Pennington County, SD

County

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2022 Population

110,386

1.54% 1-year growth

US Senator

John Thune

Republican Party

US Senator

Mike Rounds

Republican Party

US Representative

Dusty Johnson

Republican Party

2022 Median Age

39.6

1.8% 1-year increase

2022 Poverty Rate

12.3%

2.49% 1-year decrease

2022 Median Household Income

$67,823

8.44% 1-year growth

2022 Median Property Value

$247,800

17.5% 1-year growth

2022 Employed Population

54,310

0.678% 1-year growth

About

In 2022, Pennington County, SD had a population of 110k people with a median age of 39.6 and a median household income of $67,823. Between 2021 and 2022 the population of Pennington County, SD grew from 108,707 to 110,386, a 1.54% increase and its median household income grew from $62,546 to $67,823, a 8.44% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Pennington County, SD are White (Non-Hispanic) (78.5%), American Indian & Alaska Native (Non-Hispanic) (6.67%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (6.43%), White (Hispanic) (2.15%), and Two+ (Hispanic) (2.05%).

None of the households in Pennington 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.

99.1% of the residents in Pennington County, SD are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Pennington County, SD are South Dakota School of Mines and Technology (545 degrees awarded in 2022), Western Dakota Technical College (377 degrees), and National American University-Rapid City (332 degrees).

In 2022, the median property value in Pennington County, SD was $247,800, and the homeownership rate was 69.2%.

Most people in Pennington County, SD drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 18.4 minutes. The average car ownership in Pennington County, SD was 2 cars per household.

Pennington County, SD borders Custer County, SD, Haakon County, SD, Jackson County, SD, Lawrence County, SD, Meade County, SD, Oglala Lakota County, SD, and Weston County, WY.

Photo by Jack Flanagan

United States South Dakota Rapid City, SD

Population & Diversity

Pennington County, SD is home to a population of 110k people, from which 99.1% are citizens. As of 2022, 2.22% of Pennington County, SD residents were born outside of the country (2.45k people).

In 2022, there were 11.8 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (86.6k people) in Pennington County, SD than any other race or ethnicity. There were 7.36k American Indian & Alaska Native (Non-Hispanic) and 7.1k Two+ (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

99.1%

2022 Citizenship

98.7%

2021 Citizenship

As of 2022, 99.1% of Pennington County, SD residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.5%. In 2021, the percentage of US citizens in Pennington County, SD was 98.7%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Pennington County, SD

White (Non-Hispanic)
86.6k ± 409
American Indian & Alaska Native (Non-Hispanic)
7.36k ± 543
Two+ (Non-Hispanic)
7.1k ± 721

5.65%

Hispanic Population

6.24k people

5.65% of the people in Pennington County, SD are hispanic (6.24k people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Pennington 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.

Foreign-Born Population

2.22%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

2.45k people

2.52%

2021 Foreign-Born Population

2.74k people

As of 2022, 2.22% of Pennington County, SD residents (2.45k people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.6%. In 2021, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Pennington County, SD was 2.52%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
3,224 ± 308
Gulf War (2001-)
2,955 ± 416
Gulf War (1990s)
1,712 ± 271

Pennington County, SD has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.09 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Pennington County, SD employs 54.3k people. The largest industries in Pennington County, SD are Health Care & Social Assistance (9,409 people), Retail Trade (6,638 people), and Construction (5,040 people), and the highest paying industries are Utilities ($90,268), Public Administration ($64,863), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($54,559).

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

54.3k

2022 Value

± 1,875

0.678%

1 Year growth

± 4.78%

From 2021 to 2022, employment in Pennington County, SD grew at a rate of 0.678%, from 53.9k employees to 54.3k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Pennington County, SD, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (6,428 people), Sales & Related Occupations (5,973 people), and Management Occupations (5,592 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Pennington 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

54.3k

2022 Value

± 1,875

0.678%

1 Year growth

± 4.78%

From 2021 to 2022, employment in Pennington County, SD grew at a rate of 0.678%, from 53.9k employees to 54.3k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Pennington County, SD, are Health Care & Social Assistance (9,409 people), Retail Trade (6,638 people), and Construction (5,040 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Pennington County, SD, though some of these residents may live in Pennington County, SD and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$45,455

Median earning men ± $2,047

$35,274

Median earning women ± $1,193

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2022 are Public Administration ($69,643), Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($64,301), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($54,903).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2022 are Public Administration ($54,167), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($45,880), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($42,177).

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

327
Construction
253
Other Services (except Public Administration)
240
Real Estate and Rental and Leasing

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

$688k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$320k
Retail Trade
$277k
Construction

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

Civics

In the 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in Pennington County, SD went to Donald J. Trump with 61% of the vote. The runner-up was Joseph R Biden Jr. (35.8%), followed by Jo Jorgensen (3.21%).

John Thune and Mike Rounds are the senators currently representing the state of South Dakota. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Pennington County, SD is currently represented by Dusty Johnson in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

2020 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (61%)
Republican Party
Joseph R Biden Jr. (35.8%)
Democratic Party
Jo Jorgensen (3.21%)
Libertarian Party

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Pennington County, SD for each registered party from 1976 to 2020.

Senator Elections

US Senators from South Dakota

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for South Dakota.

John Thune

Senator from South Dakota

Assumed office on January 3, 2005

Mike Rounds

Senator from South Dakota

Assumed office on January 3, 2015

John Thune and Mike Rounds are the senators currently representing South Dakota.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in South Dakota over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

US Representative Elections

US Representatives from Pennington County, SD

Dusty Johnson

South Dakota at-large Representative

Republican Party

Pennington County, SD is currently represented by Dusty Johnson (Republican Party).

