Stanley County, South Dakota
Located in South Dakota, Stanley County has a population of 3,015 residents and a median age of 44.5 years, making it the #3,032 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 5.1%. The median home value is $203,500, and the median household income is $87,712, which is 17% above the national median.
Demographics
Stanley County has a population of 3,015, making it the #3,032 most populous county in the US. The median age is 44.5 years, which is 14.4% 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 Stanley County is $87,712, ranking #358 out of 3,222 counties — 16.7% above the national median. The poverty rate is 5.1% and unemployment stands at 0.5%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Stanley County is $203,500 (-27.8% vs national). Renters pay a median of $952/mo and the homeownership rate is 83.1%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Stanley County, 28.2% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 16.2% below the national average, ranking #905 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Stanley County is 78.6 years. 12.5% of adults report poor or fair health and 10.3% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
16.4% of adults in Stanley County smoke , 33.7% are obese , and 24.6% report excessive drinking.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
.
Families & Children
9.4% of children in Stanley County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 21.9 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Teen Birth Rate Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Stanley County is 67.7%. The mean commute time is 19.3 min, which is 30.0% below the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Stanley County voted Republican with a margin of 46.8%. The vote was 25.8% Dem / 72.6% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted +0.5 toward Democrats .
Vote Share Over Time
About Stanley County, South Dakota
Stanley County, South Dakota has a total population of 3,015, making it the 3,032nd most populous county in the United States. The median age in Stanley County is 44.5 years, which is 14.4% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Stanley County is $87,712, which ranks #358 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 16.7% above the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 5.1%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 0.5%.
The median home value in Stanley County is $203,500, 27.8% below the national median. Renters in Stanley County pay a median gross rent of $952 per month. The homeownership rate is 83.1%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Stanley County, 28.2% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 16.2% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 96.6% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 19.3 min.
Stanley County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 87.9% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (6.4%) and American Indian (non-Hispanic) (2.6%).
All data for Stanley 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.