Beadle County, South Dakota

SD · FIPS 46005 Republican

Located in South Dakota, Beadle County has a population of 19,309 residents and a median age of 37.6 years, making it the #1,922 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 13.6%. The median home value is $175,100, and the median household income is $67,681, which is 10% below the national median.

19,309
Population
#1,922 of 3,222
$67,681
Median Income
-9.9% #1,369 of 3,222
37.6 years
Median Age
-3.3% #2,658 of 3,222
13.6%
Poverty Rate
+8.0% #1,663 of 3,222

Demographics

Beadle County has a population of 19,309, making it the #1,922 most populous county in the US. The median age is 37.6 years, which is 3.3% below the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

87.9%
Native Born
12.1%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Beadle County is $67,681, ranking #1,369 out of 3,222 counties — 9.9% below the national median. The poverty rate is 13.6% and unemployment stands at 1.9%.

Income#1,369
$67,681
-9.9%
vs nation
58th percentile
Per Capita#1,766
$33,964
-17.7%
vs nation
45th percentile
Poverty#1,663
13.6%
+8.0%
vs nation
48th percentile
Unemployment#254
1.9%
-64.3%
vs nation
92th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Beadle County is $175,100 (-37.9% vs national). Renters pay a median of $879/mo and the homeownership rate is 72.9%.

Home Value#1,705
$175,100
-37.9%
vs nation
47th percentile
Rent#1,557
$879
-24.4%
vs nation
52th percentile
Homeownership#1,879
72.9%
+13.2%
vs nation
42th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Beadle County, 27.2% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 19.4% below the national average, ranking #997 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
27.2% −19.4% vs nation
Rank #997 of 3,222
69th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Beadle County is 78.4 years. 18.9% of adults report poor or fair health and 12.9% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#554
78.4
+4.3%
vs nation
82th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#1,586
18.9%
-3.4%
vs nation
50th percentile
Diabetes#1,280
10.2%
-8.4%
vs nation
59th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#399
32.3%
-13.4%
vs nation
87th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#59
4.4
-22.4%
vs nation
98th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#382
3.7
-17.5%
vs nation
88th percentile
Uninsured Rate#2,310
12.9%
+23.4%
vs nation
27th percentile
Physical Inactivity#2,170
28.8%
+9.2%
vs nation
31th percentile
Food Insecurity#384
10.4%
-27.8%
vs nation
88th percentile

Substance Use

19.2% of adults in Beadle County smoke , 34.7% are obese , and 19.4% report excessive drinking.

Adult Smoking#2,056
19.2%
+6.9%
vs nation
35th percentile
Adult Obesity#675
34.7%
-8.5%
vs nation
79th percentile
Excessive Drinking#1,339
19.4%
-2.4%
vs nation
57th percentile

Safety

The suicide rate is 25.4 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 10.7 per 100,000.

Suicide Rate#2,102
25.4
+28.9%
vs nation
18th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#1,444
18.0
+0.8%
vs nation
41th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#438
10.7
-47.1%
vs nation
85th percentile

Families & Children

19.3% of children in Beadle County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 9.7 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 50.2 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#1,230
9.7
+42.4%
vs nation
10th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#2,952
50.2
+129.8%
vs nation
2th percentile
Child Poverty#1,815
19.3%
+1.6%
vs nation
42th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Beadle County is 59.0%. The mean commute time is 15.5 min, which is 43.9% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
59.0% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
15.5 min −43.9% vs nation
Rank #3,142 of 3,222
2th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Beadle County voted Republican with a margin of 40.0%. The vote was 28.8% Dem / 68.8% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 1.9 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +40.0%
28.8% 68.8%
Dem 7,010 votes Rep
2020 REP +38.1%
29.8% 67.9%
Dem 7,081 votes Rep
2016 REP +37.6%
28.2% 65.8%
Dem 6,772 votes Rep
2012 REP +18.5%
39.7% 58.2%
Dem 7,263 votes Rep
2008 REP +7.3%
45.3% 52.6%
Dem 7,714 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Beadle County, South Dakota

Beadle County, South Dakota has a total population of 19,309, making it the 1,922nd most populous county in the United States. The median age in Beadle County is 37.6 years, which is 3.3% below the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Beadle County is $67,681, which ranks #1,369 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 9.9% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 13.6%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 1.9%.

The median home value in Beadle County is $175,100, 37.9% below the national median. Renters in Beadle County pay a median gross rent of $879 per month. The homeownership rate is 72.9%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Beadle County, 27.2% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 19.4% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 92.6% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 15.5 min.

Beadle County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 68.1% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (14.9%) and Asian (non-Hispanic) (9.8%).

All data for Beadle 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.