Members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms, and the following chart shows the how the member for Pennington County, SD have changed over time starting in 2008.

Education

In 2022, universities in Pennington County, SD awarded 1,380 degrees. The student population of Pennington County, SD in 2022 is skewed towards men, with 3,031 male students and 2,078 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Pennington County, SD are White (990 and 73.9%), followed by Black or African American (106 and 7.91%), Hispanic or Latino (74 and 5.52%), and American Indian or Alaska Native (55 and 4.1%).

The largest universities in Pennington County, SD by number of degrees awarded are South Dakota School of Mines and Technology (545 and 39.5%), Western Dakota Technical College (377 and 27.3%), and National American University-Rapid City (332 and 24.1%).

The most popular majors in Pennington County, SD are General Business Administration & Management (141 and 10.2%), Mechanical Engineering (110 and 7.97%), and General Civil Engineering (76 and 5.51%).

The median tuition cost in Pennington County, SD for a public four year colleges is $7,820 for in-state students and $12,240 for out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2022 in Pennington County, SD, the percentage of applicants admitted was 82.7%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 43%. The number of students enrolled in 2022 was 5,109 (59.3% men and 40.7% 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 2022 there were 5,109 students enrolled in Pennington County, SD, 59.3% men and 40.7% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 3,621 records, of which 38.9% were women and 61.1% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Mechanical Engineering
95 degrees awarded
General Business Administration & Management
58 degrees awarded
General Civil Engineering
48 degrees awarded

In 2022, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Pennington County, SD was Mechanical Engineering with 95 degrees awarded.

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

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

South Dakota School of Mines and Technology
545 degrees awarded
Western Dakota Technical College
377 degrees awarded
National American University-Rapid City
332 degrees awarded

In 2022, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was South Dakota School of Mines and Technology with 545 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2022, 727 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Pennington County, SD, which is 1.11 times more than the 653 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2022 the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 990 degrees mean that there were 9.34 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 106 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 for-profit, 4-year or above ($10,695) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2022.

Public, 2-year ($4,861) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2022.

Public, 2-year ($2,200) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

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

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 Pennington County, SD was $247,800 in 2022, which is 0.879 times smaller than the national average of $281,900. Between 2021 and 2022 the median property value increased from $210,900 to $247,800, a 17.5% increase. The homeownership rate in Pennington County, SD is 69.2%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 64.8%.

People in Pennington County, SD have an average commute time of 18.4 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Pennington County, SD is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Median household income in Pennington County, SD is $67,823. In 2022, the tract with the highest Median Household Income in Pennington County, SD was Census Tract 110.04 with a value of $131,163, followed by Census Tract 110.05 and Census Tract 113, with respective values of $120,000 and $88,980.

In 2023, 11.8% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Pennington County, SD. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 1.51%.

Housing

Property

$247,800

Median Property Value 2022

±$6,165

$31,013

Median Property Taxes

±$1,264

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

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

Rent vs Own

69.2%

Homeownership

2022

64.7%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2022

In 2022, 69.2% of the housing units in Pennington County, SD were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 69.2%.

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

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

Census Tract 110.04
Census Tract 110.05
Census Tract 113

In 2022, the tract with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Pennington County, SD was Census Tract 110.04 with a value of $131,163, followed by Census Tract 110.05 and Census Tract 113, with respective values of $120,000 and $88,980.

The following map shows all of the tracts in Pennington 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.

$67,823

Median Household Income

± $2,223

44.8k

Number of Households

± 1,598

In 2022, the median household income of the 44.8k households in Pennington County, SD grew to $67,823 from the previous year's value of $62,546.

The following chart displays the households in Pennington 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 Pennington 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 2022

Drove Alone (79%)
Carpooled (8.93%)
Worked At Home (8.44%)

In 2022, 79% of workers in Pennington County, SD drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (8.93%) and those who worked at home (8.44%).

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

18.4 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Pennington County, SD have a shorter commute time (18.4 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.7 minutes). Additionally, 1.33% of the workforce in Pennington County, SD have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2023, 11.8% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Pennington County, SD. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 1.51%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

12.3% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Pennington County, SD (13.1k out of 107k 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 55 - 64, followed by Females 25 - 34 and then Females 18 - 24.

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

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, 15.6% of the children was living in poverty in Pennington 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.

Health

88.9% of the population of Pennington County, SD has health coverage, with 44.2% on employee plans, 10.8% on Medicaid, 12.5% on Medicare, 16% on non-group plans, and 5.38% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Pennington County, SD see 913 patients per year on average, which represents a 2.87% decrease from the previous year (940 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1055 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 305 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 50.3% were men and 49.7% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

913 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Pennington County, SD

Primary care physicians in Pennington County, SD see an average of 913 patients per year. This represents a 2.87% decrease from the previous year (940 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2022, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 24.1% under 18 years, 19.8% between 18 and 34 years, 37.1% between 35 and 64 years, and 19.1% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 50.3% were men and 49.7% were women.

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

Uninsured People

11.1%

Uninsured

44.2%

Employer Coverage

10.8%

Medicaid

12.5%

Medicare

16%

Non-Group

5.38%

Military or VA

Between 2021 and 2022, the percent of uninsured citizens in Pennington County, SD declined by 1.5% from 11.3% to 11.1%.

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

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2023, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 63.9 in Pennington County, SD.

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

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2023, 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 33.7% in Pennington County, SD.

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