Hughes County, SD

County

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2024 Population

17,664

US Senator

John Thune

Republican Party

US Senator

Mike Rounds

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

39.5

0.509% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

9.16%

0.336% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$81,395

3.06% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$242,000

9.45% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

8,918

0.889% 1-year decline

About

None of the households in Hughes 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.

99.7% of the residents in Hughes County, SD are U.S. citizens.

In 2024, the median property value in Hughes County, SD was $242,000, and the homeownership rate was 72%.

Most people in Hughes County, SD drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 14.6 minutes. The average car ownership in Hughes County, SD was 2 cars per household.

Hughes County, SD borders Hyde County, SD, Lyman County, SD, Stanley County, SD, and Sully County, SD.

United States South Dakota Pierre, SD

Population & Diversity

Hughes County, SD is home to a population of 17.7k people, from which 99.7% are citizens. As of 2024, 1.12% of Hughes County, SD residents were born outside of the country (197 people).

In 2024, there were 7.45 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (14.2k people) in Hughes County, SD than any other race or ethnicity. There were 1.9k American Indian & Alaska Native (Non-Hispanic) and 766 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

99.7%

2024 Citizenship

99.8%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 99.7% of Hughes County, SD residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Hughes County, SD was 99.8%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Hughes County, SD

White (Non-Hispanic)
14.2k ± 87
American Indian & Alaska Native (Non-Hispanic)
1.9k ± 265
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
766 ± 273

3.28%

Hispanic Population

580 people

3.28% of the people in Hughes County, SD are hispanic (580 people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Hughes 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

1.12%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

197 people

1.06%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

188 people

As of 2024, 1.12% of Hughes County, SD residents (197 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 Hughes County, SD was 1.06%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
410 ± 133
Gulf War (2001-)
330 ± 164
Gulf War (1990s)
124 ± 80

Hughes County, SD has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.24 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Economy

The economy of Hughes County, SD employs 8.92k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Hughes County, SD were Public Administration (2,040 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (1,297 people), and Retail Trade (911 people), and the highest paying industries were Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($80,572), Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($78,422), and Public Administration ($66,583).

Employment

Occupations

8.92k

2024 Value

± 710

−0.889%

1 Year decline

± 11.6%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Hughes County, SD declined at a rate of −0.889%, from 9k employees to 8.92k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Hughes County, SD, are Management Occupations (1,159 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (1,087 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (656 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Hughes 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

8.92k

2024 Value

± 710

−0.889%

1 Year decline

± 11.6%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Hughes County, SD declined at a rate of −0.889%, from 9k employees to 8.92k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Hughes County, SD, are Public Administration (2,040 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (1,297 people), and Retail Trade (911 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Hughes County, SD, though some of these residents may live in Hughes County, SD and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$54,940

Median earning men ± $3,577

$47,271

Median earning women ± $5,940

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($77,647), Public Administration ($70,848), and Construction ($66,250).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($78,722), Public Administration ($60,920), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($55,066).

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

55
Construction
52
Other Services (except Public Administration)
40
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

$65.3k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$46.8k
Finance and Insurance
$40.2k
Retail Trade

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

Housing & Living

The median property value in Hughes County, SD was $242,000 in 2024, which is 0.727 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $221,100 to $242,000, a 9.45% increase. The homeownership rate in Hughes County, SD is 72%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Hughes County, SD have an average commute time of 14.6 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Hughes County, SD is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 10.9% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Hughes County, SD. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator grew 2.18%.

Housing

Property

$242,000

Median Property Value 2024

±$15,163

$5,221

Median Property Taxes

±$508

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

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

Rent vs Own

72%

Homeownership

2024

68.2%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 72% of the housing units in Hughes County, SD were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 75.2%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Hughes 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.

$81,395

Median Household Income

± $5,889

7.25k

Number of Households

± 610

In 2024, the median household income of the 7.25k households in Hughes County, SD grew to $81,395 from the previous year's value of $78,981.

The following chart displays the households in Hughes 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 Hughes 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 (79.1%)
Carpooled (11.3%)
Worked At Home (4.73%)

In 2024, 79.1% of workers in Hughes County, SD drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (11.3%) and those who worked at home (4.73%).

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

14.6 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Hughes County, SD have a shorter commute time (14.6 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 2.36% of the workforce in Hughes County, SD have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 10.9% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Hughes County, SD. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator grew 2.18%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

9.16% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Hughes County, SD (1.54k out of 16.8k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Males 25 - 34, followed by Females 25 - 34 and then Females 18 - 24.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Hughes 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 2025, 10.8% of the children was living in poverty in Hughes County, SD. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 2.4%.

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 451 in Hughes County, SD. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator grew 118 per 100,000 population.

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

Health

93.3% of the population of Hughes County, SD has health coverage, with 53.1% on employee plans, 6.51% on Medicaid, 13.5% on Medicare, 17.5% on non-group plans, and 2.73% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Hughes County, SD see 1,264 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,264 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1474 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 339 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 51.2% were men and 48.8% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,264 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Hughes County, SD

Primary care physicians in Hughes County, SD see an average of 1,264 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,264 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 26.3% under 18 years, 16.4% between 18 and 34 years, 39.4% between 35 and 64 years, and 17.8% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 51.2% were men and 48.8% were women.

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

Uninsured People

6.7%

Uninsured

53.1%

Employer Coverage

6.51%

Medicaid

13.5%

Medicare

17.5%

Non-Group

2.73%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Hughes County, SD declined by 5.1% from 7.06% to 6.7%.

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

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2025, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 103 in Hughes County, SD.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Hughes 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 34.8% in Hughes County, SD.

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