Sanborn County, South Dakota

SD · FIPS 46111 Republican

Located in South Dakota, Sanborn County has a population of 2,384 residents and a median age of 40.1 years, making it the #3,084 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 8.5%. The median home value is $135,600, and the median household income is $78,750, which is 5% above the national median.

2,384
Population
#3,084 of 3,222
$78,750
Median Income
+4.8% #636 of 3,222
40.1 years
Median Age
+3.1% #2,099 of 3,222
8.5%
Poverty Rate
-32.2% #473 of 3,222

Demographics

Sanborn County has a population of 2,384, making it the #3,084 most populous county in the US. The median age is 40.1 years, which is 3.1% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

98.3%
Native Born
1.7%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Sanborn County is $78,750, ranking #636 out of 3,222 counties — 4.8% above the national median. The poverty rate is 8.5% and unemployment stands at 0.6%.

Income#636
$78,750
+4.8%
vs nation
80th percentile
Per Capita#1,293
$36,781
-10.9%
vs nation
60th percentile
Poverty#473
8.5%
-32.2%
vs nation
85th percentile
Unemployment#53
0.6%
-89.4%
vs nation
98th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Sanborn County is $135,600 (-51.9% vs national). Renters pay a median of $725/mo and the homeownership rate is 78.6%.

Home Value#2,449
$135,600
-51.9%
vs nation
24th percentile
Rent#2,614
$725
-37.7%
vs nation
19th percentile
Homeownership#849
78.6%
+22.1%
vs nation
74th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Sanborn County, 21.3% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 36.8% below the national average, ranking #1,775 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
21.3% −36.8% vs nation
Rank #1,775 of 3,222
45th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Sanborn County is 77.3 years. 13.6% of adults report poor or fair health and 10.8% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#815
77.3
+2.9%
vs nation
73th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#258
13.6%
-30.5%
vs nation
92th percentile
Diabetes#249
8.3%
-25.4%
vs nation
92th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#79
29.5%
-20.9%
vs nation
98th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#41
4.3
-23.4%
vs nation
99th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#147
3.4
-23.1%
vs nation
95th percentile
Uninsured Rate#1,890
10.8%
+3.4%
vs nation
40th percentile
Physical Inactivity#545
21.5%
-18.5%
vs nation
83th percentile
Food Insecurity#345
10.2%
-29.2%
vs nation
89th percentile

Substance Use

15.0% of adults in Sanborn County smoke , 35.0% are obese , and 23.0% report excessive drinking.

Adult Smoking#659
15.0%
-16.5%
vs nation
79th percentile
Adult Obesity#731
35.0%
-7.7%
vs nation
77th percentile
Excessive Drinking#2,637
23.0%
+15.6%
vs nation
16th percentile

Safety

.

Families & Children

13.3% of children in Sanborn County live in poverty .

Child Poverty#827
13.3%
-30.0%
vs nation
74th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Sanborn County is 66.4%. The mean commute time is 22.9 min, which is 17.2% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
66.4% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
22.9 min −17.2% vs nation
Rank #2,366 of 3,222
27th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Sanborn County voted Republican with a margin of 55.3%. The vote was 21.4% Dem / 76.7% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 0.6 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +55.3%
21.4% 76.7%
Dem 1,212 votes Rep
2020 REP +54.7%
21.7% 76.4%
Dem 1,185 votes Rep
2016 REP +51.4%
21.5% 72.9%
Dem 1,123 votes Rep
2012 REP +26.8%
34.9% 61.7%
Dem 1,115 votes Rep
2008 REP +14.0%
41.4% 55.4%
Dem 1,207 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Sanborn County, South Dakota

Sanborn County, South Dakota has a total population of 2,384, making it the 3,084th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Sanborn County is 40.1 years, which is 3.1% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Sanborn County is $78,750, which ranks #636 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 4.8% above the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 8.5%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 0.6%.

The median home value in Sanborn County is $135,600, 51.9% below the national median. Renters in Sanborn County pay a median gross rent of $725 per month. The homeownership rate is 78.6%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Sanborn County, 21.3% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 36.8% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 94.7% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 22.9 min.

Sanborn County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 90.2% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (5.2%) and American Indian (non-Hispanic) (2.3%).

All data for Sanborn 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.