Fall River County, South Dakota

SD · FIPS 46047 Republican

Located in South Dakota, Fall River County has a population of 7,258 residents and a median age of 55.3 years, making it the #2,719 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 16.6%. The median home value is $193,200, and the median household income is $67,917, which is 10% below the national median.

7,258
Population
#2,719 of 3,222
$67,917
Median Income
-9.6% #1,350 of 3,222
55.3 years
Median Age
+42.2% #55 of 3,222
16.6%
Poverty Rate
+31.5% #2,230 of 3,222

Demographics

Fall River County has a population of 7,258, making it the #2,719 most populous county in the US. The median age is 55.3 years, which is 42.2% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

97.3%
Native Born
2.7%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Fall River County is $67,917, ranking #1,350 out of 3,222 counties — 9.6% below the national median. The poverty rate is 16.6% and unemployment stands at 2.5%.

Income#1,350
$67,917
-9.6%
vs nation
58th percentile
Per Capita#885
$39,497
-4.3%
vs nation
73th percentile
Poverty#2,230
16.6%
+31.5%
vs nation
31th percentile
Unemployment#444
2.5%
-53.2%
vs nation
86th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Fall River County is $193,200 (-31.5% vs national). Renters pay a median of $931/mo and the homeownership rate is 72.4%.

Home Value#1,479
$193,200
-31.5%
vs nation
54th percentile
Rent#1,274
$931
-19.9%
vs nation
60th percentile
Homeownership#1,947
72.4%
+12.5%
vs nation
40th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Fall River County, 29.4% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 12.7% below the national average, ranking #808 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
29.4% −12.7% vs nation
Rank #808 of 3,222
75th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Fall River County is 72.8 years. 16.2% of adults report poor or fair health and 12.8% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#2,282
72.8
-3.1%
vs nation
26th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#863
16.2%
-17.2%
vs nation
73th percentile
Diabetes#994
9.7%
-12.9%
vs nation
68th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#763
34.2%
-8.3%
vs nation
76th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#385
4.9
-12.4%
vs nation
88th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#744
3.9
-11.8%
vs nation
76th percentile
Uninsured Rate#2,284
12.8%
+22.1%
vs nation
27th percentile
Physical Inactivity#1,371
25.1%
-4.9%
vs nation
56th percentile
Food Insecurity#1,954
15.3%
+6.2%
vs nation
38th percentile

Substance Use

18.9% of adults in Fall River County smoke , 36.5% are obese , and 19.8% report excessive drinking.

Adult Smoking#1,969
18.9%
+5.2%
vs nation
37th percentile
Adult Obesity#1,030
36.5%
-3.7%
vs nation
67th percentile
Excessive Drinking#1,494
19.8%
-0.5%
vs nation
53th percentile

Safety

The suicide rate is 35.3 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 29.0 per 100,000.

Suicide Rate#2,461
35.3
+79.1%
vs nation
4th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#2,243
29.4
+64.5%
vs nation
9th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#2,341
29.0
+43.2%
vs nation
17th percentile

Families & Children

20.0% of children in Fall River County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 19.8 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#1,437
19.8
-9.4%
vs nation
52th percentile
Child Poverty#1,914
20.0%
+5.3%
vs nation
39th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Fall River County is 73.4%. The mean commute time is 19.6 min, which is 29.1% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
73.4% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
19.6 min −29.1% vs nation
Rank #2,870 of 3,222
11th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Fall River County voted Republican with a margin of 49.3%. The vote was 24.1% Dem / 73.4% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 4.2 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +49.3%
24.1% 73.4%
Dem 4,274 votes Rep
2020 REP +45.1%
26.1% 71.2%
Dem 4,042 votes Rep
2016 REP +47.5%
23% 70.5%
Dem 3,563 votes Rep
2012 REP +31.9%
32.4% 64.3%
Dem 3,511 votes Rep
2008 REP +26.5%
35.1% 61.6%
Dem 3,809 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Fall River County, South Dakota

Fall River County, South Dakota has a total population of 7,258, making it the 2,719th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Fall River County is 55.3 years, which is 42.2% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Fall River County is $67,917, which ranks #1,350 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 9.6% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 16.6%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 2.5%.

The median home value in Fall River County is $193,200, 31.5% below the national median. Renters in Fall River County pay a median gross rent of $931 per month. The homeownership rate is 72.4%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Fall River County, 29.4% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 12.7% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 86.8% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 19.6 min.

Fall River County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 83.9% of the population, followed by American Indian (non-Hispanic) (5.1%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).

All data for Fall River 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.