State Ledger
State profile

South Dakota FIPS 46

Population
881,785
Median household income
$63,920
Nonfarm employment
475,600
Business establishments
29,106

Every figure above traces to a primary source · view data sources & methodology

State Highlights

Largest employer sector
Health care and social assistance
74,743 employees
Business concentration
19.5%
of private employment in Health care and social assistance
Home prices, 1 year
+2.2%
FHFA
Federal outlays per capita
$9,793.75
USASpending.gov

Economy & Labor

Total nonfarm employment

BLS Current Employment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted · persons · 20 months available · latest observation: August 2026
Employment ratio
54.7%
employed ÷ population
Unemployed population (ACS)
14,841
Vs. July
▲ 0
Business density
33.5 per 1,000
establishments per capita

Leading Industries

Leading industries by employment

Ranked by private-sector employment, same measure as the Business & Industry tab · see the full breakdown there
1 Health care and social assistance 74,743 employees
2 Retail trade 54,784 employees
3 Manufacturing 47,333 employees
4 Accommodation and food services 42,968 employees
5 Construction 25,640 employees

Leading Public Companies

Top 5 by latest reported revenue

SEC EDGAR / XBRL Company Facts · see the full listing on the Public Companies tab
BLACK HILLS CORP /SD/ · BKH
$2.31B
Electric Services
NorthWestern Energy Group, Inc. · NWE
$1.61B
Electric & Other Services Combined
PATHWARD FINANCIAL, INC. · CASH
$839.89M
National Commercial Banks
DAKTRONICS INC /SD/ · DAKT
$838.71M
Miscellaneous Manufacturing Industries
SOUTH DAKOTA SOYBEAN PROCESSORS LLC · SDSYA
$503.82M
Fats & Oils

Population & People

Homeownership rate
68.4%
236.7K of 345.8K occupied homes are owner-occupied

Population by age

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year estimate (table B01001) · reconciles to total population
0–17
218.7K · 24.8%
18–24
82.9K · 9.4%
25–34
113.5K · 12.9%
35–44
107.0K · 12.1%
45–54
96.1K · 10.9%
55–64
116.9K · 13.3%
65–74
88.5K · 10.0%
75+
58.3K · 6.6%

Housing & Real Estate

Median home value
$187,800
Median gross rent
$809 / month
Vacancy rate
11.8%
Total housing units
391.9K
Owner-occupied homes
236.7K
Renter-occupied homes
109.1K
Home prices, 1 year
+2.2%
Home prices, 5 years
+41.1%
Latest FHFA period
2026 Q2

ACS: 2021 ACS 5-year · FHFA: 2026 Q2

ACS housing estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau — median home value reflects owner-reported value, not a current sale price. House-price changes are from the FHFA All-Transactions House Price Index, a measure of price appreciation over time, not a home-value estimate.

Federal Spending

Total federal outlays
$8.52B
Outlays per capita
$9,793.75
Total prime award value
$10.05B

Source: USASpending.gov · specific reporting period not published in this dataset