Jackson County, South Dakota

County in SD, US

By Neilsberg Research

Last updated May 1, 2026

Key Indicators

A quick look at key numbers

Population

2,802

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

Median Age

34.3

years ∙ half population younger than 34.3, half older

Diversity Index

49.1%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Nativity

foreign-born population

100%Native

0% Foreign-born

Geographic Context

Location, size, and surroundings

About

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

Location

County in SD, US

Co-ordinates

DEC43.677506° N, 101.626323° W

DMS43° 40′ 39.02″ N, 101° 37′ 34.76″ W

Population Density & area

1.5/sq mi (0.581/km²)

Total Area

1,871 sq mi (4,846 km²)

Land Area

1,864 sq mi (4,827 km²) · 99.61%

Water Area

7 sq mi (19 km²) · 0.39%

Demographics & Living

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

Population Composition

Key characteristics of the population

Sex Distribution

48.9% male

Male 48.9%

Female 51.1%

males per 100 females

Jackson County 95.8

South Dakota 103.1

United States 98

Nativity

foreign-born population

100%Native

0% Foreign-born

% Foreign-born

Jackson County 0%

South Dakota 4%

United States 14.1%

Age Distribution

How the population is spread across age groups

Median Age

34.3

years ∙ half population younger than 34.3, half older

Jackson County

34.3

South Dakota

United States

38.9

Dependency ratio

dependents per 100 working-age adults

Jackson County 83

South Dakota 73

United States 64.4

AGE DISTRIBUTION

Distribution of age group

Median age

	Jackson County	South Dakota	United States
Age Group
Children (Under 18)	32.9%	24.2%	22%
Working age (18-64)	54.7%	57.8%	60.8%
Senior (65+)	12.4%	18%	17.2%
Dependency ratio
Total dependency ratio	83	73	64.4
Child dependency ratio	60.3	41.9	36.1
Old-age dependency ratio	22.7	31.1	28.3

Racial & Ethnic Composition

Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares

Race & Ethnicity

White

36.6%

Black

Asian

Hispanic

0.4%

Other

63%

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

49.1%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Jackson County 49.1%

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 Jackson County population

Racial and ethnic composition — Jackson County vs South Dakota vs United States. Source: ACS 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates.
	Jackson County	South Dakota	United States
Hispanic or Latino	0.4%	4.8%	19.3%
Mexican	0%	2.6%	11.3%
Puerto Rican	0%	0.4%	1.8%
Cuban	0%	0.1%	0.8%
Other Hispanic / Latino	0.4%	1.7%	5.5%
Not Hispanic or Latino	99.6%	95.2%	80.7%
One race	97.9%	90.8%	76.4%
White	36.6%	79.8%	57.4%
Black or African American	0%	2.1%	11.9%
American Indian and Alaska Native	61.2%	7.1%	0.5%
Asian	0%	1.4%	5.9%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander	0%	0%	0.2%
Some Other Race	0%	0.3%	0.6%
Two or more races (Multiracial)	1.7%	4.4%	4.3%

Household & Families Composition

Household size, type, and family structure

Household structure

72.4% family

Family 72.4%

Non family 27.6%

% family households

Jackson County 72.4%

South Dakota 61.3%

United States 64.2%

Average household size

3.33

persons per household

Jackson County

3.33

South Dakota

2.39

United States

2.53

Household & Family COMPOSITION

Households

Percentage of Jackson County population

	Jackson County	South Dakota	United States
Total households	830	365,544	129,227,496
Average houshold size	3.33	2.39	2.53
Family households	601	224,058	82,990,528
Average family size	3.96	3.05	3.14
Married couple family	356	176,597	60,637,388
Other families	245	47,461	22,353,140
Male householder	96	17,711	6,572,819
Female householder	149	29,750	15,780,321
Non-family households	229	141,486	46,236,968
One-person households	207	116,755	37,140,836
Male householder	115	57,880	16,871,444
Senior (65+) living alone	38	17,403	5,225,110
Female householder	92	58,875	20,269,392
Senior (65+) living alone	51	29,381	10,089,070
Other living arrangements	22	24,731	9,096,132

Housing Profile

Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens

Total housing units

1,086

housing units

Jackson County 1,086

South Dakota 408,584

United States 143,775,355

Occupancy status

76.4% occupied

Occupied 76.4%

Vacant 23.6%

vacancy rate

Jackson County 23.6%

South Dakota 10.5%

United States 10.1%

Housing Characteristics

How the housing supply is structured and used

Types of Housing unit

73%

Single family houses

73%

Apartments in multi-unit structures

7.1%

Mobile homes

19.6%

Boat, RV, van, etc

0.2%

Median Year Built

1982

Half of houses were built before 1982, and half after.

