Potter County, SD

County

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    2024 Population
    2,388
    US Senator
    John Thune
    Republican Party
    US Senator
    Mike Rounds
    Republican Party
    US Representative
    Dusty Johnson
    Republican Party
    2024 Median Age
    49.9
    11.1% 1-year increase
    2024 Poverty Rate
    6.18%
    19.4% 1-year decrease
    2024 Median Household Income
    $72,045
    0.445% 1-year growth
    2024 Median Property Value
    $121,300
    2024 Employed Population
    1,158
    1.61% 1-year decline

    About

    None of the households in Potter 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.

    99.7% of the residents in Potter County, SD are U.S. citizens.

    In 2024, the median property value in Potter County, SD was $121,300, and the homeownership rate was 81.5%.

    Most people in Potter County, SD drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 14.2 minutes. The average car ownership in Potter County, SD was 2 cars per household.

    United StatesSouth Dakota

    Population & Diversity

    Potter County, SD is home to a population of 2.39k people, from which 99.7% are citizens. As of 2024, 1.34% of Potter County, SD residents were born outside of the country (32 people).

    In 2024, there were 37.7 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (2.23k people) in Potter County, SD than any other race or ethnicity. There were 59 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) and 37 Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

    Population & Diversity

    Citizenship

    99.7%
    2024 Citizenship
    100%
    2023 Citizenship

    As of 2024, 99.7% of Potter County, SD residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Potter County, SD was 100%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

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    Diversity

    Race and Ethnicity

    The 3 largest ethnic groups in Potter County, SD
    1. White (Non-Hispanic)
      2.23k ± 116
    2. Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
      59 ± 49
    3. Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
      37 ± 36

    In 2024, there were 37.7 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (2.23k people) in Potter County, SD than any other race or ethnicity. There were 59 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) and 37 Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

    The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Potter County, SD as a share of the total population.

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    Global Diversity

    The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for South Dakota.
    Most Common Origin
    1. Mexico
      3,429 ± 1,435 people
    2. Guatemala
      2,883 ± 1,316 people
    3. Ethiopia
      2,826 ± 1,303 people

    In 2024, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of South Dakota was Mexico, the natal country of 3,429 South Dakota residents, followed by Guatemala with 2,883 and Ethiopia with 2,826.

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    Foreign-Born Population

    1.34%
    2024 Foreign-Born Population
    32 people
    1.03%
    2023 Foreign-Born Population
    25 people

    As of 2024, 1.34% of Potter County, SD residents (32 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 Potter County, SD was 1.03%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

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    Military

    Veterans

    Most Common Service Period
    1. Vietnam
      55 ± 25
    2. Gulf War (2001-)
      10 ± 18
    3. Korea
      10 ± 16

    Potter County, SD has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 5.5 times greater than any other conflict.

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

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    Health

    95.7% of the population of Potter County, SD has health coverage, with 40.7% on employee plans, 5.72% on Medicaid, 25.2% on Medicare, 22.9% on non-group plans, and 1.2% on military or VA plans.

    Primary care physicians in Potter County, SD see 2,475 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (2,475 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 2438 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 2413 patients per year.

    By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.7% were men and 51.3% were women.

    Coverage

    Patient to Clinician Ratios

    2,475 to 1
    Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Potter County, SD

    Primary care physicians in Potter County, SD see an average of 2,475 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (2,475 patients).

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

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    Health Care Diversity

    In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 23.8% under 18 years, 13.4% between 18 and 34 years, 33.9% between 35 and 64 years, and 28.9% over 64 years.

    By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.7% were men and 51.3% were women.

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

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    Uninsured People

    4.26%
    Uninsured
    40.7%
    Employer Coverage
    5.72%
    Medicaid
    25.2%
    Medicare
    22.9%
    Non-Group
    1.2%
    Military or VA

    Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Potter County, SD declined by 44.2% from 7.62% to 4.26%.

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

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    Health Indicators

    Health Outcomes

    Indicator

    In 2025, the average number of mentally unhealthy days reported in past 30 days (age-adjusted) was 4.23 in Potter County, SD.

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

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    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 34.1% in Potter County, SD.

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

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    Clinical Care

    Indicator

    In 2025, the percentage of population under age 65 without health insurance was 8.31% in Potter County, SD.

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

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    Economy

    The economy of Potter County, SD employs 1.16k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Potter County, SD were Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting (310 people), Retail Trade (176 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (139 people), and the highest paying industries were Arts, Entertainment, & Recreation ($65,750), Public Administration ($63,125), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($62,500).

    Employment

    Occupations

    1.16k
    2024 Value
    ± 145
    −1.61%
    1 Year decline
    ± 17.6%

    From 2023 to 2024, employment in Potter County, SD declined at a rate of −1.61%, from 1.18k employees to 1.16k employees.

    The most common job groups, by number of people living in Potter County, SD, are Management Occupations (219 people), Sales & Related Occupations (147 people), and Farming, Fishing, & Forestry Occupations (120 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Potter County, SD.

