43k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Butte County, SD, are Management Occupations (755 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (533 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (485 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Butte County, SD.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for South Dakota.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in South Dakota (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

5.43k

2023 Value

± 502

6.36%

1 Year growth

± 12.7%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Butte County, SD grew at a rate of 6.36%, from 5.11k employees to 5.43k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Butte County, SD, are Retail Trade (642 people), Manufacturing (591 people), and Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting (529 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Butte County, SD, though some of these residents may live in Butte County, SD and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$55,599

Median earning men ± $5,449

$31,513

Median earning women ± $3,508

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($86,042), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($78,636), and Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($68,657).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($82,675), Manufacturing ($53,415), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($51,379).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for South Dakota.

Y-Axis

2.37%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 450k people employed in South Dakota. This represents a 2.37% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 8.96%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in South Dakota.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

61
Construction
32
Other Services (except Public Administration)
29
Retail Trade

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$18.8k
Retail Trade
$10.9k
Manufacturing
$9.91k
Health Care and Social Assistance

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Education

Completions

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for South Dakota.

Measure

In 2023, 0.64% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.58% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for South Dakota.

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2023 were High School or Equivalent (205k), Some college (147k), and Bachelors Degree (137k).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Butte County, SD was $207,700 in 2023, which is 0.685 times smaller than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $189,000 to $207,700, a 9.89% increase. The homeownership rate in Butte County, SD is 80.5%, which is higher than the national average of 65%.

People in Butte County, SD have an average commute time of 21.7 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Butte County, SD is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 15.8% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Butte County, SD. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator grew 0.67%.

Housing

Property

$207,700

Median Property Value 2023

±$27,677

$3,405

Median Property Taxes

±$353

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Butte County, SD the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Butte County, SD compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

80.5%

Homeownership

2023

61.2%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2023

In 2023, 80.5% of the housing units in Butte County, SD were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 80.2%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Butte County, SD compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Census Tract 9676, Butte County, SD

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

The following map shows all of the tracts in Butte County, SD colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$67,692

Median Household Income

± $10,702

4.23k

Number of Households

± 449

In 2023, the median household income of the 4.23k households in Butte County, SD grew to $67,692 from the previous year's value of $58,106.

The following chart displays the households in Butte County, SD distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Butte County, SD is from South Dakota.

0.443

2023 Wage GINI in South Dakota

0.438

2022 Wage GINI in South Dakota

In 2023, the income inequality in South Dakota was 0.443 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 1.14% growth from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat less even. The GINI for South Dakota was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in South Dakota in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in South Dakota across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2023

Drove Alone (71.9%)
Carpooled (9.51%)
Worked At Home (8.98%)

In 2023, 71.9% of workers in Butte County, SD drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (9.51%) and those who worked at home (8.98%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

21.7 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Butte County, SD have a shorter commute time (21.7 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 3.45% of the workforce in Butte County, SD have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Butte County, SD compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Butte County, SD distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Butte County, SD have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 15.8% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Butte County, SD. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator grew 0.67%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

Poverty & Diversity

7.2% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Butte County, SD (749 out of 10.4k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.4%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 18 - 24, followed by Males 18 - 24 and then Females 65 - 74.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Butte County, SD is White, followed by Two Or More and Hispanic.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Children in Poverty

In 2025, 15.1% of the children was living in poverty in Butte County, SD. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 5%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Security

Crimes & Accidents

Indicator

In 2022, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 155 in Butte County, SD. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator grew 51.4 per 100,000 population.

The graph shows the trend in the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population.

Health

84.2% of the population of Butte County, SD has health coverage, with 38.4% on employee plans, 9.5% on Medicaid, 13.8% on Medicare, 20.5% on non-group plans, and 2.14% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Butte County, SD see 3,485 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (3,485 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1539 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 1810 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 50% were men and 50% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

3,485 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Butte County, SD

Primary care physicians in Butte County, SD see an average of 3,485 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (3,485 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Butte County, SD in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 26% under 18 years, 18.1% between 18 and 34 years, 36.9% between 35 and 64 years, and 19% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 50% were men and 50% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

15.8%

Uninsured

38.4%

Employer Coverage

9.5%

Medicaid

13.8%

Medicare

20.5%

Non-Group

2.14%

Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in Butte County, SD grew by 5.33% from 15% to 15.8%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Butte County, SD changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.