Historic ∙ 1939 or earlier

10.4%

Postwar & mid-century ∙ 1940 - 1969

16.3%

Late 20th century ∙ 1970 - 1999

47.8%

Modern ∙ 2000 or later

25.5%

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

Housing Characteristics

Units, rooms & bedrooms

Physical characteristics of housing units

	Jackson County	South Dakota	United States
Rooms per unit
Median rooms	5.8	5.9	5.5
1–3 rooms	8.1%	13.6%	15.1%
4–6 rooms	67.7%	44.6%	51.6%
7+ rooms	24.2%	41.8%	33.4%
Bedrooms
No bedroom / studio	1.2%	1.9%	2.9%
1 bedroom	7.5%	10.1%	10.9%
2 bedrooms	17.9%	26.4%	25%
3 bedrooms	40.1%	32%	38.7%
4+ bedrooms	33.4%	29.6%	22.4%
At a glance
Median year built	1982	1982	1981
Total housing units	1,086	408,584	143,775,355

Occupancy Profile

Who is inside and how they use it

Homeownership

67.3% owners

Renter-occupied 32.7%

Owner-occupied 67.3%

homeownership rate

Jackson County 67.3%

South Dakota 68.6%

United States 65.2%

Average household size

3.51

Owner-occupied

2.96

Renter-occupied

owner-occupied average size

Jackson County 3.51

South Dakota 2.54

United States 2.64

Housing Characteristics

Occupied unit characteristics

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Jackson County	South Dakota	United States
Total occupied units	830	365,544	129,227,496
Year moved in
2020 or later	8%	25.4%	24.8%
2010 to 2019	41.3%	39.7%	39.6%
2000 to 2009	15.5%	16.2%	16.4%
1999 or earlier	35.2%	18.7%	19.1%
Occupants per room
1.00 or fewer	90.2%	97.7%	96.6%
1.01 to 1.50	9%	1.6%	2.2%
1.51 or more	0.7%	0.7%	1.2%
Vehicles availability
No vehicles	12.8%	5.2%	8.4%
1 vehicle	27.1%	28.4%	33.1%
2 vehicles	29.9%	36.3%	36.6%
3 or more vehicles	30.2%	30.1%	21.9%
House heating fuel used
Gas	66.6%	63.1%	51.4%
Electricity	23.5%	32.4%	41.3%
Solar	0%	0%	0.3%
Fuel oil, kerosene etc	4.9%	1.3%	3.9%
All other fuels	4.4%	2.4%	2%
No fuel used	0.6%	0.8%	1.2%
Selected characteristics
Lacking complete plumbing	0.8%	0.5%	0.4%
Lacking complete kitchen	0%	0.9%	0.8%
No telephone service available	6.4%	1.1%	0.9%

Housing Value

What owner-occupied units are worth

Median home value

$117,300

owner-occupied units

Median value(USD)

Jackson County

$117,300

South Dakota

$257,400

United States

$332,700

Housing Cost Burden

63.1%

of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened

% Cost-Burdened Households

Owners with a mortgage

63.1%

Owners without a mortgage

19.5%

Renters

43%

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

	Jackson County	South Dakota	United States
Property value
Median Value	$117,300	$257,400	$332,700
Under $100,000	36.5%	16.1%	11.4%
$100,000 - $200,000	45.8%	19.5%	15.8%
$200,000 - $300,000	12.7%	24.4%	17.8%
$300,000 - $500,000	5%	26%	26.9%
$500,000 - $1,000,000	0%	12.1%	20.9%
$1,000,000 and more	0%	1.8%	7.1%
Owner-occupied households
With a mortgage	31.8%	54.5%	60.6%
Without a mortgage	68.2%	45.5%	39.4%
Median monthly owner costs
With a mortgage	$1,278	$1,680	$1,963
Without a mortgage	$496	$617	$638
Gross rent
Median rent	$442	$946	$1,413

