Harding County, South Dakota Population 2026

Updated April 2026 · US Census ACS 2023 5-Year Estimates · 65th-largest in South Dakota

The population of Harding County, South Dakota is 1,092 as of the 2023 American Community Survey, making it the 65th-largest county in South Dakota. The median household income is $74,766, the median home value is $156,400, and the median age is 48.9.

The population of Harding County has grown 6.3% since 2010 (1,246 → 1,325), a +0.44% annualized rate.

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

1,092

Population

+0.44%

Annual growth

People / sq mi

$74,766

Median Income

$156,400

Median Home Value

Harding County covers 2,672 sq mi of land at 0.4 people per square mile.

About Harding County, SD

Harding County is a county in South Dakota with a population of 1,092. It ranks #65 among counties in South Dakota by population. The median age is 48.9, older than the national median. The population is 55.1% male and 44.9% female.

The median household income in Harding County is $74,766, near the US median of $74,580. 2.8% of residents live below the federal poverty level. Home values sit at a median of $156,400, with monthly rent averaging $478. The homeownership rate of 77.1% is higher than the national rate of 64.8%.

Educational attainment in Harding County reflects 30.4% of adults 25 and older holding a bachelor's degree or higher, below the national average of 34.3%. Roughly 22.7% of workers primarily work from home, noticeably above the national work-from-home rate of 14.2%. The average commute is 17.0 minutes each way.

Harding County Population History (2010-2024)

The county of Harding County had a population of 1,246 in 2010 and 1,325 in 2024, a 6.3% growth over 14 years. The peak was 1,329 in 2022. Average annual growth rate: 0.46%.

1,325

Population (2024)

1,246

Population (2010)

1,329

Peak (2022)

0.46%

Avg Annual Growth

Year	Population	Change	Annual %	Source
2010	1,246	-	-	estimate
2011	1,275	+29	+2.33%	estimate
2012	1,304	+29	+2.27%	estimate
2013	1,259	-45	-3.45%	estimate
2014	1,245	-14	-1.11%	estimate
2015	1,269	+24	+1.93%	estimate
2016	1,266	-3	-0.24%	estimate
2017	1,243	-23	-1.82%	estimate
2018	1,252	+9	+0.72%	estimate
2019	1,307	+55	+4.39%	estimate
2020	1,308	+1	+0.08%	estimate
2021	1,325	+17	+1.30%	estimate
2022	1,329	+4	+0.30%	estimate
2023	1,314	-15	-1.13%	estimate
2024	1,325	+11	+0.84%	estimate

Race & Ethnicity

White	88.6%
Black or African American	1.6%
Asian	0.0%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	8.2%
Two or More Races	0.0%

Age & Sex

48.9

Median Age

44.9%

Female

55.1%

Male

20.0%

Age 65+

Age Distribution

Under 5

5.8%

5–9

5.5%

10–14

5.5%

15–19

6.3%

20–24

2.1%

25–34

10.7%

35–44

10.6%

45–54

11.4%

55–59

10.3%

60–64

11.7%

65–74

17.4%

75–84

1.8%

85+

0.8%

Children (under 15): 16.8% · Seniors (65+): 20.0%

Income & Poverty

Median household income	$74,766+$2,345 vs state
Mean household income	$109,939
Per-capita income	$48,974
Poverty rate	2.8%-4.6% vs state
Unemployment rate	0.8%
Employment-to-population	75.7%

Top Industries by Employment

Agriculture

45.3%

Construction

8.3%

Professional & business services

7.6%

Public administration

6.4%

Arts, entertainment & food

6.1%

Retail trade

5.0%

Education & health care

3.3%

Finance & real estate

2.2%

The largest employment sector in Harding County is agriculture, accounting for 45.3% of workers.

How residents commute

0.0%

Drive alone

11.2%

Carpool

55.6%

Public transit

22.7%

Work from home

17.0 min

Avg commute

Housing

$156,400$-80,400 vs state

Median home value

$478

Median rent

77.1%

Homeownership rate

702

Total housing units

70.2%

Occupied

29.8%

Vacant

22.9%

Renter-occupied

Social & access

96.6%

With health insurance

93.1%

With broadband internet

37.5%

Foreign-born

9.5%

Veterans (18+)

8.2%

With a disability

96.6%

Speak language other than English at home

Education

94.5%

High School+

30.4%

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

Harding County, South Dakota has a population of 1,092 according to the US Census Bureau's 2023 American Community Survey 5-year estimates, making it the 65th-largest county in South Dakota. Population density is 0 people per square mile.

The population of Harding County has grown 6.3% since 2010 (1,246 → 1,325), a +0.44% annualized rate.

The median household income in Harding County, South Dakota is $74,766, with mean (average) household income of $109,939 and per-capita income of $48,974. 2.8% of residents live below the federal poverty level.

In Harding County, the largest racial and ethnic groups are White (88.6%), Hispanic or Latino (8.2%), Black or African American (1.6%). Figures are from the US Census Bureau's 2023 ACS 5-year estimates and reflect self-reported responses.

The median age in Harding County, South Dakota is 48.9 years. Residents are 44.9% female and 55.1% male.

The median home value in Harding County is $156,400 and median monthly rent is $478. 77.1% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. The county has 702 total housing units, 29.8% of which are vacant.

The largest employment sector in Harding County, South Dakota is agriculture, forestry, fishing, and mining, employing 45.3% of workers. The unemployment rate is 0.8%.

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