Turner County, South Dakota

SD · FIPS 46125 Republican

Located in South Dakota, Turner County has a population of 8,882 residents and a median age of 41.2 years, making it the #2,572 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 9.3%. The median home value is $222,900, and the median household income is $75,771, which is 1% above the national median.

8,882
Population
#2,572 of 3,222
$75,771
Median Income
+0.8% #791 of 3,222
41.2 years
Median Age
+5.9% #1,756 of 3,222
9.3%
Poverty Rate
-26.0% #653 of 3,222

Demographics

Turner County has a population of 8,882, making it the #2,572 most populous county in the US. The median age is 41.2 years, which is 5.9% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

98.0%
Native Born
2.0%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Turner County is $75,771, ranking #791 out of 3,222 counties — 0.8% above the national median. The poverty rate is 9.3% and unemployment stands at 2.1%.

Income#791
$75,771
+0.8%
vs nation
75th percentile
Per Capita#1,273
$36,868
-10.6%
vs nation
61th percentile
Poverty#653
9.3%
-26.0%
vs nation
80th percentile
Unemployment#321
2.1%
-59.4%
vs nation
90th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Turner County is $222,900 (-20.9% vs national). Renters pay a median of $742/mo and the homeownership rate is 79.0%.

Home Value#1,158
$222,900
-20.9%
vs nation
64th percentile
Rent#2,521
$742
-36.2%
vs nation
22th percentile
Homeownership#792
79.0%
+22.6%
vs nation
75th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Turner County, 27.3% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 19.0% below the national average, ranking #980 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
27.3% −19.0% vs nation
Rank #980 of 3,222
70th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Turner County is 78.0 years. 13.5% of adults report poor or fair health and 9.7% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#646
78.0
+3.7%
vs nation
79th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#241
13.5%
-31.0%
vs nation
92th percentile
Diabetes#151
7.9%
-29.0%
vs nation
95th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#48
28.8%
-22.8%
vs nation
99th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#68
4.4
-22.2%
vs nation
98th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#113
3.4
-24.2%
vs nation
96th percentile
Uninsured Rate#1,627
9.7%
-7.5%
vs nation
48th percentile
Physical Inactivity#546
21.5%
-18.5%
vs nation
83th percentile
Food Insecurity#228
9.6%
-33.4%
vs nation
93th percentile

Substance Use

16.4% of adults in Turner County smoke , 34.2% are obese , and 24.1% report excessive drinking.

Adult Smoking#1,104
16.4%
-8.7%
vs nation
65th percentile
Adult Obesity#600
34.2%
-9.8%
vs nation
81th percentile
Excessive Drinking#2,879
24.1%
+21.5%
vs nation
8th percentile

Safety

. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 23.6 per 100,000.

Motor Vehicle Deaths#1,962
23.6
+16.4%
vs nation
31th percentile

Families & Children

8.3% of children in Turner County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 8.6 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#307
8.6
-60.4%
vs nation
90th percentile
Child Poverty#177
8.3%
-56.3%
vs nation
94th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Turner County is 73.2%. The mean commute time is 27.7 min, which is 0.3% above the national average.

Voter Turnout
73.2% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
27.7 min +0.3% vs nation
Rank #1,331 of 3,222
59th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Turner County voted Republican with a margin of 51.3%. The vote was 23% Dem / 74.3% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 4.0 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +51.3%
23% 74.3%
Dem 4,538 votes Rep
2020 REP +47.3%
25% 72.3%
Dem 4,548 votes Rep
2016 REP +47.6%
23.2% 70.8%
Dem 4,150 votes Rep
2012 REP +31.0%
33.5% 64.5%
Dem 4,210 votes Rep
2008 REP +19.7%
38.6% 58.3%
Dem 4,352 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Turner County, South Dakota

Turner County, South Dakota has a total population of 8,882, making it the 2,572nd most populous county in the United States. The median age in Turner County is 41.2 years, which is 5.9% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Turner County is $75,771, which ranks #791 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 0.8% above the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 9.3%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 2.1%.

The median home value in Turner County is $222,900, 20.9% below the national median. Renters in Turner County pay a median gross rent of $742 per month. The homeownership rate is 79.0%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Turner County, 27.3% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 19.0% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 93.0% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 27.7 min.

Turner County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 93.0% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).

All data for Turner 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.