Oglala Lakota County, SD

County

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2024 Population

13,491

US Senator

John Thune

Republican Party

US Senator

Mike Rounds

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

28.2

4.44% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

57.6%

9.05% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$41,417

19.1% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$52,900

16% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

2,593

16.4% 1-year decline

About

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

The largest universities in Oglala Lakota County, SD are Oglala Lakota College (162 degrees awarded in 2023).

In 2024, the median property value in Oglala Lakota County, SD was $52,900, and the homeownership rate was 51.5%.

Most people in Oglala Lakota County, SD drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 13.5 minutes. The average car ownership in Oglala Lakota County, SD was 2 cars per household.

Oglala Lakota County, SD borders Cherry County, NE, Dawes County, NE, Sheridan County, NE, Bennett County, SD, Custer County, SD, Fall River County, SD, Jackson County, SD, and Pennington County, SD.

United States South Dakota

Population & Diversity

Oglala Lakota County, SD is home to a population of 13.5k people, from which 100% are citizens. As of 2024, 0.163% of Oglala Lakota County, SD residents were born outside of the country (22 people).

In 2024, there were 12.9 times more American Indian & Alaska Native (Non-Hispanic) residents (12.2k people) in Oglala Lakota County, SD than any other race or ethnicity. There were 950 White (Non-Hispanic) and 104 Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

100%

2024 Citizenship

100%

2023 Citizenship

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

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Oglala Lakota County, SD

American Indian & Alaska Native (Non-Hispanic)
12.2k ± 179
White (Non-Hispanic)
950 ± 3
Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
104 ± 140

1.92%

Hispanic Population

259 people

1.92% of the people in Oglala Lakota County, SD are hispanic (259 people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Oglala Lakota 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

0.163%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

22 people

0.162%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

22 people

As of 2024, 0.163% of Oglala Lakota County, SD residents (22 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 Oglala Lakota County, SD was 0.162%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Gulf War (2001-)
62 ± 97
Vietnam
55 ± 77
Korea
32 ± 44

Oglala Lakota County, SD has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (2001-), 1.13 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Economy

The economy of Oglala Lakota County, SD employs 2.59k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Oglala Lakota County, SD were Educational Services (820 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (536 people), and Public Administration (365 people), and the highest paying industries were Educational Services ($55,948), Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($53,174), and Health Care & Social Assistance ($50,938).

Employment

Occupations

2.59k

2024 Value

± 497

−16.4%

1 Year decline

± 29%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Oglala Lakota County, SD declined at a rate of −16.4%, from 3.1k employees to 2.59k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Oglala Lakota County, SD, are Education Instruction, & Library Occupations (500 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (356 people), and Building & Grounds Cleaning & Maintenance Occupations (209 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Oglala Lakota 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

2.59k

2024 Value

± 497

−16.4%

1 Year decline

± 29%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Oglala Lakota County, SD declined at a rate of −16.4%, from 3.1k employees to 2.59k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Oglala Lakota County, SD, are Educational Services (820 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (536 people), and Public Administration (365 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Oglala Lakota County, SD, though some of these residents may live in Oglala Lakota County, SD and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$32,921

Median earning men ± $10,999

$43,933

Median earning women ± $13,224

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($152,742), Construction ($43,333), and Retail Trade ($41,927).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($59,167), Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($35,593), and Public Administration ($16,000).

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

5
Other Services (except Public Administration)
4
Other Services (except Public Administration)
4
Accommodation and Food 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

$41.2k
Educational Services
$14.7k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$7.76k
Accommodation and Food Services

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

Education

In 2023, universities in Oglala Lakota County, SD awarded 162 degrees. The student population of Oglala Lakota County, SD in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 344 male students and 885 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Oglala Lakota County, SD are American Indian or Alaska Native (159 and 98.1%), White (2 and 1.23%), and Hispanic or Latino (1 and 0.617%).

