Custer, SD

Census Place

Add Comparison
2024 Population
2,341
US Senator
John Thune
Republican Party
US Senator
Mike Rounds
Republican Party
2024 Median Age
51.2
6.74% 1-year decrease
2024 Poverty Rate
14.2%
45% 1-year increase
2024 Median Household Income
$78,369
2.27% 1-year decline
2024 Median Property Value
$235,600
2.66% 1-year growth
2024 Employed Population
1,041
7.32% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Custer, 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.

98.5% of the residents in Custer, SD are U.S. citizens.

In 2024, the median property value in Custer, SD was $235,600, and the homeownership rate was 69.5%.

Most people in Custer, SD drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 18.7 minutes. The average car ownership in Custer, SD was 2 cars per household.

United StatesSouth DakotaCuster County, SDRapid City, SDWest South Dakota--Rapid City PUMA, SD

Population & Diversity

Custer, SD is home to a population of 2.34k people, from which 98.5% are citizens. As of 2024, 1.84% of Custer, SD residents were born outside of the country (43 people).

In 2024, there were 16.6 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (2.02k people) in Custer, SD than any other race or ethnicity. There were 122 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) and 76 American Indian & Alaska Native (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

98.5%
2024 Citizenship
98.4%
2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 98.5% of Custer, SD residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Custer, SD was 98.4%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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

View Data
Save Image

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Custer, SD
  1. White (Non-Hispanic)
    2.02k ± 288
  2. Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
    122 ± 83
  3. American Indian & Alaska Native (Non-Hispanic)
    76 ± 79
2.22%
Hispanic Population
52 people

In 2024, there were 16.6 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (2.02k people) in Custer, SD than any other race or ethnicity. There were 122 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) and 76 American Indian & Alaska Native (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

2.22% of the people in Custer, SD are hispanic (52 people).

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

View Data
Save Image

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for South Dakota.
Most Common Origin
  1. Mexico
    3,626 ± 1,475 people
  2. Guatemala
    2,932 ± 1,327 people
  3. 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.

View Data
Save Image

Foreign-Born Population

1.84%
2024 Foreign-Born Population
43 people
2.56%
2023 Foreign-Born Population
55 people

As of 2024, 1.84% of Custer, SD residents (43 people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Custer, SD was 2.56%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

View Data
Save Image

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period
  1. Vietnam
    91 ± 44
  2. Gulf War (1990s)
    20 ± 26
  3. Korea
    14 ± 29

Custer, SD has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 4.55 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Custer, SD.

View Data
Save Image

Economy

The economy of Custer, SD employs 1.04k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Custer, SD were Health Care & Social Assistance (174 people), Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting (125 people), and Construction (111 people), and the highest paying industries were Manufacturing ($105,583), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($100,880), and Arts, Entertainment, & Recreation ($85,509).

Employment

Occupations

1.04k
2024 Value
± 216
7.32%
1 Year growth
± 26.7%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Custer, SD grew at a rate of 7.32%, from 970 employees to 1.04k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Custer, SD, are Management Occupations (138 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (115 people), and Installation, Maintenance, & Repair Occupations (90 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Custer, SD.

View Data
Save Image

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.

View Data
Save Image

Industries

Employment by Industries

1.04k
2024 Value
± 216
7.32%
1 Year growth
± 26.7%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Custer, SD grew at a rate of 7.32%, from 970 employees to 1.04k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Custer, SD, are Health Care & Social Assistance (174 people), Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting (125 people), and Construction (111 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Custer, SD, though some of these residents may live in Custer, SD and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

View Data
Save Image

Median Earnings by Industry

$66,731
Median earning men ± $23,526
$34,879
Median earning women ± $9,191

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Manufacturing ($105,583), Other Services Except Public Administration ($86,250), and Arts, Entertainment, & Recreation, & Accommodations & Food Services ($85,556).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($100,556), Retail Trade ($55,000), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($45,074).

View Data
Save Image

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.

View Data
Save Image

Housing & Living

The median property value in Custer, SD was $235,600 in 2024, which is 0.708 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $229,500 to $235,600, a 2.66% increase. The homeownership rate in Custer, SD is 69.5%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Custer, SD have an average commute time of 18.7 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Custer, SD is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$235,600
Median Property Value 2024
±$39,643
$813
Median Property Taxes
±$174

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

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

View Data
Save Image
View Data
Save Image

Rent vs Own

69.5%
Homeownership
2024
61%
Homeowners with Mortgage
2024

In 2024, 69.5% of the housing units in Custer, SD were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 66%.

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

View Data
Save Image

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.
$78,369
Median Household Income
± $11,105
1.17k
Number of Households
± 212

In 2024, the median household income of the 1.17k households in Custer, SD declined from $78,369 from the previous year's value of $80,188.

The following chart displays the households in Custer, 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.

View Data
Save Image

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Custer, 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.

View Data
Save Image

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024
  1. Drove Alone (81.8%)
  2. Worked At Home (8.1%)
  3. Carpooled (7.02%)

In 2024, 81.8% of workers in Custer, SD drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (8.1%) and those who carpooled to work (7.02%).

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.

View Data
Save Image

Commute Time

18.7 minutes
Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Custer, SD have a shorter commute time (18.7 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 2.23% of the workforce in Custer, SD have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

View Data
Save Image
View Data
Save Image

Car Ownership

2 cars
Average Number

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

View Data
Save Image

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

14.2% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Custer, SD (318 out of 2.24k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 65 - 74, followed by Males 65 - 74 and then Males 35 - 44.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Custer, 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.

View Data
Save Image

Health

88.3% of the population of Custer, SD has health coverage, with 33.5% on employee plans, 9.65% on Medicaid, 20.7% on Medicare, 23.2% on non-group plans, and 1.2% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in South Dakota see 1,252 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,252 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1561 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 409 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 44.6% were men and 55.4% were women.

Coverage

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 14% under 18 years, 23.1% between 18 and 34 years, 30.9% between 35 and 64 years, and 32% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 44.6% were men and 55.4% were women.

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

View Data
Save Image

Uninsured People

11.7%
Uninsured
33.5%
Employer Coverage
9.65%
Medicaid
20.7%
Medicare
23.2%
Non-Group
1.2%
Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Custer, SD grew by 43.3% from 8.2% to 11.7%.

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

View Data
Save Image