McPherson County, South Dakota

SD · FIPS 46089 Republican

Located in South Dakota, McPherson County has a population of 2,145 residents and a median age of 50.0 years, making it the #3,109 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 12.9%. The median home value is $85,600, and the median household income is $66,906, which is 11% below the national median.

2,145
Population
#3,109 of 3,222
$66,906
Median Income
-11.0% #1,443 of 3,222
50.0 years
Median Age
+28.5% #226 of 3,222
12.9%
Poverty Rate
+2.1% #1,489 of 3,222

Demographics

McPherson County has a population of 2,145, making it the #3,109 most populous county in the US. The median age is 50.0 years, which is 28.5% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

99.7%
Native Born
0.3%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in McPherson County is $66,906, ranking #1,443 out of 3,222 counties — 11.0% below the national median. The poverty rate is 12.9% and unemployment stands at 1.1%.

Income#1,443
$66,906
-11.0%
vs nation
55th percentile
Per Capita#328
$46,476
+12.6%
vs nation
90th percentile
Poverty#1,489
12.9%
+2.1%
vs nation
54th percentile
Unemployment#108
1.1%
-79.7%
vs nation
97th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in McPherson County is $85,600 (-69.6% vs national). Renters pay a median of $594/mo and the homeownership rate is 81.3%.

Home Value#3,130
$85,600
-69.6%
vs nation
3th percentile
Rent#3,056
$594
-48.9%
vs nation
5th percentile
Homeownership#445
81.3%
+26.3%
vs nation
86th percentile

Household Type

Education

In McPherson County, 26.5% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 21.4% below the national average, ranking #1,061 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
26.5% −21.4% vs nation
Rank #1,061 of 3,222
67th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in McPherson County is 81.7 years. 13.8% of adults report poor or fair health and 8.0% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#79
81.7
+8.7%
vs nation
98th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#294
13.8%
-29.5%
vs nation
91th percentile
Diabetes#312
8.5%
-23.6%
vs nation
90th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#105
30.0%
-19.6%
vs nation
97th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#269
4.8
-15.1%
vs nation
92th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#490
3.8
-15.7%
vs nation
84th percentile
Uninsured Rate#1,207
8.0%
-23.4%
vs nation
62th percentile
Physical Inactivity#714
22.4%
-15.1%
vs nation
77th percentile
Food Insecurity#770
11.8%
-18.1%
vs nation
76th percentile

Substance Use

15.2% of adults in McPherson County smoke , 37.8% are obese , and 22.1% report excessive drinking.

Adult Smoking#714
15.2%
-15.4%
vs nation
77th percentile
Adult Obesity#1,389
37.8%
-0.3%
vs nation
56th percentile
Excessive Drinking#2,416
22.1%
+11.3%
vs nation
23th percentile

Safety

.

Families & Children

19.0% of children in McPherson County live in poverty .

Child Poverty#1,765
19.0%
0.0%
vs nation
44th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in McPherson County is 73.3%. The mean commute time is 20.2 min, which is 27.0% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
73.3% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
20.2 min −27.0% vs nation
Rank #2,794 of 3,222
13th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, McPherson County voted Republican with a margin of 69.2%. The vote was 14.5% Dem / 83.7% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 4.8 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +69.2%
14.5% 83.7%
Dem 1,299 votes Rep
2020 REP +64.4%
16.8% 81.2%
Dem 1,324 votes Rep
2016 REP +61.6%
16.9% 78.5%
Dem 1,137 votes Rep
2012 REP +53.4%
22.4% 75.8%
Dem 1,215 votes Rep
2008 REP +34.4%
32.1% 66.5%
Dem 1,375 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About McPherson County, South Dakota

McPherson County, South Dakota has a total population of 2,145, making it the 3,109th most populous county in the United States. The median age in McPherson County is 50.0 years, which is 28.5% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in McPherson County is $66,906, which ranks #1,443 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 11.0% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 12.9%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 1.1%.

The median home value in McPherson County is $85,600, 69.6% below the national median. Renters in McPherson County pay a median gross rent of $594 per month. The homeownership rate is 81.3%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In McPherson County, 26.5% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 21.4% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 98.1% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 20.2 min.

McPherson County is a community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 96.8% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (2.8%).

All data for McPherson 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.