Lake County, SD

County

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2024 Population

10,972

US Senator

John Thune

Republican Party

US Senator

Mike Rounds

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

43.8

0.229% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

8.36%

10.7% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$76,808

4.09% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$247,600

7.19% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

5,716

3.87% 1-year decline

About

None of the households in Lake 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.

97.5% of the residents in Lake County, SD are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Lake County, SD are Dakota State University (663 degrees awarded in 2023).

In 2024, the median property value in Lake County, SD was $247,600, and the homeownership rate was 73.8%.

Most people in Lake County, SD drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 14.9 minutes. The average car ownership in Lake County, SD was 3 cars per household.

Lake County, SD borders Brookings County, SD, Kingsbury County, SD, McCook County, SD, Miner County, SD, Minnehaha County, SD, and Moody County, SD.

United States South Dakota

Population & Diversity

Lake County, SD is home to a population of 11k people, from which 97.5% are citizens. As of 2024, 3.69% of Lake County, SD residents were born outside of the country (405 people).

In 2024, there were 36.1 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (9.75k people) in Lake County, SD than any other race or ethnicity. There were 270 American Indian & Alaska Native (Non-Hispanic) and 250 Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

97.5%

2024 Citizenship

98.2%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 97.5% of Lake County, SD residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Lake County, SD was 98.2%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Lake County, SD

White (Non-Hispanic)
9.75k ± 67
American Indian & Alaska Native (Non-Hispanic)
270 ± 96
Other (Hispanic)
250 ± 124

5.26%

Hispanic Population

577 people

5.26% of the people in Lake County, SD are hispanic (577 people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Lake 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

3.69%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

405 people

2.64%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

292 people

As of 2024, 3.69% of Lake County, SD residents (405 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 Lake County, SD was 2.64%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
278 ± 82
Gulf War (2001-)
98 ± 57
Gulf War (1990s)
60 ± 38

Lake County, SD has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 2.84 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Economy

The economy of Lake County, SD employs 5.72k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Lake County, SD were Educational Services (748 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (730 people), and Retail Trade (658 people), and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($96,205), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($93,582), and Wholesale Trade ($86,394).

Employment

Occupations

5.72k

2024 Value

± 443

−3.87%

1 Year decline

± 11.6%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Lake County, SD declined at a rate of −3.87%, from 5.95k employees to 5.72k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Lake County, SD, are Management Occupations (684 people), Sales & Related Occupations (677 people), and Office & Administrative Support Occupations (600 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Lake 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

5.72k

2024 Value

± 443

−3.87%

1 Year decline

± 11.6%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Lake County, SD declined at a rate of −3.87%, from 5.95k employees to 5.72k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Lake County, SD, are Educational Services (748 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (730 people), and Retail Trade (658 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Lake County, SD, though some of these residents may live in Lake County, SD and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$49,163

Median earning men ± $2,372

$38,382

Median earning women ± $1,805

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($94,327), Wholesale Trade ($87,019), and Other Services Except Public Administration ($69,444).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($85,795), Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($48,155), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($44,821).

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

31
Construction
19
Other Services (except Public Administration)
18
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services

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

$50.1k
Manufacturing
$29.1k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$20.4k
Wholesale Trade

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

Education

In 2023, universities in Lake County, SD awarded 663 degrees. The student population of Lake County, SD in 2023 is skewed towards men, with 2,229 male students and 1,279 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Lake County, SD are White (512 and 84.9%), Asian (21 and 3.48%), Hispanic or Latino (20 and 3.32%), and Two or More Races (18 and 2.99%).

The largest universities in Lake County, SD by number of degrees awarded are Dakota State University (663 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Lake County, SD are Computer & Information Systems Security (141 and 21.3%), General Computer & Information Sciences (133 and 20.1%), and Information Science (84 and 12.7%).

The median tuition cost for a public four year colleges is $7,616 for in-state students and $10,718 for out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2023 in Lake County, SD, the percentage of applicants admitted was 97.9%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 40.7%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 3,508 (63.5% men and 36.5% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2023 there were 3,508 students enrolled in Lake County, SD, 63.5% men and 36.5% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 2,618 records, of which 38.7% were women and 61.3% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Computer & Information Systems Security
93 degrees awarded
General Computer & Information Sciences
60 degrees awarded
System, Networking, & LAN/WAN Management
26 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Lake County, SD was Computer & Information Systems Security with 93 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Lake County, SD according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Dakota State University

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

663 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Dakota State University with 663 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 452 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Lake County, SD, which is 2.14 times more than the 211 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 512 degrees mean that there were 24.4 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Asian, with 21 degrees awarded.

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.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Public, 4-year or above ($7,616) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($2,017) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($1,200) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Lake County, SD was $247,600 in 2024, which is 0.744 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $231,000 to $247,600, a 7.19% increase. The homeownership rate in Lake County, SD is 73.8%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Lake County, SD have an average commute time of 14.9 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Lake County, SD is higher than the national average, with an average of 3 cars per household.

In 2025, 10.4% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Lake County, SD. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator grew 1.49%.

Housing

Property

$247,600

Median Property Value 2024

±$21,400

$3,482

Median Property Taxes

±$341

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

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

Rent vs Own

73.8%

Homeownership

2024

67.4%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 73.8% of the housing units in Lake County, SD were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 71.4%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Lake 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.

$76,808

Median Household Income

± $7,301

4.72k

Number of Households

± 415

In 2024, the median household income of the 4.72k households in Lake County, SD grew to $76,808 from the previous year's value of $73,792.

The following chart displays the households in Lake 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 Lake 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 (77.9%)
Worked At Home (10.5%)
Carpooled (5.86%)

In 2024, 77.9% of workers in Lake County, SD drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (10.5%) and those who carpooled to work (5.86%).

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

14.9 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Lake County, SD have a shorter commute time (14.9 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 0.333% of the workforce in Lake County, SD have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Car Ownership

3 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Lake County, SD distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Lake County, SD have 3 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 10.4% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Lake County, SD. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator grew 1.49%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

8.36% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Lake County, SD (872 out of 10.4k 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 Females 18 - 24, followed by Males < 5 and then Males 45 - 54.

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

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, 8.9% of the children was living in poverty in Lake County, SD. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 3.5%.

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 69.1 in Lake County, SD. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator declined 18 per 100,000 population.

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

Health

96% of the population of Lake County, SD has health coverage, with 48.5% on employee plans, 9.45% on Medicaid, 17.5% on Medicare, 19.1% on non-group plans, and 1.43% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Lake County, SD see 1,550 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,550 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 2194 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 649 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 52.9% were men and 47.1% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,550 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Lake County, SD

Primary care physicians in Lake County, SD see an average of 1,550 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,550 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 21.5% under 18 years, 20.4% between 18 and 34 years, 34.7% between 35 and 64 years, and 23.4% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 52.9% were men and 47.1% were women.

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

Uninsured People

3.97%

Uninsured

48.5%

Employer Coverage

9.45%

Medicaid

17.5%

Medicare

19.1%

Non-Group

1.43%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Lake County, SD grew by 9.63% from 3.62% to 3.97%.

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