Tripp County, South Dakota

County in SD, US

By Neilsberg Research

Last updated May 1, 2026

Key Indicators

A quick look at key numbers

Population

5,611

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

Median Age

years ∙ half population younger than 45, half older

Diversity Index

34.1%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Nativity

1.7%

foreign-born population

98.3%Native

1.7% Foreign-born

Geographic Context

Location, size, and surroundings

About

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

Location

County in SD, US

Co-ordinates

DEC43.349729° N, 99.876219° W

DMS43° 20′ 59.02″ N, 99° 52′ 34.39″ W

Population Density & area

3.48/sq mi (1.34/km²)

Total Area

1,617 sq mi (4,189 km²)

Land Area

1,612 sq mi (4,176 km²) · 99.68%

Water Area

5 sq mi (13 km²) · 0.32%

Demographics & Living

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

Population Composition

Key characteristics of the population

Sex Distribution

51.2% male

Male 51.2%

Female 48.8%

males per 100 females

Tripp County 105.1

South Dakota 103.1

United States 98

Nativity

1.7%

foreign-born population

98.3%Native

1.7% Foreign-born

% Foreign-born

Tripp County 1.7%

South Dakota 4%

United States 14.1%

Age Distribution

How the population is spread across age groups

Median Age

years ∙ half population younger than 45, half older

Tripp County

South Dakota

United States

38.9

Dependency ratio

91.4

dependents per 100 working-age adults

Tripp County 91.4

South Dakota 73

United States 64.4

AGE DISTRIBUTION

Distribution of age group

Median age

	Tripp County	South Dakota	United States
Age Group
Children (Under 18)	23.2%	24.2%	22%
Working age (18-64)	52.2%	57.8%	60.8%
Senior (65+)	24.6%	18%	17.2%
Dependency ratio
Total dependency ratio	91.4	73	64.4
Child dependency ratio	44.3	41.9	36.1
Old-age dependency ratio	47.1	31.1	28.3

Racial & Ethnic Composition

Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares

Race & Ethnicity

White

79.9%

Black

0.8%

Asian

0.4%

Hispanic

1.9%

Other

17%

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

34.1%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Tripp County 34.1%

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 Tripp County population

Racial and ethnic composition — Tripp County vs South Dakota vs United States. Source: ACS 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates.
	Tripp County	South Dakota	United States
Hispanic or Latino	1.9%	4.8%	19.3%
Mexican	1.6%	2.6%	11.3%
Puerto Rican	0%	0.4%	1.8%
Cuban	0%	0.1%	0.8%
Other Hispanic / Latino	0.3%	1.7%	5.5%
Not Hispanic or Latino	98.1%	95.2%	80.7%
One race	95%	90.8%	76.4%
White	79.9%	79.8%	57.4%
Black or African American	0.8%	2.1%	11.9%
American Indian and Alaska Native	13.7%	7.1%	0.5%
Asian	0.4%	1.4%	5.9%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander	0%	0%	0.2%
Some Other Race	0.1%	0.3%	0.6%
Two or more races (Multiracial)	3.1%	4.4%	4.3%

Household & Families Composition

Household size, type, and family structure

Household structure

57.9% family

Family 57.9%

Non family 42.1%

% family households

Tripp County 57.9%

South Dakota 61.3%

United States 64.2%

Average household size

2.39

persons per household

Tripp County

2.39

South Dakota

2.39

United States

2.53

Household & Family COMPOSITION

Households

Percentage of Tripp County population

	Tripp County	South Dakota	United States
Total households	2,258	365,544	129,227,496
Average houshold size	2.39	2.39	2.53
Family households	1,308	224,058	82,990,528
Average family size	3.15	3.05	3.14
Married couple family	974	176,597	60,637,388
Other families	334	47,461	22,353,140
Male householder	174	17,711	6,572,819
Female householder	160	29,750	15,780,321
Non-family households	950	141,486	46,236,968
One-person households	865	116,755	37,140,836
Male householder	314	57,880	16,871,444
Senior (65+) living alone	70	17,403	5,225,110
Female householder	551	58,875	20,269,392
Senior (65+) living alone	361	29,381	10,089,070
Other living arrangements	85	24,731	9,096,132

Housing Profile

Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens

Total housing units

2,762

housing units

Tripp County 2,762

South Dakota 408,584

United States 143,775,355

Occupancy status

81.8% occupied

Occupied 81.8%

Vacant 18.2%

vacancy rate

Tripp County 18.2%

South Dakota 10.5%

United States 10.1%

Housing Characteristics

How the housing supply is structured and used

Types of Housing unit

77.8%

Single family houses

77.8%

Apartments in multi-unit structures

10.8%

Mobile homes

11.5%

Boat, RV, van, etc

Median Year Built

1971

Half of houses were built before 1971, and half after.

