South Dakota's estimated population is 908,414, the fifth-smallest/46th-largest in the country, making up roughly 0.27% of the total U.S. population.
Regarding land area, South Dakota ranks as the 17th-largest state in the U.S., with a total area of 77,116 square miles (mi²). This gives the "Coyote State" a population density of 12 people per square mile—one-eighth of the national density of 96 people/mi²—which ties North Dakota to the fourth-lowest population density of any state.
The largest city in South Dakota is Sioux Falls, with a population of 204,106, followed by Rapid City (76,728) and Aberdeen (29,215). The state capital, Pierre, has the ninth-largest population in the state at 14,223 people and is one of the smallest state capitals in the U.S. South Dakota has the 4th-highest percentage of Native American residents of any state in the U.S. Approximately 10% of the residents of South Dakota are Native American. Conversely, South Dakota has the smallest Jewish population of any state in the U.S., with an estimated 250 Jews across the entire state.
South Dakota is the location of one of the United States' most iconic (and most parodied) tourist attractions: Mount Rushmore. Sculpted from 1927 to 1941, the monument bears the faces of Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt, who represent the country's birth, growth, preservation, and development.
South Dakota entered the Union in November 1889, one of four states admitted in the first part of that month, the busiest period of new-statehood creation in U.S. history. South Dakota is reliably Republican in presidential elections – only voting Democratic four times, most recently in 1964 when Lyndon Johnson won a landslide victory over Barry Goldwater. South Dakota is one of six states with the minimum three electoral votes. In 2020, Donald Trump defeated Joe Biden by a margin of 26 points.
South Dakota Population 2024
928,767
The current population of South Dakota is estimated at 858,469, an increase from the 2010 Census. The state enjoys a growth rate of 1.17%, which ranks 11th in the country.
Situated in the northern Midwest, the U.S. state of South Dakota is the 17th largest in the Union, but has a relatively sparse population by comparison. Like its near neighbor, North Dakota, the state's geographical features do not lend themselves to mass urban settlements, and a lack of choice regarding employment has seen an exodus to other parts of the country..
Minnesota and Pennington are the two most populated counties in the state, with populations of 188,616 and 110,141.
According to a 2022 study from the U.S. Census Bureau, this state's local governments consist of 66 counties, 1,207 cities, towns, and villages, and 487 special districts.
The median age across the South Dakota population is approximately 36.8. The ratio of females to males in the state is 49.7% female, while males make up the remaining 50.3%.
Regarding religious preferences among the residents of South Dakota, the numbers are currently at 79% Christian-based faith affiliations, 3% non-Christian-based faith affiliations, and 18% of residents unaffiliated with any religion.
According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of South Dakota was:
White: 82.62%
Native American: 8.31%
Two or more races: 4.37%
Black or African American: 2.19%
Asian: 1.44%
Other race: 0.99%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: 0.09%
Muslims are under 5,000.
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