Meade County, South Dakota
Located in South Dakota, Meade County has a population of 30,546 residents and a median age of 37.3 years, making it the #1,463 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 7.1%. The median home value is $310,900, and the median household income is $74,790, which is 0% below the national median.
Demographics
Meade County has a population of 30,546, making it the #1,463 most populous county in the US. The median age is 37.3 years, which is 4.1% below 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 Meade County is $74,790, ranking #858 out of 3,222 counties — 0.5% below the national median. The poverty rate is 7.1% and unemployment stands at 2.9%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Meade County is $310,900 (+10.3% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,264/mo and the homeownership rate is 72.9%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Meade County, 27.8% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 17.6% below the national average, ranking #945 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Meade County is 78.5 years. 12.1% of adults report poor or fair health and 8.6% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
14.5% of adults in Meade County smoke , 33.3% are obese , and 24.3% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 13.4 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The suicide rate is 23.1 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 12.4 per 100,000.
Suicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
8.5% of children in Meade County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 15.2 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Teen Birth Rate Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Meade County is 63.5%. The mean commute time is 22.1 min, which is 20.0% below the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Meade County voted Republican with a margin of 50.9%. The vote was 23.3% Dem / 74.2% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 2.7 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Meade County, South Dakota
Meade County, South Dakota has a total population of 30,546, making it the 1,463rd most populous county in the United States. The median age in Meade County is 37.3 years, which is 4.1% below the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Meade County is $74,790, which ranks #858 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 0.5% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 7.1%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 2.9%.
The median home value in Meade County is $310,900, 10.3% above the national median. Renters in Meade County pay a median gross rent of $1,264 per month. The homeownership rate is 72.9%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Meade County, 27.8% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 17.6% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 90.6% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 22.1 min.
Meade County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 85.0% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (5.4%) and Hispanic or Latino (4.9%).
All data for Meade 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.