Mellette County, SD

County

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2023 Population

2,043

2.71% 1-year growth

US Senator

John Thune

Republican Party

US Senator

Mike Rounds

Republican Party

2023 Median Age

14.6% 1-year decrease

2023 Poverty Rate

46.2%

5.98% 1-year decrease

2023 Median Household Income

$51,364

24.1% 1-year growth

2023 Median Property Value

$63,000

3.79% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

663

12.9% 1-year growth

About

In 2023, Mellette County, SD had a population of 2.04k people with a median age of 31 and a median household income of $51,364. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Mellette County, SD grew from 1,989 to 2,043, a 2.71% increase and its median household income grew from $41,397 to $51,364, a 24.1% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Mellette County, SD are American Indian & Alaska Native (Non-Hispanic) (61.7%), White (Non-Hispanic) (31.6%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (5.53%), American Indian & Alaska Native (Hispanic) (0.343%), and Native Hawaiian & Other Pacific Islander (Non-Hispanic) (0.294%).

None of the households in Mellette 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 Mellette County, SD are U.S. citizens.

In 2023, the median property value in Mellette County, SD was $63,000, and the homeownership rate was 59.9%.

Most people in Mellette County, SD drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 15.8 minutes. The average car ownership in Mellette County, SD was 3 cars per household.

Mellette County, SD borders Bennett County, SD, Jackson County, SD, Jones County, SD, Lyman County, SD, Todd County, SD, and Tripp County, SD.

United States South Dakota

Population & Diversity

Mellette County, SD is home to a population of 2.04k people, from which 100% are citizens. As of 2023, 0% of Mellette County, SD residents were born outside of the country (0 people).

In 2023, there were 1.96 times more American Indian & Alaska Native (Non-Hispanic) residents (1.26k people) in Mellette County, SD than any other race or ethnicity. There were 645 White (Non-Hispanic) and 113 Two+ (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

100%

2023 Citizenship

100%

2022 Citizenship

As of 2023, 100% of Mellette County, SD residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2022, the percentage of US citizens in Mellette County, SD was 100%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been maintaining.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Mellette County, SD

American Indian & Alaska Native (Non-Hispanic)
1.26k ± 226
White (Non-Hispanic)
645 ± 70
Two+ (Non-Hispanic)
113 ± 83.2

0.343%

Hispanic Population

7 people

0.343% of the people in Mellette County, SD are hispanic (7 people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Mellette 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
3,032 ± 1,350 people
Guatemala
2,803 ± 1,298 people
Ethiopia
2,418 ± 1,206 people

In 2022, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of South Dakota was Mexico, the natal country of 3,032 South Dakota residents, followed by Guatemala with 2,803 and Ethiopia with 2,418.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
47 ± 32
Gulf War (2001-)
13 ± 16
Gulf War (1990s)
11 ± 16

Mellette County, SD has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 3.62 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Mellette County, SD employs 663 people. The largest industries in Mellette County, SD are Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting (147 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (145 people), and Accommodation & Food Services (113 people), and the highest paying industries are Educational Services ($47,344), Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($45,688), and Construction ($41,375).

Males in South Dakota have an average income that is 1.29 times higher than the average income of females, which is $52,552. The income inequality in South Dakota (measured using the Gini index) is 0.438, which is lower than than the national average.

Employment

Occupations

663

2023 Value

± 127

12.9%

1 Year growth

± 24.5%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Mellette County, SD grew at a rate of 12.9%, from 587 employees to 663 employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Mellette County, SD, are Management Occupations (137 people), Education Instruction, & Library Occupations (67 people), and Food Preparation & Serving Related Occupations (64 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Mellette County, SD.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for false.

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.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

663

2023 Value

± 127

12.9%

1 Year growth

± 24.5%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Mellette County, SD grew at a rate of 12.9%, from 587 employees to 663 employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Mellette County, SD, are Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting (147 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (145 people), and Accommodation & Food Services (113 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Mellette County, SD, though some of these residents may live in Mellette County, SD and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$38,083

Median earning men ± $4,790

$28,304

Median earning women ± $9,000

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Construction ($95,167), Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($60,417), and Arts, Entertainment, & Recreation, & Accommodations & Food Services ($38,125).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Public Administration ($40,313), Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($37,813), and Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($25,750).

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

3
Accommodation and Food Services
3
Construction

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

Depending on the option selected, the visualization shows the number of employees or number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$859
Retail Trade
$313
Accommodation and Food Services
$174
Finance and Insurance

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

Education

Completions

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.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for South Dakota.

Measure

In 2022, 0.574% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.482% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for South Dakota.

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2022 were High School or Equivalent (206k), Some college (148k), and Bachelors Degree (133k).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Mellette County, SD was $63,000 in 2023, which is 0.208 times smaller than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $60,700 to $63,000, a 3.79% increase. The homeownership rate in Mellette County, SD is 59.9%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 65%.

People in Mellette County, SD have an average commute time of 15.8 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Mellette County, SD is higher than the national average, with an average of 3 cars per household.

In 2023, 23.5% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Mellette County, SD. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator grew 7.18%.

Housing

Property

$63,000

Median Property Value 2023

±$30,081

$369

Median Property Taxes

±$74

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

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

Rent vs Own

59.9%

Homeownership

2023

63.7%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2023

In 2023, 59.9% of the housing units in Mellette County, SD were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 56.5%.

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

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Census Tract 9403

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

The following map shows all of the tracts in Mellette County, SD colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

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

$51,364

Median Household Income

± $7,729

616

Number of Households

± 97

In 2023, the median household income of the 616 households in Mellette County, SD grew to $51,364 from the previous year's value of $41,397.

The following chart displays the households in Mellette 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 Mellette County, SD is from South Dakota.

0.438

2022 Wage GINI in South Dakota

0.439

2021 Wage GINI in South Dakota

In 2022, the income inequality in South Dakota was 0.438 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.26% decline from 2021 to 2022, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for South Dakota was lower than than the national average of 0.478. 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 2023

Drove Alone (66.5%)
Carpooled (20.4%)
Worked At Home (5.95%)

In 2023, 66.5% of workers in Mellette County, SD drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (20.4%) and those who worked at home (5.95%).

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

15.8 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Mellette County, SD have a shorter commute time (15.8 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 0.486% of the workforce in Mellette County, SD have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Mellette 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 Mellette County, SD distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Mellette County, SD have 3 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2023, 23.5% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Mellette County, SD. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator grew 7.18%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

46.2% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Mellette County, SD (898 out of 1.94k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.4%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 6 - 11, followed by Females 45 - 54 and then Males 18 - 24.

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

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 2023, 40.2% of the children was living in poverty in Mellette County, SD. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 4.7%.

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 191 in Mellette County, SD. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator declined 173 per 100,000 population.

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

Health

71.8% of the population of Mellette County, SD has health coverage, with 15.2% on employee plans, 40% on Medicaid, 9.11% on Medicare, 4.76% on non-group plans, and 2.75% on military or VA plans.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 47.2% were men and 52.8% were women.

Coverage

Health Care Diversity

In 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 33% under 18 years, 19% between 18 and 34 years, 33.8% between 35 and 64 years, and 14.2% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 47.2% were men and 52.8% were women.

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

Uninsured People

28.2%

Uninsured

15.2%

Employer Coverage

40%

Medicaid

9.11%

Medicare

4.76%

Non-Group

2.75%

Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in Mellette County, SD declined by 2.48% from 28.9% to 28.2%.

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