Custer County, SD

County

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2023 Population

8,686

2.01% 1-year growth

US Senator

John Thune

Republican Party

US Senator

Mike Rounds

Republican Party

2023 Median Age

57.2

0.704% 1-year increase

2023 Poverty Rate

6.6%

20.3% 1-year decrease

2023 Median Household Income

$81,958

7.92% 1-year growth

2023 Median Property Value

$327,200

11% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

4,024

4.82% 1-year growth

About

In 2023, Custer County, SD had a population of 8.69k people with a median age of 57.2 and a median household income of $81,958. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Custer County, SD grew from 8,515 to 8,686, a 2.01% increase and its median household income grew from $75,943 to $81,958, a 7.92% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Custer County, SD are White (Non-Hispanic) (89.9%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (4.54%), American Indian & Alaska Native (Non-Hispanic) (1.83%), Two+ (Hispanic) (1.72%), and White (Hispanic) (0.933%).

None of the households in Custer 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.

99.4% of the residents in Custer County, SD are U.S. citizens.

In 2023, the median property value in Custer County, SD was $327,200, and the homeownership rate was 85.6%.

Most people in Custer County, SD drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 29.1 minutes. The average car ownership in Custer County, SD was 2 cars per household.

Custer County, SD borders Fall River County, SD, Oglala Lakota County, SD, Pennington County, SD, Niobrara County, WY, and Weston County, WY.

Photo by Jack Flanagan

United States South Dakota Rapid City, SD

Population & Diversity

Custer County, SD is home to a population of 8.69k people, from which 99.4% are citizens. As of 2023, 2.07% of Custer County, SD residents were born outside of the country (180 people).

In 2023, there were 19.8 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (7.81k people) in Custer County, SD than any other race or ethnicity. There were 394 Two+ (Non-Hispanic) and 159 American Indian & Alaska Native (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

99.4%

2023 Citizenship

99.7%

2022 Citizenship

As of 2023, 99.4% of Custer County, SD residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2022, the percentage of US citizens in Custer County, SD was 99.7%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Custer County, SD

White (Non-Hispanic)
7.81k ± 31
Two+ (Non-Hispanic)
394 ± 91.1
American Indian & Alaska Native (Non-Hispanic)
159 ± 81

2.89%

Hispanic Population

251 people

2.89% of the people in Custer County, SD are hispanic (251 people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Custer 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
3,032 ± 1,350 people
Guatemala
2,803 ± 1,298 people
Ethiopia
2,418 ± 1,206 people

In 2022, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of South Dakota was Mexico, the natal country of 3,032 South Dakota residents, followed by Guatemala with 2,803 and Ethiopia with 2,418.

Foreign-Born Population

2.07%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

180 people

2.04%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

174 people

As of 2023, 2.07% of Custer County, SD residents (180 people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.8%. In 2022, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Custer County, SD was 2.04%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
475 ± 174
Gulf War (2001-)
295 ± 124
Gulf War (1990s)
155 ± 90

Custer County, SD has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.61 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Custer County, SD employs 4.02k people. The largest industries in Custer County, SD are Health Care & Social Assistance (661 people), Retail Trade (330 people), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (327 people), and the highest paying industries are Transportation & Warehousing ($89,048), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($88,304), and Utilities ($78,992).

Males in South Dakota have an average income that is 1.29 times higher than the average income of females, which is $52,552. The income inequality in South Dakota (measured using the Gini index) is 0.438, which is lower than than the national average.

Employment

Occupations

4.02k

2023 Value

± 424

4.82%

1 Year growth

± 14.2%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Custer County, SD grew at a rate of 4.82%, from 3.84k employees to 4.02k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Custer County, SD, are Sales & Related Occupations (523 people), Management Occupations (466 people), and Office & Administrative Support Occupations (393 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Custer County, SD.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

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

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.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

4.02k

2023 Value

± 424

4.82%

1 Year growth

± 14.2%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Custer County, SD grew at a rate of 4.82%, from 3.84k employees to 4.02k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Custer County, SD, are Health Care & Social Assistance (661 people), Retail Trade (330 people), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (327 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Custer County, SD, though some of these residents may live in Custer County, SD and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$61,099

Median earning men ± $11,923

$43,516

Median earning women ± $9,542

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($89,375), Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($82,969), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($82,400).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($74,097), Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($57,143), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($49,451).

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

47
Accommodation and Food Services
42
Construction
21
Other Services (except Public Administration)

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

Depending on the option selected, the visualization shows the number of employees or number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$15.1k
Accommodation and Food Services
$13.6k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$7.53k
Retail Trade

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 2022, 0.574% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.482% 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 2022 were High School or Equivalent (206k), Some college (148k), and Bachelors Degree (133k).

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 Custer County, SD was $327,200 in 2023, which is 1.08 times larger than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $294,700 to $327,200, a 11% increase. The homeownership rate in Custer County, SD is 85.6%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 65%.

People in Custer County, SD have an average commute time of 29.1 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Custer County, SD is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2023, 12.3% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Custer County, SD. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator grew 2.96%.

Housing

Property

$327,200

Median Property Value 2023

±$46,881

$3,451

Median Property Taxes

±$379

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 Custer County, SD the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

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

Rent vs Own

85.6%

Homeownership

2023

67.3%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2023

In 2023, 85.6% of the housing units in Custer County, SD were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 85.8%.

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

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

Census Tract 9652
Census Tract 9651

The following map shows all of the tracts in Custer 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.

$81,958

Median Household Income

± $4,212

4.03k

Number of Households

± 406

In 2023, the median household income of the 4.03k households in Custer County, SD grew to $81,958 from the previous year's value of $75,943.

The following chart displays the households in Custer 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 Custer County, SD is from South Dakota.

0.438

2022 Wage GINI in South Dakota

0.439

2021 Wage GINI in South Dakota

In 2022, the income inequality in South Dakota was 0.438 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.26% decline from 2021 to 2022, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for South Dakota was lower than than the national average of 0.478. 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 (77.6%)
Worked At Home (11.8%)
Carpooled (7.3%)

In 2023, 77.6% of workers in Custer County, SD drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (11.8%) and those who carpooled to work (7.3%).

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

29.1 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Custer County, SD have a longer commute time (29.1 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 4.38% of the workforce in Custer County, SD have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Custer 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 Custer County, SD distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Custer County, SD have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2023, 12.3% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Custer County, SD. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator grew 2.96%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

6.6% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Custer County, SD (564 out of 8.55k 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 65 - 74, followed by Females 75+ and then Males 75+.

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

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 2023, 15% of the children was living in poverty in Custer County, SD. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 3.7%.

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.

Health

89.9% of the population of Custer County, SD has health coverage, with 35.5% on employee plans, 5.85% on Medicaid, 22% on Medicare, 21.9% on non-group plans, and 4.51% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Custer County, SD see 2254 patients per year on average, which represents a 0.49% increase from the previous year (2243 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 4304 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 1722 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.7% were men and 51.3% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

2,254 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Custer County, SD

Primary care physicians in Custer County, SD see an average of 2,254 patients per year. This represents a 0.49% increase from the previous year (2,243 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 14.5% under 18 years, 11.2% between 18 and 34 years, 42.5% between 35 and 64 years, and 31.9% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.7% were men and 51.3% were women.

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

Uninsured People

10.1%

Uninsured

35.5%

Employer Coverage

5.85%

Medicaid

22%

Medicare

21.9%

Non-Group

4.51%

Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in Custer County, SD declined by 6.16% from 10.8% to 10.1%.

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