Aurora County, South Dakota

County in SD, US

By Neilsberg Research

Last updated May 1, 2026

Key Indicators

A quick look at key numbers

Population

2,642

Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates

Median Age

41.7

years ∙ half population younger than 41.7, half older

Diversity Index

24.7%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Nativity

4.7%

foreign-born population

95.3%Native

4.7% Foreign-born

Geographic Context

Location, size, and surroundings

About

Aurora County is a county in South Dakota, United States.

Location

County in SD, US

Co-ordinates

DEC43.724719° N, 98.577587° W

DMS43° 43′ 28.99″ N, 98° 34′ 39.31″ W

Population Density & area

3.73/sq mi (1.44/km²)

Total Area

712.8 sq mi (1,846.1 km²)

Land Area

708.5 sq mi (1,834.9 km²) · 99.39%

Water Area

4.3 sq mi (11.2 km²) · 0.61%

Demographics & Living

Who lives here, how households are formed, and community composition

Population Composition

Key characteristics of the population

Sex Distribution

53.1% male

Male 53.1%

Female 46.9%

males per 100 females

Aurora County 113.2

South Dakota 103.1

United States 98

Nativity

4.7%

foreign-born population

95.3%Native

4.7% Foreign-born

% Foreign-born

Aurora County 4.7%

South Dakota 4%

United States 14.1%

Age Distribution

How the population is spread across age groups

Median Age

41.7

years ∙ half population younger than 41.7, half older

Aurora County

41.7

South Dakota

United States

38.9

Dependency ratio

82.5

dependents per 100 working-age adults

Aurora County 82.5

South Dakota 73

United States 64.4

AGE DISTRIBUTION

Distribution of age group

Median age

	Aurora County	South Dakota	United States
Age Group
Children (Under 18)	25.5%	24.2%	22%
Working age (18-64)	54.8%	57.8%	60.8%
Senior (65+)	19.7%	18%	17.2%
Dependency ratio
Total dependency ratio	82.5	73	64.4
Child dependency ratio	46.5	41.9	36.1
Old-age dependency ratio	35.9	31.1	28.3

Racial & Ethnic Composition

Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares

Race & Ethnicity

White

86.3%

Black

0.6%

Asian

0.2%

Hispanic

Other

5.9%

Note: White, Black, and Asian refer to individuals belonging to a single race and not of Hispanic origin. Hispanics may be of any race.

Diversity Index

24.7%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Aurora County 24.7%

South Dakota 35.3%

United States 61.4%

Note: The Diversity Index (DI), based on the Blau Index, measures the probability that two randomly selected individuals differ in race and ethnicity. Values range from 0 (no diversity) to 1 (high diversity) and are shown as percentages.

RACIAL & ETHNIC COMPOSITION

Race & Ethnicity

Percentage of Aurora County population

Racial and ethnic composition — Aurora County vs South Dakota vs United States. Source: ACS 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates.
	Aurora County	South Dakota	United States
Hispanic or Latino	7%	4.8%	19.3%
Mexican	5.1%	2.6%	11.3%
Puerto Rican	0%	0.4%	1.8%
Cuban	0%	0.1%	0.8%
Other Hispanic / Latino	1.8%	1.7%	5.5%
Not Hispanic or Latino	93%	95.2%	80.7%
One race	87.6%	90.8%	76.4%
White	86.3%	79.8%	57.4%
Black or African American	0.6%	2.1%	11.9%
American Indian and Alaska Native	0.3%	7.1%	0.5%
Asian	0.2%	1.4%	5.9%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander	0%	0%	0.2%
Some Other Race	0.3%	0.3%	0.6%
Two or more races (Multiracial)	5.4%	4.4%	4.3%

Household & Families Composition

Household size, type, and family structure

Household structure

62.7% family

Family 62.7%

Non family 37.3%

% family households

Aurora County 62.7%

South Dakota 61.3%

United States 64.2%

Average household size

2.4

persons per household

Aurora County

2.4

South Dakota

2.39

United States

2.53

Household & Family COMPOSITION

Households

Percentage of Aurora County population

	Aurora County	South Dakota	United States
Total households	1,064	365,544	129,227,496
Average houshold size	2.4	2.39	2.53
Family households	667	224,058	82,990,528
Average family size	3.09	3.05	3.14
Married couple family	546	176,597	60,637,388
Other families	121	47,461	22,353,140
Male householder	31	17,711	6,572,819
Female householder	90	29,750	15,780,321
Non-family households	397	141,486	46,236,968
One-person households	353	116,755	37,140,836
Male householder	197	57,880	16,871,444
Senior (65+) living alone	65	17,403	5,225,110
Female householder	156	58,875	20,269,392
Senior (65+) living alone	113	29,381	10,089,070
Other living arrangements	44	24,731	9,096,132

