Aurora County, South Dakota

SD · FIPS 46003 Republican

Located in South Dakota, Aurora County has a population of 2,642 residents and a median age of 41.7 years, making it the #3,061 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 10.6%. The median home value is $151,900, and the median household income is $72,885, which is 3% below the national median.

2,642
Population
#3,061 of 3,222
$72,885
Median Income
-3.0% #980 of 3,222
41.7 years
Median Age
+7.2% #1,607 of 3,222
10.6%
Poverty Rate
-15.8% #923 of 3,222

Demographics

Aurora County has a population of 2,642, making it the #3,061 most populous county in the US. The median age is 41.7 years, which is 7.2% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

95.3%
Native Born
4.7%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Aurora County is $72,885, ranking #980 out of 3,222 counties — 3.0% below the national median. The poverty rate is 10.6% and unemployment stands at 1.2%.

Income#980
$72,885
-3.0%
vs nation
70th percentile
Per Capita#804
$40,190
-2.6%
vs nation
75th percentile
Poverty#923
10.6%
-15.8%
vs nation
71th percentile
Unemployment#127
1.2%
-76.7%
vs nation
96th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Aurora County is $151,900 (-46.1% vs national). Renters pay a median of $747/mo and the homeownership rate is 72.7%.

Home Value#2,210
$151,900
-46.1%
vs nation
31th percentile
Rent#2,491
$747
-35.8%
vs nation
23th percentile
Homeownership#1,896
72.7%
+13.0%
vs nation
41th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Aurora County, 21.4% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 36.5% below the national average, ranking #1,756 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
21.4% −36.5% vs nation
Rank #1,756 of 3,222
46th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Aurora County is 75.9 years. 13.4% of adults report poor or fair health and 11.0% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#1,322
75.9
+1.0%
vs nation
57th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#222
13.4%
-31.5%
vs nation
93th percentile
Diabetes#246
8.3%
-25.4%
vs nation
92th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#113
30.1%
-19.3%
vs nation
96th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#80
4.4
-21.7%
vs nation
98th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#87
3.3
-25.1%
vs nation
97th percentile
Uninsured Rate#1,929
11.0%
+5.4%
vs nation
39th percentile
Physical Inactivity#733
22.5%
-14.7%
vs nation
77th percentile
Food Insecurity#128
8.8%
-38.9%
vs nation
96th percentile

Substance Use

16.1% of adults in Aurora County smoke , 33.4% are obese , and 23.8% report excessive drinking.

Adult Smoking#1,000
16.1%
-10.3%
vs nation
68th percentile
Adult Obesity#501
33.4%
-11.9%
vs nation
84th percentile
Excessive Drinking#2,811
23.8%
+19.6%
vs nation
11th percentile

Safety

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Families & Children

15.3% of children in Aurora County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 18.6 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#1,338
18.6
-14.6%
vs nation
55th percentile
Child Poverty#1,158
15.3%
-19.4%
vs nation
63th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Aurora County is 73.6%. The mean commute time is 22.2 min, which is 19.7% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
73.6% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
22.2 min −19.7% vs nation
Rank #2,507 of 3,222
22th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Aurora County voted Republican with a margin of 54.1%. The vote was 21.7% Dem / 75.8% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 1.8 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +54.1%
21.7% 75.8%
Dem 1,393 votes Rep
2020 REP +52.3%
22.6% 74.9%
Dem 1,405 votes Rep
2016 REP +45.0%
24.2% 69.2%
Dem 1,407 votes Rep
2012 REP +17.7%
39.7% 57.4%
Dem 1,400 votes Rep
2008 REP +9.3%
43.8% 53.1%
Dem 1,495 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Aurora County, South Dakota

Aurora County, South Dakota has a total population of 2,642, making it the 3,061st most populous county in the United States. The median age in Aurora County is 41.7 years, which is 7.2% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Aurora County is $72,885, which ranks #980 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 3.0% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 10.6%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 1.2%.

The median home value in Aurora County is $151,900, 46.1% below the national median. Renters in Aurora County pay a median gross rent of $747 per month. The homeownership rate is 72.7%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Aurora County, 21.4% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 36.5% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 94.8% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 22.2 min.

Aurora County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 86.3% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (7.0%) and Two or More Races (5.4%).

All data for Aurora County, South Dakota comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.