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Willow Lake, SD

City in Clark County, SD, US
Last updated
Key Indicators
A quick look at key numbers

Population

433
Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates

Median Age

17.5
years ∙ half population younger than 17.5, half older

Diversity Index

Low High
10.2%
chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Nativity

2.5%
foreign-born population
97.5%Native
2.5% Foreign-born

Geographic Context

Location, size, and surroundings

About

Willow Lake is a city within Clark County, South Dakota, United States.
Location
City in Clark County, SD, US
Co-ordinates
DEC44.627901° N, 97.638057° W
DMS44° 37′ 40.44″ N, 97° 38′ 17.01″ W

Population Density & area

1,164/sq mi (449.2/km²)
Total Area
0.376 sq mi (0.975 km²)
Land Area
0.372 sq mi (0.964 km²) · 98.9%
Water Area
0.004 sq mi (0.011 km²) · 1.1%

Demographics & Living

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

Population Composition

Key characteristics of the population

Sex Distribution

60.7% male
Male 60.7%
Female 39.3%
males per 100 females
Willow Lake 154.7
Clark County 100.7
South Dakota 103.1

Nativity

2.5%
foreign-born population
97.5%Native
2.5% Foreign-born
% Foreign-born
Willow Lake 2.5%
Clark County 2.7%
South Dakota 4%
Age Distribution
How the population is spread across age groups

Median Age

17.5
years ∙ half population younger than 17.5, half older
Willow Lake
17.5
Clark County
40.3
South Dakota
38

Dependency ratio

Low High
148.9
dependents per 100 working-age adults
Willow Lake 148.9
Clark County 112.3
South Dakota 73

AGE DISTRIBUTION

Distribution of age group
Median age
Willow Lake Clark County South Dakota
Age Group
Children (Under 18) 51% 29.4% 24.2%
Working age (18-64) 40.2% 47.1% 57.8%
Senior (65+) 8.8% 23.5% 18%
Dependency ratio
Total dependency ratio 148.9 112.3 73
Child dependency ratio 127 62.4 41.9
Old-age dependency ratio 21.8 49.9 31.1
Racial & Ethnic Composition
Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares

Race & Ethnicity

White
94.7%
Black
3.7%
Asian
0%
Hispanic
1.6%
Other
0%
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

Low High
10.2%
chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity
Willow Lake 10.2%
Clark County 17.4%
South Dakota 35.3%
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 Willow Lake population
Willow Lake Clark County South Dakota
Hispanic or Latino 1.6% 5.3% 4.8%
Mexican 0% 4.1% 2.6%
Puerto Rican 0% 0.2% 0.4%
Cuban 0% 0% 0.1%
Other Hispanic / Latino 1.6% 1.1% 1.7%
Not Hispanic or Latino 98.4% 94.7% 95.2%
One race 98.4% 92.8% 90.8%
White 94.7% 90.7% 79.8%
Black or African American 3.7% 0.5% 2.1%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0% 0.6% 7.1%
Asian 0% 0.7% 1.4%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 0% 0% 0%
Some Other Race 0% 0.2% 0.3%
Two or more races (Multiracial) 0% 1.9% 4.4%
Household & Families Composition
Household size, type, and family structure

Household structure

67.6% family
Family 67.6%
Non family 32.4%
% family households
Willow Lake 67.6%
Clark County 63.2%
South Dakota 61.3%

Average household size

3.9
persons per household
Willow Lake
3.9
Clark County
2.82
South Dakota
2.39

Household & Family COMPOSITION

Households
Percentage of Willow Lake population
Willow Lake Clark County South Dakota
Total households 111 1,336 365,544
Average houshold size 3.9 2.82 2.39
Family households 75 845 224,058
Average family size 5.24 3.59 3.05
Married couple family 70 708 176,597
Other families 5 137 47,461
Male householder 0 68 17,711
Female householder 5 69 29,750
Non-family households 36 491 141,486
One-person households 35 409 116,755
Male householder 9 219 57,880
Senior (65+) living alone 4 84 17,403
Female householder 26 190 58,875
Senior (65+) living alone 15 149 29,381
Other living arrangements 1 82 24,731