Housing Profile

Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens

Total housing units

1,261

housing units

Aurora County 1,261

South Dakota 408,584

United States 143,775,355

Occupancy status

84.4% occupied

Occupied 84.4%

Vacant 15.6%

vacancy rate

Aurora County 15.6%

South Dakota 10.5%

United States 10.1%

Housing Characteristics

How the housing supply is structured and used

Types of Housing unit

86.9%

Single family houses

86.9%

Apartments in multi-unit structures

6.2%

Mobile homes

6.9%

Boat, RV, van, etc

0.1%

Median Year Built

1962

Half of houses were built before 1962, and half after.

Historic ∙ 1939 or earlier

35.8%

Postwar & mid-century ∙ 1940 - 1969

22.5%

Late 20th century ∙ 1970 - 1999

21.6%

Modern ∙ 2000 or later

20.2%

Note: Median year built reflects occupied units only; distribution includes all units.

Housing Characteristics

Units, rooms & bedrooms

Physical characteristics of housing units

	Aurora County	South Dakota	United States
Rooms per unit
Median rooms	6.1	5.9	5.5
1–3 rooms	7.2%	13.6%	15.1%
4–6 rooms	51.4%	44.6%	51.6%
7+ rooms	41.4%	41.8%	33.4%
Bedrooms
No bedroom / studio	0.4%	1.9%	2.9%
1 bedroom	8.3%	10.1%	10.9%
2 bedrooms	24.1%	26.4%	25%
3 bedrooms	34.8%	32%	38.7%
4+ bedrooms	32.3%	29.6%	22.4%
At a glance
Median year built	1962	1982	1981
Total housing units	1,261	408,584	143,775,355

Occupancy Profile

Who is inside and how they use it

Homeownership

72.7% owners

Renter-occupied 27.3%

Owner-occupied 72.7%

homeownership rate

Aurora County 72.7%

South Dakota 68.6%

United States 65.2%

Average household size

2.5

Owner-occupied

2.14

Renter-occupied

owner-occupied average size

Aurora County 2.5

South Dakota 2.54

United States 2.64

Housing Characteristics

Occupied unit characteristics

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Aurora County	South Dakota	United States
Total occupied units	1,064	365,544	129,227,496
Year moved in
2020 or later	18.9%	25.4%	24.8%
2010 to 2019	32.3%	39.7%	39.6%
2000 to 2009	21.6%	16.2%	16.4%
1999 or earlier	27.1%	18.7%	19.1%
Occupants per room
1.00 or fewer	99%	97.7%	96.6%
1.01 to 1.50	1%	1.6%	2.2%
1.51 or more	0%	0.7%	1.2%
Vehicles availability
No vehicles	2.6%	5.2%	8.4%
1 vehicle	23.8%	28.4%	33.1%
2 vehicles	31.1%	36.3%	36.6%
3 or more vehicles	42.5%	30.1%	21.9%
House heating fuel used
Gas	43.2%	63.1%	51.4%
Electricity	45.7%	32.4%	41.3%
Solar	0%	0%	0.3%
Fuel oil, kerosene etc	5.5%	1.3%	3.9%
All other fuels	4.7%	2.4%	2%
No fuel used	0.8%	0.8%	1.2%
Selected characteristics
Lacking complete plumbing	0.2%	0.5%	0.4%
Lacking complete kitchen	0.8%	0.9%	0.8%
No telephone service available	3.3%	1.1%	0.9%

Housing Value

What owner-occupied units are worth

Median home value

$151,900

owner-occupied units

Median value(USD)

Aurora County

$151,900

South Dakota

$257,400

United States

$332,700

Housing Cost Burden

21.9%

of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened

% Cost-Burdened Households

Owners with a mortgage

21.9%

Owners without a mortgage

14%

Renters

33.9%

Note: Households spending 30% or more of their income on housing costs are considered cost-burdened.

