Aurora County, South Dakota Population 2026

Updated April 2026 · US Census ACS 2023 5-Year Estimates · 51st-largest in South Dakota

The population of Aurora County, South Dakota is 2,573 as of the 2023 American Community Survey, making it the 51st-largest county in South Dakota. The median household income is $74,130, the median home value is $129,000, and the median age is 42.4.

The population of Aurora County has grown 1.9% since 2010 (2,701 → 2,752), a +0.13% annualized rate.

Aurora County within South Dakota · Source: US Census TIGER/Line via us-atlas

2,573

Population

+0.13%

Annual growth

People / sq mi

$74,130

Median Income

$129,000

Median Home Value

Aurora County covers 708 sq mi of land at 3.6 people per square mile.

About Aurora County, SD

Aurora County is a county in South Dakota with a population of 2,573. It ranks #51 among counties in South Dakota by population. The median age is 42.4, older than the national median. The population is 52.1% male and 47.9% female.

The median household income in Aurora County is $74,130, near the US median of $74,580. 4.4% of residents live below the federal poverty level. Home values sit at a median of $129,000, with monthly rent averaging $739. The homeownership rate of 76.4% is higher than the national rate of 64.8%.

Educational attainment in Aurora County reflects 18.7% of adults 25 and older holding a bachelor's degree or higher, below the national average of 34.3%. Roughly 14.4% of workers primarily work from home, similar to the national work-from-home rate of 14.2%. The average commute is 19.5 minutes each way.

Aurora County Population History (2010-2024)

The county of Aurora County had a population of 2,701 in 2010 and 2,752 in 2024, a 1.9% growth over 14 years. The peak was 2,796 in 2023. Average annual growth rate: 0.14%.

2,752

Population (2024)

2,701

Population (2010)

2,796

Peak (2023)

0.14%

Avg Annual Growth

Year	Population	Change	Annual %	Source
2010	2,701	-	-	estimate
2011	2,716	+15	+0.56%	estimate
2012	2,763	+47	+1.73%	estimate
2013	2,716	-47	-1.70%	estimate
2014	2,744	+28	+1.03%	estimate
2015	2,745	+1	+0.04%	estimate
2016	2,772	+27	+0.98%	estimate
2017	2,759	-13	-0.47%	estimate
2018	2,775	+16	+0.58%	estimate
2019	2,749	-26	-0.94%	estimate
2020	2,740	-9	-0.33%	estimate
2021	2,741	+1	+0.04%	estimate
2022	2,772	+31	+1.13%	estimate
2023	2,796	+24	+0.87%	estimate
2024	2,752	-44	-1.57%	estimate

Race & Ethnicity

White	91.9%
Black or African American	1.0%
Asian	0.0%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	2.3%
Two or More Races	0.0%

Age & Sex

42.4

Median Age

47.9%

Female

52.1%

Male

20.9%

Age 65+

Age Distribution

Under 5

6.4%

5–9

5.6%

10–14

7.3%

15–19

7.2%

20–24

6.8%

25–34

9.9%

35–44

11.4%

45–54

9.9%

55–59

7.5%

60–64

7.2%

65–74

11.6%

75–84

6.0%

85+

3.3%

Children (under 15): 19.3% · Seniors (65+): 20.9%

Income & Poverty

Median household income	$74,130+$1,709 vs state
Mean household income	$101,472
Per-capita income	$43,275
Poverty rate	4.4%-3.0% vs state
Unemployment rate	0.5%
Employment-to-population	67.8%

Top Industries by Employment

Professional & business services

27.0%

Agriculture

24.5%

Manufacturing

8.4%

Retail trade

5.1%

Finance & real estate

4.3%

Education & health care

4.2%

Public administration

3.3%

Construction

2.7%

The largest employment sector in Aurora County is professional & business services, accounting for 27.0% of workers.

How residents commute

0.0%

Drive alone

4.4%

Carpool

74.1%

Public transit

14.4%

Work from home

19.5 min

Avg commute

Housing

$129,000$-107,800 vs state

Median home value

$739

Median rent

76.4%

Homeownership rate

1,227

Total housing units

84.9%

Occupied

15.1%

Vacant

23.6%

Renter-occupied

Social & access

94.5%

With health insurance

91.7%

With broadband internet

18.3%

Foreign-born

5.2%

Veterans (18+)

12.8%

With a disability

93.8%

Speak language other than English at home

Education

91.1%

High School+

18.7%

Bachelor's+

Largest cities in South Dakota

Sioux Falls (197,642)Rapid City (76,836)Aberdeen (28,297)Brookings (23,710)Watertown (22,859)Mitchell (15,637)Yankton (15,501)Huron (14,347)Pierre (14,008)Spearfish (12,551)All South Dakota cities →

Other counties in South Dakota

Minnehaha County (200,689)Pennington County (112,081)Lincoln County (68,286)Brown County (38,079)Brookings County (34,968)Meade County (30,297)Codington County (28,556)Lawrence County (26,574)Yankton County (23,379)Davison County (19,936)All South Dakota counties →

Part of South Dakota

South Dakota demographic profile All South Dakota data →

Metro areas in South Dakota

Sioux Falls (293,107)Rapid City (151,064)Sioux City (144,007)All US metros →

County rankings

US Counties by Population Richest US Counties by Median Household Income Expensive US Counties by Home Value Educated US Counties Counties With Highest Poverty Rates Youngest US Counties by Median Age Oldest US Counties by Median Age Cheapest US Counties by Median Home Value Racially Diverse US Counties Counties With Largest Hispanic Population All rankings →

Frequently Asked Questions

Aurora County, South Dakota has a population of 2,573 according to the US Census Bureau's 2023 American Community Survey 5-year estimates, making it the 51st-largest county in South Dakota. Population density is 4 people per square mile.

The population of Aurora County has grown 1.9% since 2010 (2,701 → 2,752), a +0.13% annualized rate.

The median household income in Aurora County, South Dakota is $74,130, with mean (average) household income of $101,472 and per-capita income of $43,275. 4.4% of residents live below the federal poverty level.

In Aurora County, the largest racial and ethnic groups are White (91.9%), Hispanic or Latino (2.3%), Black or African American (1.0%). Figures are from the US Census Bureau's 2023 ACS 5-year estimates and reflect self-reported responses.

The median age in Aurora County, South Dakota is 42.4 years. Residents are 47.9% female and 52.1% male.

The median home value in Aurora County is $129,000 and median monthly rent is $739. 76.4% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. The county has 1,227 total housing units, 15.1% of which are vacant.

The largest employment sector in Aurora County, South Dakota is professional, scientific, and management services, employing 27.0% of workers. The unemployment rate is 0.5%.

Sioux Falls is among the largest cities associated with Aurora County, South Dakota, with a population of 197,642.