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    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.

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    Industries

    Employment by Industries

    1.16k
    2024 Value
    ± 145
    −1.61%
    1 Year decline
    ± 17.6%

    From 2023 to 2024, employment in Potter County, SD declined at a rate of −1.61%, from 1.18k employees to 1.16k employees.

    The most common employment sectors for those who live in Potter County, SD, are Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting (310 people), Retail Trade (176 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (139 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Potter County, SD, though some of these residents may live in Potter County, SD and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

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    Median Earnings by Industry

    $53,603
    Median earning men ± $10,476
    $36,528
    Median earning women ± $11,958

    The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($121,250), Public Administration ($66,250), and Arts, Entertainment, & Recreation, & Accommodations & Food Services ($65,550).

    The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Public Administration ($59,500), Wholesale Trade ($58,281), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($42,917).

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    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.

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    Establishments by Size

    The industries with the most establishments
    1. 11
      Construction
    2. 10
      Other Services (except Public Administration)
    3. 9
      Health Care and Social Assistance

    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.

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    Payroll by Industry Sector

    The industries with the highest total annual payroll
    1. $7.27k
      Wholesale Trade
    2. $5.49k
      Health Care and Social Assistance
    3. $3.09k
      Retail Trade

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

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    Civics

    In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in South Dakota went to Donald J. Trump with 63.4% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (34.2%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.68%).

    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.

    Potter 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

    Voting results are not available for Potter County, SD. Showing the available data for South Dakota.
    2024 Election Results
    1. Donald J. Trump (63.4%)
      Republican Party
    2. Kamala Harris (34.2%)
      Democratic Party
    3. Robert Kennedy (1.68%)
      Independent Party

    In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in South Dakota went to Donald J. Trump with 63.4% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (34.2%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.68%).

    The following chart shows the popular vote results in South Dakota for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

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    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 Dakota3
    Assumed office on January 3, 2005
    Mike Rounds
    Senator from South Dakota2
    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.

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    US Representative Elections

    US Representatives from Potter County, SD

    Dusty Johnson
    District at-large Representative
    Republican Party

    Potter 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 Potter County, SD have changed over time starting in 2008.

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    Housing & Living

    People in Potter County, SD have an average commute time of 14.2 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Potter County, SD is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

    In 2025, 5.16% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Potter County, SD. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 3.14%.

    Housing

    Property

    $121,300
    Median Property Value 2024
    ±$23,890
    $869
    Median Property Taxes
    ±$105

    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 Potter County, SD the largest share of households pay taxes in the $800 - $1,499 range.

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

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    Rent vs Own

    81.5%
    Homeownership
    2024
    57.1%
    Homeowners with Mortgage
    2024

    In 2024, 81.5% of the housing units in Potter County, SD were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 78.8%.

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

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    Equity

    Household Income

    Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.
    $72,045
    Median Household Income
    ± $16,190
    1.07k
    Number of Households
    ± 119

    In 2024, the median household income of the 1.07k households in Potter County, SD grew to $72,045 from the previous year's value of $71,726.

    The following chart displays the households in Potter 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.

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    Wage Distribution

    The closest comparable wage GINI for Potter County, SD is from South Dakota.
    0.44
    2024 Wage GINI in South Dakota
    0.443
    2023 Wage GINI in South Dakota

    In 2024, the income inequality in South Dakota was 0.44 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.642% decline from 2023 to 2024, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for South Dakota was lower than than the national average of 0.474. 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.

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    Transportation

    Commuter Transportation

    Most Common Commute in 2024
    1. Drove Alone (77.1%)
    2. Carpooled (11.2%)
    3. Worked At Home (6%)

    In 2024, 77.1% of workers in Potter County, SD drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (11.2%) and those who worked at home (6%).

    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.

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    Commute Time

    14.2 minutes
    Average Travel Time

    Using averages, employees in Potter County, SD have a shorter commute time (14.2 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 0.844% of the workforce in Potter County, SD have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

    The chart below shows how the median household income in Potter County, SD compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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    Car Ownership

    2 cars
    Average Number

    The following chart displays the households in Potter County, SD distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Potter County, SD have 2 cars.

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    Poverty

    Severe Housing Problems

    In 2025, 5.16% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Potter County, SD. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 3.14%.

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

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    Poverty & Diversity

    6.18% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Potter County, SD (143 out of 2.32k 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 75+, followed by Females 55 - 64 and then Males 65 - 74.

    The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Potter County, SD is White, followed by Native American 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.

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    Children in Poverty

    In 2025, 11% of the children was living in poverty in Potter County, SD. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 3.7%.

    The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children living in poverty.

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    Security

    Crimes & Accidents

    Indicator

    In 2018, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 55.7 in Potter County, SD. From 2014 to 2018, the indicator grew 11.3% per 100,000 population.

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

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