Financial characteristics

Property value and housing costs

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Aurora County	South Dakota	United States
Property value
Median Value	$151,900	$257,400	$332,700
Under $100,000	36.3%	16.1%	11.4%
$100,000 - $200,000	22.2%	19.5%	15.8%
$200,000 - $300,000	17.7%	24.4%	17.8%
$300,000 - $500,000	13.8%	26%	26.9%
$500,000 - $1,000,000	9.8%	12.1%	20.9%
$1,000,000 and more	0.1%	1.8%	7.1%
Owner-occupied households
With a mortgage	35.5%	54.5%	60.6%
Without a mortgage	64.5%	45.5%	39.4%
Median monthly owner costs
With a mortgage	$1,504	$1,680	$1,963
Without a mortgage	$599	$617	$638
Gross rent
Median rent	$747	$946	$1,413

Education Profile

How educated is the community and how education pays off

Adults with a college degree

21.4%

of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher

Aurora County 21.4%

South Dakota 31.9%

United States 35.7%

Adults without a high school diploma

of adults (25+) without a high school diploma

Aurora County 8%

South Dakota 6.8%

United States 10.4%

School Enrollment

Who is enrolled in school and at what level

School enrollment

559

population (age 3+) enrolled in school

Nursery / Preschool

9.1%

K–12

82.6%

College / Undergraduate

7.3%

Graduate / Professional

0.9%

College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)

16%

of 18-24-year-olds in college or graduate school

Aurora County

16%

South Dakota

35.1%

United States

40.9%

Enrollment & school type

Enrollment levels, college-going rate, and public vs private school split

Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school

	Aurora County	South Dakota	United States
Total enrolled (age 3+)	559	216,085	80,089,790
Nursery / preschool	9.1%	6.1%	5.7%
K–12	82.6%	73%	67.6%
Kindergarten	3.6%	5.6%	5%
Elementary: Grades 1–4	17.9%	22.3%	19.8%
Elementary: Grades 5–8	29.7%	22.8%	21%
High School: Grades 9–12	31.5%	22.3%	21.7%
College or graduate school	8.2%	20.9%	26.7%
College, undergraduate	7.3%	17.1%	21%
Graduate, professional school	0.9%	3.8%	5.8%
College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds	16%	35.1%	40.9%
School type
Public school	96.1%	86.9%	82%
Private school	3.9%	13.1%	18%

Education Attainment by Level & Gender

What is the highest level of education completed among adults

Education attainment

1,749

population 25 years and over

Total adults (25+)

Less than 9th grade

9th-12th, no diploma

HS graduate

35.2%

Some college no degree

19.6%

Associates degree

15.8%

Bachelors degree

17.6%

Graduate or professional degree

3.8%

Attainment by gender

Male vs Female

Adults (25+) · Share within each education level

% male · % female

Less than 9th grade

41.4% · 58.6%

9th-12th, no diploma

42.9% · 57.1%

HS graduate

56.3% · 43.7%

Some college no degree

54.8% · 45.2%

Associates degree

55.1% · 44.9%

Bachelors degree

45.6% · 54.4%

Graduate or professional degree

31.3% · 68.7%

Educational Attainment Overview

Distribution and key education attainment rates for adults (25+)

Highest credential completed · adults 25+

	Aurora County	South Dakota	United States
Population (25+)	1,749	603,746	230,807,303
Less than 9th grade	4%	2.6%	4.7%
9th–12th, no diploma	4%	4.2%	5.7%
High school diploma or GED	35.2%	29%	26%
Some college, no degree	19.6%	19.9%	19.1%
Associate's degree	15.8%	12.3%	8.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	21.4%	31.9%	35.7%
Bachelor's degree	17.6%	21.9%	21.6%
Graduate or professional	3.8%	10%	14.1%
High School or higher	92%	93.2%	89.6%

Earnings by education level

percentage as applicable

Median Earnings

$47,853

Median earnings for adults 25+, by level

Less than HS graduate

$30,208

HS graduate

$36,094

Some college or associates

$48,148

Bachelors degree

$62,361

Graduate or professional degree

$69,464

Poverty Rate

3.5%

for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher

Less than HS graduate

26%

HS graduate

11.6%

Some college or associates

4.1%

Bachelors degree or higher

3.5%

Outcomes by Education Level

Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)

Adults 25+

	Aurora County	South Dakota	United States
Median earnings
Population 25+, with earnings	$47,853	$49,402	$52,696
Less than high school graduate	$30,208	$33,790	$32,485
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	$36,094	$40,544	$40,153
Some college or associate's degree	$48,148	$47,061	$47,260
Bachelor's degree	$62,361	$58,363	$70,044
Graduate or professional degree	$69,464	$72,377	$90,720
Poverty rates
Less than high school graduate	26%	28%	24.2%
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	11.6%	13.2%	14.4%
Some college or associate's degree	4.1%	8.5%	9.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	3.5%	4.2%	4.5%

Insights for Aurora County, by topic

Income By year By race By age By gender

Population By year By race By age By gender

About Neilsberg Research

Neilsberg Research team are data scientists with expertise in processing, analysis and visualization of big data helping small businesses make right decisions.

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