Historic ∙ 1939 or earlier

25.5%

Postwar & mid-century ∙ 1940 - 1969

26.1%

Late 20th century ∙ 1970 - 1999

31.2%

Modern ∙ 2000 or later

17.1%

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

Housing Characteristics

Units, rooms & bedrooms

Physical characteristics of housing units

	Tripp County	South Dakota	United States
Rooms per unit
Median rooms	6.1	5.9	5.5
1–3 rooms	9.7%	13.6%	15.1%
4–6 rooms	46.7%	44.6%	51.6%
7+ rooms	43.6%	41.8%	33.4%
Bedrooms
No bedroom / studio	1.3%	1.9%	2.9%
1 bedroom	9.9%	10.1%	10.9%
2 bedrooms	25.9%	26.4%	25%
3 bedrooms	33.3%	32%	38.7%
4+ bedrooms	29.6%	29.6%	22.4%
At a glance
Median year built	1971	1982	1981
Total housing units	2,762	408,584	143,775,355

Occupancy Profile

Who is inside and how they use it

Homeownership

68.4% owners

Renter-occupied 31.6%

Owner-occupied 68.4%

homeownership rate

Tripp County 68.4%

South Dakota 68.6%

United States 65.2%

Average household size

2.39

Owner-occupied

2.39

Renter-occupied

owner-occupied average size

Tripp County 2.39

South Dakota 2.54

United States 2.64

Housing Characteristics

Occupied unit characteristics

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Tripp County	South Dakota	United States
Total occupied units	2,258	365,544	129,227,496
Year moved in
2020 or later	19.5%	25.4%	24.8%
2010 to 2019	30.9%	39.7%	39.6%
2000 to 2009	14.8%	16.2%	16.4%
1999 or earlier	34.8%	18.7%	19.1%
Occupants per room
1.00 or fewer	99.4%	97.7%	96.6%
1.01 to 1.50	0%	1.6%	2.2%
1.51 or more	0.6%	0.7%	1.2%
Vehicles availability
No vehicles	7.1%	5.2%	8.4%
1 vehicle	23.3%	28.4%	33.1%
2 vehicles	31.6%	36.3%	36.6%
3 or more vehicles	38%	30.1%	21.9%
House heating fuel used
Gas	52.5%	63.1%	51.4%
Electricity	38.2%	32.4%	41.3%
Solar	0.2%	0%	0.3%
Fuel oil, kerosene etc	5.1%	1.3%	3.9%
All other fuels	3.1%	2.4%	2%
No fuel used	0.9%	0.8%	1.2%
Selected characteristics
Lacking complete plumbing	0%	0.5%	0.4%
Lacking complete kitchen	1.4%	0.9%	0.8%
No telephone service available	1.4%	1.1%	0.9%

Housing Value

What owner-occupied units are worth

Median home value

$132,900

owner-occupied units

Median value(USD)

Tripp County

$132,900

South Dakota

$257,400

United States

$332,700

Housing Cost Burden

27.6%

of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened

% Cost-Burdened Households

Owners with a mortgage

27.6%

Owners without a mortgage

9.5%

Renters

57.3%

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

	Tripp County	South Dakota	United States
Property value
Median Value	$132,900	$257,400	$332,700
Under $100,000	38.8%	16.1%	11.4%
$100,000 - $200,000	27.3%	19.5%	15.8%
$200,000 - $300,000	14.1%	24.4%	17.8%
$300,000 - $500,000	9%	26%	26.9%
$500,000 - $1,000,000	8.2%	12.1%	20.9%
$1,000,000 and more	2.7%	1.8%	7.1%
Owner-occupied households
With a mortgage	34.4%	54.5%	60.6%
Without a mortgage	65.6%	45.5%	39.4%
Median monthly owner costs
With a mortgage	$1,320	$1,680	$1,963
Without a mortgage	$562	$617	$638
Gross rent
Median rent	$820	$946	$1,413

