Minnehaha County, SD

County

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2024 Population

203,289

US Senator

John Thune

Republican Party

US Senator

Mike Rounds

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

0.84% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

8.82%

0.213% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$76,880

1.06% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$287,600

7.88% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

113,220

0.854% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Minnehaha 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.

95.9% of the residents in Minnehaha County, SD are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Minnehaha County, SD are Southeast Technical College (924 degrees awarded in 2023), Augustana University (721 degrees), and University of Sioux Falls (492 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Minnehaha County, SD was $287,600, and the homeownership rate was 63.1%.

Most people in Minnehaha County, SD drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 17.8 minutes. The average car ownership in Minnehaha County, SD was 2 cars per household.

Minnehaha County, SD borders Lake County, SD, Lyon County, IA, Pipestone County, MN, Rock County, MN, Lincoln County, SD, McCook County, SD, Moody County, SD, and Turner County, SD.

United States South Dakota Sioux Falls, SD

Population & Diversity

Minnehaha County, SD is home to a population of 203k people, from which 95.9% are citizens. As of 2024, 7.41% of Minnehaha County, SD residents were born outside of the country (15.1k people).

In 2024, there were 12.6 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (160k people) in Minnehaha County, SD than any other race or ethnicity. There were 12.7k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 8.13k Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

95.9%

2024 Citizenship

95.9%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 95.9% of Minnehaha County, SD residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Minnehaha County, SD was 95.9%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Minnehaha County, SD

White (Non-Hispanic)
160k ± 721
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
12.7k ± 662
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
8.13k ± 916

6.62%

Hispanic Population

13.5k people

6.62% of the people in Minnehaha County, SD are hispanic (13.5k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Minnehaha 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

7.41%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

15.1k people

7.78%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

15.6k people

As of 2024, 7.41% of Minnehaha County, SD residents (15.1k 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 Minnehaha County, SD was 7.78%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
3,246 ± 417
Gulf War (2001-)
2,882 ± 492
Gulf War (1990s)
1,333 ± 273

Minnehaha County, SD has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.13 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Economy

The economy of Minnehaha County, SD employs 113k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Minnehaha County, SD were Health Care & Social Assistance (19,174 people), Retail Trade (13,956 people), and Manufacturing (12,283 people), and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($87,241), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($75,329), and Management of Companies & Enterprises ($74,688).

Employment

Occupations

113k

2024 Value

± 2,719

0.854%

1 Year growth

± 3.38%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Minnehaha County, SD grew at a rate of 0.854%, from 112k employees to 113k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Minnehaha County, SD, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (12,595 people), Management Occupations (12,475 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (10,467 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Minnehaha 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

113k

2024 Value

± 2,719

0.854%

1 Year growth

± 3.38%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Minnehaha County, SD grew at a rate of 0.854%, from 112k employees to 113k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Minnehaha County, SD, are Health Care & Social Assistance (19,174 people), Retail Trade (13,956 people), and Manufacturing (12,283 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Minnehaha County, SD, though some of these residents may live in Minnehaha County, SD and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$55,470

Median earning men ± $1,514

$43,702

Median earning women ± $1,256

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Information ($77,519), Public Administration ($74,290), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($70,579).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Public Administration ($55,566), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($54,236), and Information ($52,200).

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

469
Construction
394
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
320
Other Services (except Public Administration)

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

$2.05M
Health Care and Social Assistance
$813k
Finance and Insurance
$775k
Manufacturing

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

Education

In 2023, universities in Minnehaha County, SD awarded 2,521 degrees. The student population of Minnehaha County, SD in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 3,513 male students and 4,396 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Minnehaha County, SD are White (1,963 and 79.8%), Black or African American (136 and 5.53%), Hispanic or Latino (122 and 4.96%), and Unknown (119 and 4.84%).

The largest universities in Minnehaha County, SD by number of degrees awarded are Southeast Technical College (924 and 36.7%), Augustana University (721 and 28.6%), and University of Sioux Falls (492 and 19.5%).

The most popular majors in Minnehaha County, SD are General Business Administration & Management (214 and 8.49%), Registered Nursing (177 and 7.02%), and Licensed Practical & Vocational Nurse Training (110 and 4.36%).

The median tuition cost in Minnehaha County, SD for private four year colleges is $20,340.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2023 in Minnehaha County, SD, the percentage of applicants admitted was 69%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 19.1%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 7,909 (44.4% men and 55.6% 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 7,909 students enrolled in Minnehaha County, SD, 44.4% men and 55.6% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 5,813 records, of which 57.1% were women and 42.9% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

General Biological Sciences
67 degrees awarded
Registered Nursing
128 degrees awarded
General Business Administration & Management
87 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Minnehaha County, SD was General Biological Sciences with 67 degrees awarded.

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

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

Southeast Technical College
924 degrees awarded
Augustana University
721 degrees awarded
University of Sioux Falls
492 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Southeast Technical College with 924 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 1,025 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Minnehaha County, SD, which is 0.685 times less than the 1,496 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 1,963 degrees mean that there were 14.4 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 136 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

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($20,340) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($3,930) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($2,400) 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 Minnehaha County, SD was $287,600 in 2024, which is 0.864 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $266,600 to $287,600, a 7.88% increase. The homeownership rate in Minnehaha County, SD is 63.1%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Minnehaha County, SD have an average commute time of 17.8 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Minnehaha County, SD is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 11.2% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Minnehaha County, SD. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 0.94%.

Housing

Property

$287,600

Median Property Value 2024

±$5,329

$53,507

Median Property Taxes

±$1,510

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

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

Rent vs Own

63.1%

Homeownership

2024

68.9%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 63.1% of the housing units in Minnehaha County, SD were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 63.5%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Minnehaha 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.

$76,880

Median Household Income

± $2,510

84.8k

Number of Households

± 2,268

In 2024, the median household income of the 84.8k households in Minnehaha County, SD grew to $76,880 from the previous year's value of $76,074.

The following chart displays the households in Minnehaha 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 Minnehaha 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 (77.2%)
Worked At Home (11.1%)
Carpooled (7.79%)

In 2024, 77.2% of workers in Minnehaha County, SD drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (11.1%) and those who carpooled to work (7.79%).

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

17.8 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Minnehaha County, SD have a shorter commute time (17.8 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.23% of the workforce in Minnehaha County, SD have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 11.2% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Minnehaha County, SD. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 0.94%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

8.82% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Minnehaha County, SD (17.5k out of 198k 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 25 - 34, followed by Females 18 - 24 and then Males < 5.

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

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, 10.3% of the children was living in poverty in Minnehaha County, SD. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 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 403 in Minnehaha County, SD. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator grew 151 per 100,000 population.

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

Health

91.8% of the population of Minnehaha County, SD has health coverage, with 58.4% on employee plans, 9.15% on Medicaid, 10.4% on Medicare, 12% on non-group plans, and 1.85% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Minnehaha County, SD see 979 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (979 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1774 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 396 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 50.6% were men and 49.4% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

979 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Minnehaha County, SD

Primary care physicians in Minnehaha County, SD see an average of 979 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (979 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 26.7% under 18 years, 22% between 18 and 34 years, 37.6% between 35 and 64 years, and 13.6% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 50.6% were men and 49.4% were women.

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

Uninsured People

8.18%

Uninsured

58.4%

Employer Coverage

9.15%

Medicaid

10.4%

Medicare

12%

Non-Group

1.85%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Minnehaha County, SD grew by 1.46% from 8.06% to 8.18%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Minnehaha 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 63.1 in Minnehaha County, SD.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Minnehaha 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 33.9% in Minnehaha County, SD.

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