Housing Profile

Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens

Total housing units

122
housing units
Willow Lake 122
Clark County 1,609
South Dakota 408,584

Occupancy status

91% occupied
Occupied 91%
Vacant 9%
vacancy rate
Willow Lake 9%
Clark County 17%
South Dakota 10.5%
Housing Characteristics
How the housing supply is structured and used

Types of Housing unit

90.1%
Single family houses
Single family houses
90.1%
Apartments in multi-unit structures
9.8%
Mobile homes
0%
Boat, RV, van, etc
0%

Median Year Built

1950
Half of houses were built before 1950, and half after.
Historic ∙ 1939 or earlier
42.6%
Postwar & mid-century ∙ 1940 - 1969
28.7%
Late 20th century ∙ 1970 - 1999
13.1%
Modern ∙ 2000 or later
15.6%
Note: Median year built reflects occupied units only; distribution includes all units.

Housing Characteristics

Units, rooms & bedrooms
Physical characteristics of housing units
Willow Lake Clark County South Dakota
Rooms per unit
Median rooms 6.9 6.5 5.9
1–3 rooms 12.3% 8.1% 13.6%
4–6 rooms 27.9% 42.3% 44.6%
7+ rooms 59.9% 49.7% 41.8%
Bedrooms
No bedroom / studio 0% 2.5% 1.9%
1 bedroom 13.1% 7.3% 10.1%
2 bedrooms 10.7% 18% 26.4%
3 bedrooms 26.2% 34.5% 32%
4+ bedrooms 50% 37.7% 29.6%
At a glance
Median year built 1950 1957 1982
Total housing units 122 1,609 408,584
Occupancy Profile
Who is inside and how they use it

Homeownership

62.2% owners
Renter-occupied 37.8%
Owner-occupied 62.2%
homeownership rate
Willow Lake 62.2%
Clark County 77.5%
South Dakota 68.6%

Average household size

3.75
Owner-occupied
4.14
Renter-occupied
owner-occupied average size
Willow Lake 3.75
Clark County 2.94
South Dakota 2.54

Housing Characteristics

Occupied unit characteristics
Tenure, crowding, and utilities
Willow Lake Clark County South Dakota
Total occupied units 111 1,336 365,544
Year moved in
2020 or later 10.8% 16% 25.4%
2010 to 2019 48.6% 33.9% 39.7%
2000 to 2009 19.8% 13.3% 16.2%
1999 or earlier 20.7% 36.8% 18.7%
Occupants per room
1.00 or fewer 100% 98.1% 97.7%
1.01 to 1.50 0% 1.5% 1.6%
1.51 or more 0% 0.4% 0.7%
Vehicles availability
No vehicles 0% 5.3% 5.2%
1 vehicle 18% 19.6% 28.4%
2 vehicles 43.2% 34.5% 36.3%
3 or more vehicles 38.7% 40.6% 30.1%
House heating fuel used
Gas 68.5% 61.9% 63.1%
Electricity 31.5% 34.8% 32.4%
Solar 0% 0% 0%
Fuel oil, kerosene etc 0% 0.7% 1.3%
All other fuels 0% 2.4% 2.4%
No fuel used 0% 0.1% 0.8%
Selected characteristics
Lacking complete plumbing 0% 0.5% 0.5%
Lacking complete kitchen 0% 3.5% 0.9%
No telephone service available 0% 0.4% 1.1%
Housing Value
What owner-occupied units are worth

Median home value

$149,000
owner-occupied units
Median value(USD)
Willow Lake
$149,000
Clark County
$158,400
South Dakota
$257,400

Housing Cost Burden

26.3%
of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened
% Cost-Burdened Households
Owners with a mortgage
26.3%
Owners without a mortgage
12.9%
Renters
4.8%
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
Willow Lake Clark County South Dakota
Property value
Median Value $149,000 $158,400 $257,400
Under $100,000 26.1% 34.4% 16.1%
$100,000 - $200,000 46.3% 26.5% 19.5%
$200,000 - $300,000 17.4% 18.1% 24.4%
$300,000 - $500,000 4.3% 15.4% 26%
$500,000 - $1,000,000 0% 2.7% 12.1%
$1,000,000 and more 5.8% 2.8% 1.8%
Owner-occupied households
With a mortgage 55.1% 40.9% 54.5%
Without a mortgage 44.9% 59.1% 45.5%
Median monthly owner costs
With a mortgage $1,500 $1,273 $1,680
Without a mortgage $524 $568 $617
Gross rent
Median rent $815 $782 $946

