Yankton County, South Dakota

SD · FIPS 46135 Republican

Located in South Dakota, Yankton County has a population of 23,414 residents and a median age of 42.5 years, making it the #1,714 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 11.9%. The median home value is $225,900, and the median household income is $72,821, which is 3% below the national median.

23,414
Population
#1,714 of 3,222
$72,821
Median Income
-3.1% #986 of 3,222
42.5 years
Median Age
+9.3% #1,357 of 3,222
11.9%
Poverty Rate
-5.4% #1,256 of 3,222

Demographics

Yankton County has a population of 23,414, making it the #1,714 most populous county in the US. The median age is 42.5 years, which is 9.3% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

97.1%
Native Born
2.9%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Yankton County is $72,821, ranking #986 out of 3,222 counties — 3.1% below the national median. The poverty rate is 11.9% and unemployment stands at 1.4%.

Income#986
$72,821
-3.1%
vs nation
69th percentile
Per Capita#714
$41,047
-0.5%
vs nation
78th percentile
Poverty#1,256
11.9%
-5.4%
vs nation
61th percentile
Unemployment#152
1.4%
-74.0%
vs nation
95th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Yankton County is $225,900 (-19.9% vs national). Renters pay a median of $781/mo and the homeownership rate is 72.7%.

Home Value#1,123
$225,900
-19.9%
vs nation
65th percentile
Rent#2,257
$781
-32.8%
vs nation
30th percentile
Homeownership#1,910
72.7%
+12.9%
vs nation
41th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Yankton County, 31.4% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 6.7% below the national average, ranking #659 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
31.4% −6.7% vs nation
Rank #659 of 3,222
80th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Yankton County is 79.2 years. 12.7% of adults report poor or fair health and 10.1% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#359
79.2
+5.4%
vs nation
88th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#138
12.7%
-35.1%
vs nation
96th percentile
Diabetes#197
8.1%
-27.2%
vs nation
94th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#114
30.1%
-19.3%
vs nation
96th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#17
4.2
-25.0%
vs nation
100th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#33
3.2
-28.2%
vs nation
99th percentile
Uninsured Rate#1,713
10.1%
-3.9%
vs nation
46th percentile
Physical Inactivity#510
21.3%
-19.3%
vs nation
84th percentile
Food Insecurity#286
9.9%
-31.3%
vs nation
91th percentile

Substance Use

15.5% of adults in Yankton County smoke , 35.3% are obese , and 23.5% report excessive drinking.

Adult Smoking#788
15.5%
-13.7%
vs nation
75th percentile
Adult Obesity#797
35.3%
-6.9%
vs nation
75th percentile
Excessive Drinking#2,755
23.5%
+18.1%
vs nation
12th percentile

Safety

The suicide rate is 7.4 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 16.8 per 100,000.

Suicide Rate#32
7.4
-62.7%
vs nation
99th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#352
9.6
-46.5%
vs nation
86th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#1,200
16.8
-16.8%
vs nation
58th percentile

Families & Children

12.2% of children in Yankton County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 14.7 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#880
14.7
-32.6%
vs nation
71th percentile
Child Poverty#635
12.2%
-35.8%
vs nation
80th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Yankton County is 61.8%. The mean commute time is 16.8 min, which is 39.3% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
61.8% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
16.8 min −39.3% vs nation
Rank #3,087 of 3,222
4th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Yankton County voted Republican with a margin of 25.6%. The vote was 35.8% Dem / 61.4% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 2.0 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +25.6%
35.8% 61.4%
Dem 10,832 votes Rep
2020 REP +23.6%
36.8% 60.4%
Dem 10,900 votes Rep
2016 REP +24.5%
34.3% 58.8%
Dem 9,616 votes Rep
2012 REP +12.6%
42.4% 55%
Dem 9,924 votes Rep
2008 REP +2.0%
47.7% 49.7%
Dem 10,134 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Yankton County, South Dakota

Yankton County, South Dakota has a total population of 23,414, making it the 1,714th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Yankton County is 42.5 years, which is 9.3% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Yankton County is $72,821, which ranks #986 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 3.1% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 11.9%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 1.4%.

The median home value in Yankton County is $225,900, 19.9% below the national median. Renters in Yankton County pay a median gross rent of $781 per month. The homeownership rate is 72.7%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Yankton County, 31.4% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 6.7% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 94.4% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 16.8 min.

Yankton County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 86.9% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (5.9%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).

All data for Yankton 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.