Jackson County, SD

County

Add Comparison

2024 Population

2,802

US Senator

John Thune

Republican Party

US Senator

Mike Rounds

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

34.3

3.31% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

42.4%

13.1% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$35,417

32.7% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$117,300

5.2% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

789

4.59% 1-year decline

About

None of the households in Jackson 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.

100% of the residents in Jackson County, SD are U.S. citizens.

In 2024, the median property value in Jackson County, SD was $117,300, and the homeownership rate was 67.3%.

Most people in Jackson County, SD drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 11.4 minutes. The average car ownership in Jackson County, SD was 1 car per household.

Jackson County, SD borders Bennett County, SD, Haakon County, SD, Jones County, SD, Mellette County, SD, Oglala Lakota County, SD, Pennington County, SD, and Todd County, SD.

United States South Dakota

Population & Diversity

Jackson County, SD is home to a population of 2.8k people, from which 100% are citizens. As of 2024, 0% of Jackson County, SD residents were born outside of the country (0 people).

In 2024, there were 1.67 times more American Indian & Alaska Native (Non-Hispanic) residents (1.72k people) in Jackson County, SD than any other race or ethnicity. There were 1.03k White (Non-Hispanic) and 38 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

100%

2024 Citizenship

99.8%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 100% of Jackson County, SD residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Jackson County, SD was 99.8%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Jackson County, SD

American Indian & Alaska Native (Non-Hispanic)
1.72k ± 151
White (Non-Hispanic)
1.03k ± 150
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
38 ± 32

0.428%

Hispanic Population

12 people

0.428% of the people in Jackson County, SD are hispanic (12 people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Jackson 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.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
27 ± 28
Gulf War (1990s)
5 ± 13

Jackson County, SD has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 5.4 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Economy

The economy of Jackson County, SD employs 789 people. In 2024, the largest industries in Jackson County, SD were Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting (198 people), Educational Services (130 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (113 people), and the highest paying industries were Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($58,750), Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting ($58,750), and Manufacturing ($56,382).

Employment

Occupations

789

2024 Value

± 152

−4.59%

1 Year decline

± 29.1%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Jackson County, SD declined at a rate of −4.59%, from 827 employees to 789 employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Jackson County, SD, are Management Occupations (195 people), Education Instruction, & Library Occupations (121 people), and Food Preparation & Serving Related Occupations (63 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Jackson 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

789

2024 Value

± 152

−4.59%

1 Year decline

± 29.1%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Jackson County, SD declined at a rate of −4.59%, from 827 employees to 789 employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Jackson County, SD, are Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting (198 people), Educational Services (130 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (113 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Jackson County, SD, though some of these residents may live in Jackson County, SD and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$51,077

Median earning men ± $3,309

$35,875

Median earning women ± $9,882

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Construction ($73,500), Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($61,354), and Manufacturing ($56,382).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Public Administration ($40,357), Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($27,434), and Arts, Entertainment, & Recreation, & Accommodations & Food Services ($26,250).

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

6
Retail Trade
5
Accommodation and Food Services
5
Transportation and Warehousing

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

$2.72k
Retail Trade
$1.58k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$1.48k
Accommodation and Food Services

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

Housing & Living

The median property value in Jackson County, SD was $117,300 in 2024, which is 0.353 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $111,500 to $117,300, a 5.2% increase. The homeownership rate in Jackson County, SD is 67.3%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Jackson County, SD have an average commute time of 11.4 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Jackson County, SD is lower than the national average, with an average of 1 car per household.

In 2025, 19.4% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Jackson County, SD. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 5.46%.

Housing

Property

$117,300

Median Property Value 2024

±$12,285

$559

Median Property Taxes

±$104

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 Jackson County, SD the largest share of households pay taxes in the < $800 range.

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

Rent vs Own

67.3%

Homeownership

2024

69.7%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 67.3% of the housing units in Jackson County, SD were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 60.8%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Jackson 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.

$35,417

Median Household Income

± $21,129

830

Number of Households

± 138

In 2024, the median household income of the 830 households in Jackson County, SD grew to $35,417 from the previous year's value of $26,686.

The following chart displays the households in Jackson 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 < $10k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Jackson 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 (79.5%)
Worked At Home (8.93%)
Other (5.36%)

In 2024, 79.5% of workers in Jackson County, SD drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (8.93%) and those who used some unspecified means to get work (5.36%).

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

11.4 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Jackson County, SD have a shorter commute time (11.4 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 0% of the workforce in Jackson County, SD have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Car Ownership

1 car

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Jackson County, SD distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Jackson County, SD have 1 car.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 19.4% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Jackson County, SD. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 5.46%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

42.4% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Jackson County, SD (1.16k out of 2.73k 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 25 - 34 and then Females 55 - 64.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Jackson 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, 36% of the children was living in poverty in Jackson County, SD. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 8.8%.

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

72.6% of the population of Jackson County, SD has health coverage, with 21.2% on employee plans, 30.2% on Medicaid, 9.3% on Medicare, 11.3% on non-group plans, and 0.651% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Jackson County, SD see 0 patients per year on average, which represents a NaNk% change from the previous year (0 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1410 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 1388 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.6% were men and 50.4% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

0 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Jackson County, SD

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

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 34.1% under 18 years, 18.7% between 18 and 34 years, 35.9% between 35 and 64 years, and 11.2% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.6% were men and 50.4% were women.

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

Uninsured People

27.4%

Uninsured

21.2%

Employer Coverage

30.2%

Medicaid

9.3%

Medicare

11.3%

Non-Group

0.651%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Jackson County, SD declined by 6.37% from 29.2% to 27.4%.

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

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2020, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 227 in Jackson County, SD.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Jackson 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 39.7% in Jackson County, SD.

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