Dewey County, SD

County

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2024 Population

5,205

US Senator

John Thune

Republican Party

US Senator

Mike Rounds

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

27.7

0.362% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

33%

2.22% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$54,104

6.6% 1-year decline

2024 Median Property Value

$69,600

7.69% 1-year decline

2024 Employed Population

1,801

7.21% 1-year decline

About

None of the households in Dewey 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.

99.6% of the residents in Dewey County, SD are U.S. citizens.

In 2024, the median property value in Dewey County, SD was $69,600, and the homeownership rate was 61.2%.

Most people in Dewey County, SD drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 18.5 minutes. The average car ownership in Dewey County, SD was 2 cars per household.

Dewey County, SD borders Corson County, SD, Haakon County, SD, Potter County, SD, Stanley County, SD, Sully County, SD, Walworth County, SD, and Ziebach County, SD.

United States South Dakota

Population & Diversity

Dewey County, SD is home to a population of 5.21k people, from which 99.6% are citizens. As of 2024, 0.423% of Dewey County, SD residents were born outside of the country (22 people).

In 2024, there were 3.51 times more American Indian & Alaska Native (Non-Hispanic) residents (3.84k people) in Dewey County, SD than any other race or ethnicity. There were 1.09k White (Non-Hispanic) and 181 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

99.6%

2024 Citizenship

99.6%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 99.6% of Dewey County, SD residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Dewey County, SD was 99.6%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Dewey County, SD

American Indian & Alaska Native (Non-Hispanic)
3.84k ± 137
White (Non-Hispanic)
1.09k ± 9
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
181 ± 92

1.04%

Hispanic Population

54 people

1.04% of the people in Dewey County, SD are hispanic (54 people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Dewey 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

0.423%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

22 people

0.402%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

21 people

As of 2024, 0.423% of Dewey County, SD residents (22 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 Dewey County, SD was 0.402%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
50 ± 27
Gulf War (1990s)
42 ± 29
Gulf War (2001-)
17 ± 22

Dewey County, SD has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.19 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Economy

The economy of Dewey County, SD employs 1.8k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Dewey County, SD were Educational Services (323 people), Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting (251 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (248 people), and the highest paying industries were Finance & Insurance ($127,778), Utilities ($65,938), and Wholesale Trade ($60,000).

Employment

Occupations

1.8k

2024 Value

± 175

−7.21%

1 Year decline

± 13.8%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Dewey County, SD declined at a rate of −7.21%, from 1.94k employees to 1.8k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Dewey County, SD, are Management Occupations (324 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (266 people), and Education Instruction, & Library Occupations (228 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Dewey 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

1.8k

2024 Value

± 175

−7.21%

1 Year decline

± 13.8%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Dewey County, SD declined at a rate of −7.21%, from 1.94k employees to 1.8k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Dewey County, SD, are Educational Services (323 people), Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting (251 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (248 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Dewey County, SD, though some of these residents may live in Dewey County, SD and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$40,741

Median earning men ± $5,604

$38,843

Median earning women ± $6,042

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Wholesale Trade ($72,946), Retail Trade ($65,000), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($53,819).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Other Services Except Public Administration ($57,250), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($51,042), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($47,188).

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

11
Other Services (except Public Administration)
11
Construction
8
Health Care and Social Assistance

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

$11k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$4.23k
Wholesale Trade
$2.85k
Utilities

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

Housing & Living

The median property value in Dewey County, SD was $69,600 in 2024, which is 0.209 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $75,400 to $69,600, a 7.69% decrease. The homeownership rate in Dewey County, SD is 61.2%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Dewey County, SD have an average commute time of 18.5 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Dewey County, SD is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 18.5% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Dewey County, SD. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator grew 1.08%.

Housing

Property

$69,600

Median Property Value 2024

±$16,820

$1,036

Median Property Taxes

±$121

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 Dewey County, SD the largest share of households pay taxes in the None range.

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

Rent vs Own

61.2%

Homeownership

2024

56.4%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 61.2% of the housing units in Dewey County, SD were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 61.5%.

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

Equity

Household Income

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

$54,104

Median Household Income

± $5,497

1.69k

Number of Households

± 161

In 2024, the median household income of the 1.69k households in Dewey County, SD declined from $54,104 from the previous year's value of $57,928.

The following chart displays the households in Dewey 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 $15k - $20k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Dewey 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 2024

Drove Alone (71.9%)
Worked At Home (13.5%)
Carpooled (8.86%)

In 2024, 71.9% of workers in Dewey County, SD drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (13.5%) and those who carpooled to work (8.86%).

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

18.5 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Dewey County, SD have a shorter commute time (18.5 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.72% of the workforce in Dewey County, SD have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 18.5% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Dewey County, SD. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator grew 1.08%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

33% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Dewey County, SD (1.69k out of 5.11k 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 25 - 34, followed by Males < 5 and then Males 6 - 11.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Dewey County, SD is Native American, followed by White 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 2025, 29.3% of the children was living in poverty in Dewey County, SD. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 7.1%.

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 2018, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 17.9 in Dewey County, SD. From 2014 to 2018, the indicator declined 6.22 per 100,000 population.

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

Health

78.8% of the population of Dewey County, SD has health coverage, with 27% on employee plans, 34.9% on Medicaid, 7.78% on Medicare, 7.29% on non-group plans, and 1.78% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Dewey County, SD see 5,246 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (5,246 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1713 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 1302 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.7% were men and 50.3% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

5,246 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Dewey County, SD

Primary care physicians in Dewey County, SD see an average of 5,246 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (5,246 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 40.8% under 18 years, 18.7% between 18 and 34 years, 30.4% between 35 and 64 years, and 10.1% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.7% were men and 50.3% were women.

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

Uninsured People

21.2%

Uninsured

27%

Employer Coverage

34.9%

Medicaid

7.78%

Medicare

7.29%

Non-Group

1.78%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Dewey County, SD declined by 9.5% from 23.5% to 21.2%.

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

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2018, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 124 in Dewey County, SD.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Dewey County, SD.

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2025, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 40.8% in Dewey County, SD.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Dewey County, SD.