The largest universities in Oglala Lakota County, SD by number of degrees awarded are Oglala Lakota College (162 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Oglala Lakota County, SD are Native American Studies (47 and 29%), General Business Administration & Management (25 and 15.4%), and Tribal/Indigenous Law (16 and 9.88%).

The median tuition cost in Oglala Lakota County, SD for a public four year colleges is $2,016 for in-state students and $2,016 for out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2023 there were 1,229 students enrolled in Oglala Lakota County, SD, 28% men and 72% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in American Indian or Alaska Native with 1,182 records, of which 72.6% were women and 27.4% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Native American Studies
27 degrees awarded
Tribal/Indigenous Law
16 degrees awarded
General Business Administration & Management
15 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Associates Degree recipients in Oglala Lakota County, SD was Native American Studies with 27 degrees awarded.

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

Universities

Gender

Race

Oglala Lakota College

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

162 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Oglala Lakota College with 162 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

In 2023, 54 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Oglala Lakota County, SD, which is 0.5 times less than the 108 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was American Indian or Alaska Native students. These 159 degrees mean that there were 79.5 times more degrees awarded to American Indian or Alaska Native students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, White, with 2 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

Public, 4-year or above ($2,016) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($668) 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 Oglala Lakota County, SD was $52,900 in 2024, which is 0.159 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $45,600 to $52,900, a 16% increase. The homeownership rate in Oglala Lakota County, SD is 51.5%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Oglala Lakota County, SD have an average commute time of 13.5 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Oglala Lakota County, SD is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 50.9% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Oglala Lakota County, SD. From 2018 to 2025, the indicator grew 4.62%.

Housing

Property

$52,900

Median Property Value 2024

±$7,539

$1,504

Median Property Taxes

±$278

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

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

Rent vs Own

51.5%

Homeownership

2024

72.3%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 51.5% of the housing units in Oglala Lakota County, SD were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 53.5%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Oglala Lakota 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.

$41,417

Median Household Income

± $14,548

2.92k

Number of Households

± 478

In 2024, the median household income of the 2.92k households in Oglala Lakota County, SD grew to $41,417 from the previous year's value of $34,769.

The following chart displays the households in Oglala Lakota 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 Oglala Lakota 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 (72%)
Carpooled (14.5%)
Walked (5.87%)

In 2024, 72% of workers in Oglala Lakota County, SD drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (14.5%) and those who walked to work (5.87%).

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

13.5 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Oglala Lakota County, SD have a shorter commute time (13.5 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 0% of the workforce in Oglala Lakota County, SD have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 50.9% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Oglala Lakota County, SD. From 2018 to 2025, the indicator grew 4.62%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

57.6% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Oglala Lakota County, SD (7.58k out of 13.2k 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 Males 6 - 11, followed by Females 25 - 34 and then Males 25 - 34.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Oglala Lakota County, SD is Native American, followed by White 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, 40.7% of the children was living in poverty in Oglala Lakota County, SD. From 2018 to 2025, the indicator declined 3.2%.

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

55.4% of the population of Oglala Lakota County, SD has health coverage, with 12.2% on employee plans, 34.8% on Medicaid, 5.5% on Medicare, 1.32% on non-group plans, and 1.55% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Oglala Lakota County, SD see 2,717 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (2,717 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 4506 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 840 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 47.3% were men and 52.7% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

2,717 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Oglala Lakota County, SD

Primary care physicians in Oglala Lakota County, SD see an average of 2,717 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (2,717 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 37.3% under 18 years, 24.5% between 18 and 34 years, 30.7% between 35 and 64 years, and 7.53% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 47.3% were men and 52.7% were women.

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

Uninsured People

44.6%

Uninsured

12.2%

Employer Coverage

34.8%

Medicaid

5.5%

Medicare

1.32%

Non-Group

1.55%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Oglala Lakota County, SD grew by 2.42% from 43.5% to 44.6%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Oglala Lakota 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 208 in Oglala Lakota County, SD.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Oglala Lakota 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 43.9% in Oglala Lakota County, SD.

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