Education Profile

How educated is the community and how education pays off

Adults with a college degree

12.4%

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

Jackson County 12.4%

South Dakota 31.9%

United States 35.7%

Adults without a high school diploma

9.1%

of adults (25+) without a high school diploma

Jackson County 9.1%

South Dakota 6.8%

United States 10.4%

School Enrollment

Who is enrolled in school and at what level

School enrollment

753

population (age 3+) enrolled in school

Nursery / Preschool

2.1%

K–12

83.1%

College / Undergraduate

14.1%

Graduate / Professional

0.7%

College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)

19.8%

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

Jackson County

19.8%

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

	Jackson County	South Dakota	United States
Total enrolled (age 3+)	753	216,085	80,089,790
Nursery / preschool	2.1%	6.1%	5.7%
K–12	83.1%	73%	67.6%
Kindergarten	8.5%	5.6%	5%
Elementary: Grades 1–4	22.4%	22.3%	19.8%
Elementary: Grades 5–8	25.9%	22.8%	21%
High School: Grades 9–12	26.3%	22.3%	21.7%
College or graduate school	14.7%	20.9%	26.7%
College, undergraduate	14.1%	17.1%	21%
Graduate, professional school	0.7%	3.8%	5.8%
College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds	19.8%	35.1%	40.9%
School type
Public school	97.6%	86.9%	82%
Private school	2.4%	13.1%	18%

Education Attainment by Level & Gender

What is the highest level of education completed among adults

Education attainment

1,697

population 25 years and over

Total adults (25+)

Less than 9th grade

2.3%

9th-12th, no diploma

6.8%

HS graduate

48.1%

Some college no degree

16.3%

Associates degree

14%

Bachelors degree

10.3%

Graduate or professional degree

2.2%

Attainment by gender

Male vs Female

Adults (25+) · Share within each education level

% male · % female

Less than 9th grade

0% · 100%

9th-12th, no diploma

62.1% · 37.9%

HS graduate

50.9% · 49.1%

Some college no degree

51.8% · 48.2%

Associates degree

27.7% · 72.3%

Bachelors degree

63.2% · 36.8%

Graduate or professional degree

21.6% · 78.4%

Educational Attainment Overview

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

Highest credential completed · adults 25+

	Jackson County	South Dakota	United States
Population (25+)	1,697	603,746	230,807,303
Less than 9th grade	2.3%	2.6%	4.7%
9th–12th, no diploma	6.8%	4.2%	5.7%
High school diploma or GED	48.1%	29%	26%
Some college, no degree	16.3%	19.9%	19.1%
Associate's degree	14%	12.3%	8.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	12.4%	31.9%	35.7%
Bachelor's degree	10.3%	21.9%	21.6%
Graduate or professional	2.2%	10%	14.1%
High School or higher	90.9%	93.2%	89.6%

Earnings by education level

percentage as applicable

Median Earnings

$42,500

Median earnings for adults 25+, by level

Less than HS graduate

$18,021

HS graduate

$36,583

Some college or associates

$39,911

Bachelors degree

$76,250

Graduate or professional degree

$41,071

Poverty Rate

7.4%

for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher

Less than HS graduate

54.8%

HS graduate

52.8%

Some college or associates

34.2%

Bachelors degree or higher

7.4%

Outcomes by Education Level

Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)

Adults 25+

	Jackson County	South Dakota	United States
Median earnings
Population 25+, with earnings	$42,500	$49,402	$52,696
Less than high school graduate	$18,021	$33,790	$32,485
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	$36,583	$40,544	$40,153
Some college or associate's degree	$39,911	$47,061	$47,260
Bachelor's degree	$76,250	$58,363	$70,044
Graduate or professional degree	$41,071	$72,377	$90,720
Poverty rates
Less than high school graduate	54.8%	28%	24.2%
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	52.8%	13.2%	14.4%
Some college or associate's degree	34.2%	8.5%	9.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	7.4%	4.2%	4.5%

Insights for Jackson 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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