Douglas County, South Dakota

SD · FIPS 46043 Republican

Located in South Dakota, Douglas County has a population of 2,828 residents and a median age of 42.0 years, making it the #3,045 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 11.0%. The median home value is $166,900, and the median household income is $86,442, which is 15% above the national median.

2,828
Population
#3,045 of 3,222
$86,442
Median Income
+15.0% #392 of 3,222
42.0 years
Median Age
+8.0% #1,508 of 3,222
11.0%
Poverty Rate
-12.3% #1,016 of 3,222

Demographics

Douglas County has a population of 2,828, making it the #3,045 most populous county in the US. The median age is 42.0 years, which is 8.0% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

97.0%
Native Born
3.0%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Douglas County is $86,442, ranking #392 out of 3,222 counties — 15.0% above the national median. The poverty rate is 11.0% and unemployment stands at 0.5%.

Income#392
$86,442
+15.0%
vs nation
88th percentile
Per Capita#542
$43,158
+4.6%
vs nation
83th percentile
Poverty#1,016
11.0%
-12.3%
vs nation
68th percentile
Unemployment#47
0.5%
-91.2%
vs nation
99th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Douglas County is $166,900 (-40.8% vs national). Renters pay a median of $877/mo and the homeownership rate is 76.7%.

Home Value#1,871
$166,900
-40.8%
vs nation
42th percentile
Rent#1,570
$877
-24.6%
vs nation
51th percentile
Homeownership#1,221
76.7%
+19.1%
vs nation
62th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Douglas County, 24.9% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 26.0% below the national average, ranking #1,232 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
24.9% −26.0% vs nation
Rank #1,232 of 3,222
62th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Douglas County is 80.9 years. 14.6% of adults report poor or fair health and 12.8% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#131
80.9
+7.6%
vs nation
96th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#451
14.6%
-25.4%
vs nation
86th percentile
Diabetes#311
8.5%
-23.6%
vs nation
90th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#262
31.4%
-15.8%
vs nation
92th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#166
4.6
-18.3%
vs nation
95th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#309
3.6
-19.0%
vs nation
90th percentile
Uninsured Rate#2,288
12.8%
+22.3%
vs nation
27th percentile
Physical Inactivity#872
23.1%
-12.4%
vs nation
72th percentile
Food Insecurity#739
11.7%
-18.8%
vs nation
77th percentile

Substance Use

17.1% of adults in Douglas County smoke , 36.2% are obese , and 22.6% report excessive drinking.

Adult Smoking#1,332
17.1%
-4.8%
vs nation
58th percentile
Adult Obesity#968
36.2%
-4.5%
vs nation
69th percentile
Excessive Drinking#2,538
22.6%
+13.6%
vs nation
19th percentile

Safety

.

Families & Children

11.3% of children in Douglas County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 16.0 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#1,027
16.0
-26.7%
vs nation
66th percentile
Child Poverty#498
11.3%
-40.5%
vs nation
84th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Douglas County is 77.6%. The mean commute time is 20.8 min, which is 24.8% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
77.6% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
20.8 min −24.8% vs nation
Rank #2,738 of 3,222
15th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Douglas County voted Republican with a margin of 72.4%. The vote was 13.2% Dem / 85.6% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted +0.9 toward Democrats .

2024 REP +72.4%
13.2% 85.6%
Dem 1,658 votes Rep
2020 REP +73.3%
12.7% 86%
Dem 1,707 votes Rep
2016 REP +70.1%
13.3% 83.4%
Dem 1,605 votes Rep
2012 REP +59.3%
19.6% 78.9%
Dem 1,690 votes Rep
2008 REP +49.5%
24.1% 73.6%
Dem 1,756 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Douglas County, South Dakota

Douglas County, South Dakota has a total population of 2,828, making it the 3,045th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Douglas County is 42.0 years, which is 8.0% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Douglas County is $86,442, which ranks #392 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 15.0% above the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 11.0%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 0.5%.

The median home value in Douglas County is $166,900, 40.8% below the national median. Renters in Douglas County pay a median gross rent of $877 per month. The homeownership rate is 76.7%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Douglas County, 24.9% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 26.0% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 84.0% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 20.8 min.

Douglas County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 91.8% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (3.0%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).

All data for Douglas 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.