Day County, South Dakota
Located in South Dakota, Day County has a population of 5,437 residents and a median age of 44.8 years, making it the #2,858 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 14.8%. The median home value is $173,600, and the median household income is $66,033, which is 12% below the national median.
Demographics
Day County has a population of 5,437, making it the #2,858 most populous county in the US. The median age is 44.8 years, which is 15.2% above the national median.
Population Trend
Rankings →Year-over-Year Population Growth
Age & Sex Distribution
Race & Ethnicity
Nativity
Geographic Mobility (Past Year)
Economy
The median household income in Day County is $66,033, ranking #1,535 out of 3,222 counties — 12.1% below the national median. The poverty rate is 14.8% and unemployment stands at 2.1%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Day County is $173,600 (-38.4% vs national). Renters pay a median of $660/mo and the homeownership rate is 74.6%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Day County, 22.0% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 34.7% below the national average, ranking #1,655 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Day County is 78.3 years. 15.2% of adults report poor or fair health and 12.5% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
18.1% of adults in Day County smoke , 37.8% are obese , and 22.7% report excessive drinking.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
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Families & Children
16.7% of children in Day County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 18.6 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Teen Birth Rate Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Day County is 69.7%. The mean commute time is 23.5 min, which is 14.8% below the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Day County voted Republican with a margin of 29.9%. The vote was 34.1% Dem / 64% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 2.3 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Day County, South Dakota
Day County, South Dakota has a total population of 5,437, making it the 2,858th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Day County is 44.8 years, which is 15.2% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Day County is $66,033, which ranks #1,535 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 12.1% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 14.8%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 2.1%.
The median home value in Day County is $173,600, 38.4% below the national median. Renters in Day County pay a median gross rent of $660 per month. The homeownership rate is 74.6%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Day County, 22.0% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 34.7% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 91.5% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 23.5 min.
Day County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 83.0% of the population, followed by American Indian (non-Hispanic) (9.8%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
All data for Day 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.