Harding County, South Dakota

SD · FIPS 46063 Republican

Located in South Dakota, Harding County has a population of 1,148 residents and a median age of 46.3 years, making it the #3,180 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 6.3%. The median home value is $166,100, and the median household income is $80,441, which is 7% above the national median.

1,148
Population
#3,180 of 3,222
$80,441
Median Income
+7.0% #567 of 3,222
46.3 years
Median Age
+19.0% #558 of 3,222
6.3%
Poverty Rate
-49.8% #142 of 3,222

Demographics

Harding County has a population of 1,148, making it the #3,180 most populous county in the US. The median age is 46.3 years, which is 19.0% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

99.0%
Native Born
1.0%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Harding County is $80,441, ranking #567 out of 3,222 counties — 7.0% above the national median. The poverty rate is 6.3% and unemployment stands at 0.9%.

Income#567
$80,441
+7.0%
vs nation
82th percentile
Per Capita#369
$45,756
+10.9%
vs nation
89th percentile
Poverty#142
6.3%
-49.8%
vs nation
96th percentile
Unemployment#82
0.9%
-83.7%
vs nation
97th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Harding County is $166,100 (-41.1% vs national). Renters pay a median of $521/mo and the homeownership rate is 76.5%.

Home Value#1,887
$166,100
-41.1%
vs nation
41th percentile
Rent#3,153
$521
-55.2%
vs nation
2th percentile
Homeownership#1,264
76.5%
+18.8%
vs nation
61th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Harding County, 30.4% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 9.8% below the national average, ranking #735 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
30.4% −9.8% vs nation
Rank #735 of 3,222
77th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

11.1% of adults report poor or fair health and 11.3% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Poor/Fair Health#24
11.1%
-43.3%
vs nation
99th percentile
Diabetes#88
7.6%
-31.7%
vs nation
97th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#71
29.4%
-21.2%
vs nation
98th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#9
4.2
-25.7%
vs nation
100th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#19
3.1
-30.7%
vs nation
99th percentile
Uninsured Rate#1,990
11.3%
+7.8%
vs nation
37th percentile
Physical Inactivity#153
18.2%
-31.0%
vs nation
95th percentile
Food Insecurity#160
9.1%
-36.8%
vs nation
95th percentile

Substance Use

12.9% of adults in Harding County smoke , 33.7% are obese , and 24.2% report excessive drinking.

Adult Smoking#278
12.9%
-28.2%
vs nation
91th percentile
Adult Obesity#532
33.7%
-11.1%
vs nation
83th percentile
Excessive Drinking#2,884
24.2%
+21.7%
vs nation
8th percentile

Safety

.

Families & Children

13.6% of children in Harding County live in poverty .

Child Poverty#876
13.6%
-28.4%
vs nation
72th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Harding County is 88.4%. The mean commute time is 20.0 min, which is 27.5% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
88.4% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
20.0 min −27.5% vs nation
Rank #2,822 of 3,222
12th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Harding County voted Republican with a margin of 86.1%. The vote was 5.9% Dem / 92% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 0.1 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +86.1%
5.9% 92%
Dem 820 votes Rep
2020 REP +86.0%
6% 92%
Dem 813 votes Rep
2016 REP +85.3%
4.9% 90.2%
Dem 769 votes Rep
2012 REP +75.2%
11.1% 86.3%
Dem 739 votes Rep
2008 REP +59.9%
18.4% 78.3%
Dem 734 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Harding County, South Dakota

Harding County, South Dakota has a total population of 1,148, making it the 3,180th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Harding County is 46.3 years, which is 19.0% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Harding County is $80,441, which ranks #567 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 7.0% above the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 6.3%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 0.9%.

The median home value in Harding County is $166,100, 41.1% below the national median. Renters in Harding County pay a median gross rent of $521 per month. The homeownership rate is 76.5%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Harding County, 30.4% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 9.8% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 97.2% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 20.0 min.

Harding County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 91.2% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (4.0%) and Black (non-Hispanic) (1.5%).

All data for Harding 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.