Education Profile

How educated is the community and how education pays off

Adults with a college degree

17.7%

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

Tripp County 17.7%

South Dakota 31.9%

United States 35.7%

Adults without a high school diploma

11.9%

of adults (25+) without a high school diploma

Tripp County 11.9%

South Dakota 6.8%

United States 10.4%

School Enrollment

Who is enrolled in school and at what level

School enrollment

1,048

population (age 3+) enrolled in school

Nursery / Preschool

7.3%

K–12

86.7%

College / Undergraduate

4.9%

Graduate / Professional

1.1%

College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)

15.7%

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

Tripp County

15.7%

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

	Tripp County	South Dakota	United States
Total enrolled (age 3+)	1,048	216,085	80,089,790
Nursery / preschool	7.3%	6.1%	5.7%
K–12	86.7%	73%	67.6%
Kindergarten	9.2%	5.6%	5%
Elementary: Grades 1–4	31.3%	22.3%	19.8%
Elementary: Grades 5–8	24%	22.8%	21%
High School: Grades 9–12	22.2%	22.3%	21.7%
College or graduate school	6%	20.9%	26.7%
College, undergraduate	4.9%	17.1%	21%
Graduate, professional school	1.1%	3.8%	5.8%
College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds	15.7%	35.1%	40.9%
School type
Public school	92.1%	86.9%	82%
Private school	7.9%	13.1%	18%

Education Attainment by Level & Gender

What is the highest level of education completed among adults

Education attainment

3,987

population 25 years and over

Total adults (25+)

Less than 9th grade

9th-12th, no diploma

9.9%

HS graduate

37.1%

Some college no degree

25.1%

Associates degree

8.2%

Bachelors degree

13.8%

Graduate or professional degree

3.9%

Attainment by gender

Male vs Female

Adults (25+) · Share within each education level

% male · % female

Less than 9th grade

81.3% · 18.8%

9th-12th, no diploma

61.4% · 38.6%

HS graduate

57.4% · 42.6%

Some college no degree

44.3% · 55.7%

Associates degree

31.5% · 68.5%

Bachelors degree

43.9% · 56.1%

Graduate or professional degree

37.8% · 62.2%

Educational Attainment Overview

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

Highest credential completed · adults 25+

	Tripp County	South Dakota	United States
Population (25+)	3,987	603,746	230,807,303
Less than 9th grade	2%	2.6%	4.7%
9th–12th, no diploma	9.9%	4.2%	5.7%
High school diploma or GED	37.1%	29%	26%
Some college, no degree	25.1%	19.9%	19.1%
Associate's degree	8.2%	12.3%	8.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	17.7%	31.9%	35.7%
Bachelor's degree	13.8%	21.9%	21.6%
Graduate or professional	3.9%	10%	14.1%
High School or higher	88.1%	93.2%	89.6%

Earnings by education level

percentage as applicable

Median Earnings

$40,826

Median earnings for adults 25+, by level

Less than HS graduate

$20,339

HS graduate

$38,250

Some college or associates

$—

Bachelors degree

$56,944

Graduate or professional degree

$—

Poverty Rate

for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher

Less than HS graduate

28.9%

HS graduate

20.5%

Some college or associates

14.3%

Bachelors degree or higher

Outcomes by Education Level

Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)

Adults 25+

	Tripp County	South Dakota	United States
Median earnings
Population 25+, with earnings	$40,826	$49,402	$52,696
Less than high school graduate	$20,339	$33,790	$32,485
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	$38,250	$40,544	$40,153
Some college or associate's degree	$—	$47,061	$47,260
Bachelor's degree	$56,944	$58,363	$70,044
Graduate or professional degree	$—	$72,377	$90,720
Poverty rates
Less than high school graduate	28.9%	28%	24.2%
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	20.5%	13.2%	14.4%
Some college or associate's degree	14.3%	8.5%	9.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	1%	4.2%	4.5%

Insights for Tripp 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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