Education Profile

How educated is the community and how education pays off

Adults with a college degree

18.7%
of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher
Willow Lake 18.7%
Clark County 19.7%
South Dakota 31.9%

Adults without a high school diploma

4.1%
of adults (25+) without a high school diploma
Willow Lake 4.1%
Clark County 9.4%
South Dakota 6.8%
School Enrollment
Who is enrolled in school and at what level

School enrollment

198
population (age 3+) enrolled in school
Nursery / Preschool
7.6%
K–12
85.9%
College / Undergraduate
4%
Graduate / Professional
2.5%

College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)

12.2%
of 18-24-year-olds in college or graduate school
Willow Lake
12.2%
Clark County
8%
South Dakota
35.1%

Enrollment & school type

Enrollment levels, college-going rate, and public vs private school split
Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school
Willow Lake Clark County South Dakota
Total enrolled (age 3+) 198 895 216,085
Nursery / preschool 7.6% 2.8% 6.1%
K–12 85.9% 91.2% 73%
Kindergarten 0% 3.6% 5.6%
Elementary: Grades 1–4 9.1% 22.5% 22.3%
Elementary: Grades 5–8 43.9% 39.7% 22.8%
High School: Grades 9–12 32.8% 25.5% 22.3%
College or graduate school 6.6% 6% 20.9%
College, undergraduate 4% 5.3% 17.1%
Graduate, professional school 2.5% 0.8% 3.8%
College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds 12.2% 8% 35.1%
School type
Public school 97.5% 96.1% 86.9%
Private school 2.5% 3.9% 13.1%
Education Attainment by Level & Gender
What is the highest level of education completed among adults

Education attainment

171
population 25 years and over
Total adults (25+)
Less than 9th grade
0%
9th-12th, no diploma
4.1%
HS graduate
18.7%
Some college no degree
39.2%
Associates degree
19.3%
Bachelors degree
18.7%
Graduate or professional degree
0%

Attainment by gender

Male vs Female
Adults (25+) · Share within each education level
* The Census Bureau did not publish education attainment by gender data for Willow Lake due to an insufficient sample size to produce reliable estimates.
% male · % female
Less than 9th grade
—% · —%
9th-12th, no diploma
0% · 100%
HS graduate
75% · 25%
Some college no degree
43.3% · 56.7%
Associates degree
48.5% · 51.5%
Bachelors degree
31.3% · 68.8%
Graduate or professional degree
—% · —%

Educational Attainment Overview

Distribution and key education attainment rates for adults (25+)
Highest credential completed · adults 25+
Willow Lake Clark County South Dakota
Population (25+) 171 2,566 603,746
Less than 9th grade 0% 6.8% 2.6%
9th–12th, no diploma 4.1% 2.6% 4.2%
High school diploma or GED 18.7% 39.4% 29%
Some college, no degree 39.2% 21.4% 19.9%
Associate's degree 19.3% 10.1% 12.3%
Bachelor's degree or higher 18.7% 19.7% 31.9%
Bachelor's degree 18.7% 17.5% 21.9%
Graduate or professional 0% 2.3% 10%
High School or higher 95.9% 90.6% 93.2%
Earnings by education level
percentage as applicable

Median Earnings

$44,063
Median earnings for adults 25+, by level
Less than HS graduate
$—
HS graduate
$51,250
Some college or associates
$31,250
Bachelors degree
$54,125
Graduate or professional degree
$—

Poverty Rate

0%
for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher
Less than HS graduate
0%
HS graduate
6.3%
Some college or associates
3%
Bachelors degree or higher
0%

Outcomes by Education Level

Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)
Adults 25+
Willow Lake Clark County South Dakota
Median earnings
Population 25+, with earnings $44,063 $42,933 $49,402
Less than high school graduate $— $— $33,790
High school graduate (includes equivalency) $51,250 $34,205 $40,544
Some college or associate's degree $31,250 $43,147 $47,061
Bachelor's degree $54,125 $51,734 $58,363
Graduate or professional degree $— $60,938 $72,377
Poverty rates
Less than high school graduate 0% 60.6% 28%
High school graduate (includes equivalency) 6.3% 11.2% 13.2%
Some college or associate's degree 3% 5.2% 8.5%
Bachelor's degree or higher 0% 1.4% 4.2%

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