Douglas County, South Dakota Population 2026

Updated April 2026 · US Census ACS 2023 5-Year Estimates · 50th-largest in South Dakota

The population of Douglas County, South Dakota is 2,823 as of the 2023 American Community Survey, making it the 50th-largest county in South Dakota. The median household income is $78,125, the median home value is $125,000, and the median age is 41.9.

The population of Douglas County has declined 4.7% since 2010 (2,991 → 2,849), a -0.35% annualized rate.

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

2,823

Population

-0.35%

Annual growth

People / sq mi

$78,125

Median Income

$125,000

Median Home Value

Douglas County covers 432 sq mi of land at 6.5 people per square mile.

About Douglas County, SD

Douglas County is a county in South Dakota with a population of 2,823. It ranks #50 among counties in South Dakota by population. The median age is 41.9, older than the national median. The population is 49.7% male and 50.3% female.

The median household income in Douglas County is $78,125, near the US median of $74,580. 7.2% of residents live below the federal poverty level. Home values sit at a median of $125,000, with monthly rent averaging $864. The homeownership rate of 77.7% is higher than the national rate of 64.8%.

Educational attainment in Douglas County reflects 22.9% of adults 25 and older holding a bachelor's degree or higher, below the national average of 34.3%. Roughly 8.7% of workers primarily work from home, below the national work-from-home rate of 14.2%. The average commute is 20.5 minutes each way.

Douglas County Population History (2010-2024)

The county of Douglas County had a population of 2,991 in 2010 and 2,849 in 2024, a -4.7% growth over 14 years. The peak was 2,991 in 2010. Average annual growth rate: -0.34%.

2,849

Population (2024)

2,991

Population (2010)

2,991

Peak (2010)

-0.34%

Avg Annual Growth

Year	Population	Change	Annual %	Source
2010	2,991	-	-	estimate
2011	2,970	-21	-0.70%	estimate
2012	2,944	-26	-0.88%	estimate
2013	2,969	+25	+0.85%	estimate
2014	2,924	-45	-1.52%	estimate
2015	2,947	+23	+0.79%	estimate
2016	2,911	-36	-1.22%	estimate
2017	2,914	+3	+0.10%	estimate
2018	2,919	+5	+0.17%	estimate
2019	2,911	-8	-0.27%	estimate
2020	2,834	-77	-2.65%	estimate
2021	2,813	-21	-0.74%	estimate
2022	2,797	-16	-0.57%	estimate
2023	2,844	+47	+1.68%	estimate
2024	2,849	+5	+0.18%	estimate

Race & Ethnicity

White	93.1%
Black or African American	1.5%
Asian	0.0%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	2.6%
Two or More Races	0.0%

Age & Sex

41.9

Median Age

50.3%

Female

49.7%

Male

23.4%

Age 65+

Age Distribution

Under 5

8.0%

5–9

7.7%

10–14

6.4%

15–19

6.0%

20–24

4.0%

25–34

10.8%

35–44

9.6%

45–54

8.5%

55–59

6.7%

60–64

8.9%

65–74

11.9%

75–84

7.0%

85+

4.5%

Children (under 15): 22.1% · Seniors (65+): 23.4%

Income & Poverty

Median household income	$78,125+$5,704 vs state
Mean household income	$93,588
Per-capita income	$37,172
Poverty rate	7.2%-0.2% vs state
Unemployment rate	0.5%
Employment-to-population	67.1%

Top Industries by Employment

Professional & business services

20.1%

Agriculture

18.5%

Construction

9.5%

Public administration

7.6%

Education & health care

6.8%

Manufacturing

5.9%

Arts, entertainment & food

5.8%

Retail trade

4.1%

The largest employment sector in Douglas County is professional & business services, accounting for 20.1% of workers.

How residents commute

0.5%

Drive alone

9.1%

Carpool

76.1%

Public transit

8.7%

Work from home

20.5 min

Avg commute

Housing

$125,000$-111,800 vs state

Median home value

$864

Median rent

77.7%

Homeownership rate

1,354

Total housing units

82.5%

Occupied

17.5%

Vacant

22.3%

Renter-occupied

Social & access

81.2%

With health insurance

89.0%

With broadband internet

21.1%

Foreign-born

8.2%

Veterans (18+)

11.2%

With a disability

97.5%

Speak language other than English at home

Education

91.7%

High School+

22.9%

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

Douglas County, South Dakota has a population of 2,823 according to the US Census Bureau's 2023 American Community Survey 5-year estimates, making it the 50th-largest county in South Dakota. Population density is 7 people per square mile.

The population of Douglas County has declined 4.7% since 2010 (2,991 → 2,849), a -0.35% annualized rate.

The median household income in Douglas County, South Dakota is $78,125, with mean (average) household income of $93,588 and per-capita income of $37,172. 7.2% of residents live below the federal poverty level.

In Douglas County, the largest racial and ethnic groups are White (93.1%), Hispanic or Latino (2.6%), Black or African American (1.5%). Figures are from the US Census Bureau's 2023 ACS 5-year estimates and reflect self-reported responses.

The median age in Douglas County, South Dakota is 41.9 years. Residents are 50.3% female and 49.7% male.

The median home value in Douglas County is $125,000 and median monthly rent is $864. 77.7% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. The county has 1,354 total housing units, 17.5% of which are vacant.

The largest employment sector in Douglas County, South Dakota is professional, scientific, and management services, employing 20.1% of workers. The unemployment rate is 0.5%.

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