Lincoln County, South Dakota

SD · FIPS 46083 Republican

Located in South Dakota, Lincoln County has a population of 70,638 residents and a median age of 35.9 years, making it the #784 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 5.6%. The median home value is $348,300, and the median household income is $99,166, which is 32% above the national median.

70,638
Population
#784 of 3,222
$99,166
Median Income
+32.0% #178 of 3,222
35.9 years
Median Age
-7.7% #2,891 of 3,222
5.6%
Poverty Rate
-55.7% #84 of 3,222

Demographics

Lincoln County has a population of 70,638, making it the #784 most populous county in the US. The median age is 35.9 years, which is 7.7% below the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

95.1%
Native Born
4.9%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Lincoln County is $99,166, ranking #178 out of 3,222 counties — 32.0% above the national median. The poverty rate is 5.6% and unemployment stands at 1.7%.

Income#178
$99,166
+32.0%
vs nation
95th percentile
Per Capita#175
$52,585
+27.4%
vs nation
95th percentile
Poverty#84
5.6%
-55.7%
vs nation
97th percentile
Unemployment#207
1.7%
-68.3%
vs nation
94th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Lincoln County is $348,300 (+23.6% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,260/mo and the homeownership rate is 71.2%.

Home Value#428
$348,300
+23.6%
vs nation
87th percentile
Rent#466
$1,260
+8.3%
vs nation
86th percentile
Homeownership#2,130
71.2%
+10.6%
vs nation
34th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Lincoln County, 44.4% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 31.9% above the national average, ranking #179 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
44.4% +31.9% vs nation
Rank #179 of 3,222
94th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Lincoln County is 83.8 years. 9.8% of adults report poor or fair health and 6.6% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#28
83.8
+11.5%
vs nation
99th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#5
9.8%
-49.9%
vs nation
100th percentile
Diabetes#56
7.3%
-34.4%
vs nation
98th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#13
26.9%
-27.9%
vs nation
100th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#1
3.5
-38.0%
vs nation
100th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#2
2.8
-37.4%
vs nation
100th percentile
Uninsured Rate#647
6.6%
-37.3%
vs nation
79th percentile
Physical Inactivity#87
17.1%
-35.2%
vs nation
97th percentile
Food Insecurity#61
7.9%
-45.2%
vs nation
98th percentile

Substance Use

10.1% of adults in Lincoln County smoke , 32.6% are obese , and 23.2% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 7.4 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#54
10.1%
-43.8%
vs nation
98th percentile
Adult Obesity#387
32.6%
-14.0%
vs nation
88th percentile
Excessive Drinking#2,696
23.2%
+16.8%
vs nation
14th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#6
7.4
-77.0%
vs nation
100th percentile

Safety

The suicide rate is 13.4 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 7.6 per 100,000.

Suicide Rate#480
13.4
-32.1%
vs nation
81th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#189
7.8
-56.5%
vs nation
92th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#145
7.6
-62.4%
vs nation
95th percentile

Families & Children

3.8% of children in Lincoln County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 4.6 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 7.1 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#189
4.6
-31.9%
vs nation
86th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#198
7.1
-67.4%
vs nation
93th percentile
Child Poverty#5
3.8%
-80.0%
vs nation
100th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Lincoln County is 78.9%. The mean commute time is 21.1 min, which is 23.5% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
78.9% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
21.1 min −23.5% vs nation
Rank #2,693 of 3,222
16th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Lincoln County voted Republican with a margin of 26.5%. The vote was 35.7% Dem / 62.2% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 2.9 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +26.5%
35.7% 62.2%
Dem 36,393 votes Rep
2020 REP +23.6%
37% 60.6%
Dem 32,396 votes Rep
2016 REP +29.4%
32% 61.4%
Dem 25,231 votes Rep
2012 REP +25.6%
36.4% 62%
Dem 21,952 votes Rep
2008 REP +15.2%
41.6% 56.8%
Dem 20,767 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Lincoln County, South Dakota

Lincoln County, South Dakota has a total population of 70,638, making it the 784th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Lincoln County is 35.9 years, which is 7.7% below the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Lincoln County is $99,166, which ranks #178 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 32.0% above the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 5.6%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 1.7%.

The median home value in Lincoln County is $348,300, 23.6% above the national median. Renters in Lincoln County pay a median gross rent of $1,260 per month. The homeownership rate is 71.2%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Lincoln County, 44.4% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 31.9% above the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 95.9% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 21.1 min.

Lincoln County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 89.0% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (3.2%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).

All data for Lincoln 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.