Lake County, South Dakota
Located in South Dakota, Lake County has a population of 10,972 residents and a median age of 43.8 years, making it the #2,418 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 8.4%. The median home value is $247,600, and the median household income is $76,808, which is 2% above the national median.
Demographics
Lake County has a population of 10,972, making it the #2,418 most populous county in the US. The median age is 43.8 years, which is 12.6% 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 Lake County is $76,808, ranking #735 out of 3,222 counties — 2.2% above the national median. The poverty rate is 8.4% and unemployment stands at 2.9%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Lake County is $247,600 (-12.2% vs national). Renters pay a median of $947/mo and the homeownership rate is 73.8%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Lake County, 34.6% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 2.8% above the national average, ranking #483 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Lake County is 79.8 years. 11.4% of adults report poor or fair health and 9.5% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
15.2% of adults in Lake County smoke , 35.8% are obese , and 24.5% report excessive drinking.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The suicide rate is 14.9 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 11.2 per 100,000.
Motor Vehicle Deaths Trend
Families & Children
8.9% of children in Lake County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 8.6 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Teen Birth Rate Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Lake County is 59.1%. The mean commute time is 17.2 min, which is 37.8% below the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Lake County voted Republican with a margin of 31.2%. The vote was 33.5% Dem / 64.7% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 3.7 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Lake County, South Dakota
Lake County, South Dakota has a total population of 10,972, making it the 2,418th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Lake County is 43.8 years, which is 12.6% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Lake County is $76,808, which ranks #735 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 2.2% above the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 8.4%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 2.9%.
The median home value in Lake County is $247,600, 12.2% below the national median. Renters in Lake County pay a median gross rent of $947 per month. The homeownership rate is 73.8%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Lake County, 34.6% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 2.8% above the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 96.0% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 17.2 min.
Lake County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 88.8% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (5.3%) and American Indian (non-Hispanic) (2.5%).
All data for Lake 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.