Lawrence County, SD

County

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2024 Population

27,233

US Senator

John Thune

Republican Party

US Senator

Mike Rounds

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

44.8

2.28% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

11.6%

1.88% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$73,384

9.91% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$346,500

11.5% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

14,675

1.73% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Lawrence 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.

99.4% of the residents in Lawrence County, SD are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Lawrence County, SD are Black Hills State University (521 degrees awarded in 2023).

In 2024, the median property value in Lawrence County, SD was $346,500, and the homeownership rate was 65.1%.

Most people in Lawrence County, SD drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 19.1 minutes. The average car ownership in Lawrence County, SD was 2 cars per household.

Lawrence County, SD borders Butte County, SD, Meade County, SD, Pennington County, SD, Crook County, WY, and Weston County, WY.

United States South Dakota Spearfish, SD

Population & Diversity

Lawrence County, SD is home to a population of 27.2k people, from which 99.4% are citizens. As of 2024, 2.04% of Lawrence County, SD residents were born outside of the country (555 people).

In 2024, there were 29.7 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (24.2k people) in Lawrence County, SD than any other race or ethnicity. There were 814 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) and 675 American Indian & Alaska Native (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

99.4%

2024 Citizenship

98.8%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 99.4% of Lawrence County, SD residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Lawrence County, SD was 98.8%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Lawrence County, SD

White (Non-Hispanic)
24.2k ± 166
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
814 ± 168
American Indian & Alaska Native (Non-Hispanic)
675 ± 140

3.88%

Hispanic Population

1.06k people

3.88% of the people in Lawrence County, SD are hispanic (1.06k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Lawrence 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

2.04%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

555 people

2.31%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

615 people

As of 2024, 2.04% of Lawrence County, SD residents (555 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 Lawrence County, SD was 2.31%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
787 ± 163
Gulf War (2001-)
728 ± 263
Gulf War (1990s)
418 ± 155

Lawrence County, SD has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.08 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Economy

The economy of Lawrence County, SD employs 14.7k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Lawrence County, SD were Accommodation & Food Services (2,117 people), Retail Trade (1,883 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (1,658 people), and the highest paying industries were Wholesale Trade ($129,191), Utilities ($101,250), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($87,996).

Employment

Occupations

14.7k

2024 Value

± 979

1.73%

1 Year growth

± 9.2%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Lawrence County, SD grew at a rate of 1.73%, from 14.4k employees to 14.7k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Lawrence County, SD, are Management Occupations (1,796 people), Sales & Related Occupations (1,679 people), and Food Preparation & Serving Related Occupations (1,327 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Lawrence 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

14.7k

2024 Value

± 979

1.73%

1 Year growth

± 9.2%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Lawrence County, SD grew at a rate of 1.73%, from 14.4k employees to 14.7k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Lawrence County, SD, are Accommodation & Food Services (2,117 people), Retail Trade (1,883 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (1,658 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Lawrence County, SD, though some of these residents may live in Lawrence County, SD and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$44,927

Median earning men ± $7,914

$34,686

Median earning women ± $3,731

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($87,759), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($82,024), and Wholesale Trade ($79,130).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Wholesale Trade ($153,351), Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($48,255), and Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($48,056).

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

132
Construction
86
Other Services (except Public Administration)
84
Real Estate and Rental and Leasing

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

$91.9k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$82.6k
Accommodation and Food Services
$62.6k
Retail Trade

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

Education

In 2023, universities in Lawrence County, SD awarded 521 degrees. The student population of Lawrence County, SD in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 1,259 male students and 2,216 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Lawrence County, SD are White (446 and 86.4%), Two or More Races (21 and 4.07%), Hispanic or Latino (19 and 3.68%), and American Indian or Alaska Native (15 and 2.91%).

The largest universities in Lawrence County, SD by number of degrees awarded are Black Hills State University (521 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Lawrence County, SD are General Business Administration & Management (93 and 17.9%), General Biological Sciences (48 and 9.21%), and Elementary Education & Teaching (38 and 7.29%).

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 Lawrence County, SD, the percentage of applicants admitted was 94.4%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 32%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 3,475 (36.2% men and 63.8% 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 3,475 students enrolled in Lawrence County, SD, 36.2% men and 63.8% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 2,700 records, of which 64.2% were women and 35.8% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

General Business Administration & Management
82 degrees awarded
Elementary Education & Teaching
38 degrees awarded
General Biological Sciences
27 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Lawrence County, SD was General Business Administration & Management with 82 degrees awarded.

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

Universities

Gender

Race

Black Hills State University

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

521 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Black Hills State University with 521 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 154 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Lawrence County, SD, which is 0.42 times less than the 367 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 446 degrees mean that there were 21.2 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Two or More Races, 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 ($1,300) 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 Lawrence County, SD was $346,500 in 2024, which is 1.04 times larger than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $310,800 to $346,500, a 11.5% increase. The homeownership rate in Lawrence County, SD is 65.1%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Lawrence County, SD have an average commute time of 19.1 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Lawrence County, SD is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 12.7% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Lawrence County, SD. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 1.31%.

Housing

Property

$346,500

Median Property Value 2024

±$16,964

$7,846

Median Property Taxes

±$589

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

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

Rent vs Own

65.1%

Homeownership

2024

64.5%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 65.1% of the housing units in Lawrence County, SD were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 63.9%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Lawrence 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.

$73,384

Median Household Income

± $4,448

12.1k

Number of Households

± 838

In 2024, the median household income of the 12.1k households in Lawrence County, SD grew to $73,384 from the previous year's value of $66,766.

The following chart displays the households in Lawrence 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 Lawrence 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 (76.3%)
Carpooled (10.8%)
Worked At Home (6.45%)

In 2024, 76.3% of workers in Lawrence County, SD drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (10.8%) and those who worked at home (6.45%).

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

19.1 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Lawrence County, SD have a shorter commute time (19.1 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.3% of the workforce in Lawrence County, SD have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 12.7% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Lawrence County, SD. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 1.31%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

11.6% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Lawrence County, SD (3.05k out of 26.4k 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 Females 65 - 74 and then Females 75+.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Lawrence 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, 11.4% of the children was living in poverty in Lawrence County, SD. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 6.8%.

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.

Security

Crimes & Accidents

Indicator

In 2022, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 176 in Lawrence County, SD. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator grew 63.8 per 100,000 population.

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

Health

91.1% of the population of Lawrence County, SD has health coverage, with 41.4% on employee plans, 7% on Medicaid, 18.4% on Medicare, 20.5% on non-group plans, and 3.88% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Lawrence County, SD see 1,047 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,047 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1512 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 379 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 50.2% were men and 49.8% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,047 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Lawrence County, SD

Primary care physicians in Lawrence County, SD see an average of 1,047 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,047 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 18.4% under 18 years, 20.4% between 18 and 34 years, 36.5% between 35 and 64 years, and 24.7% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 50.2% were men and 49.8% were women.

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

Uninsured People

8.91%

Uninsured

41.4%

Employer Coverage

Medicaid

18.4%

Medicare

20.5%

Non-Group

3.88%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Lawrence County, SD declined by 18.6% from 10.9% to 8.91%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Lawrence 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 69 in Lawrence County, SD.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Lawrence 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 35% in Lawrence County, SD.

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