You’re probably never going to make enough money to live in the richest counties in South Dakota.
The median household income in Lincoln County, the richest county in South Dakota is $92,317, significantly higher than the US median of $74,580, which means based purely on math most people never make enough to live there.
And that’s okay because it’s still fun to look at the people living in the lap of luxury.
So we used Saturday Night Science and the most recent Census to rank home prices and incomes for all 65 counties in the Mount Rushmore State. Let’s star gaze together.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Table | Summary
The 10 Richest Counties In South Dakota For 2024
What is the richest county in South Dakota? The richest county in South Dakota is Lincoln County. In contrast, the poorest county in state is Todd County, according to the Census data.
Now you know exactly where to move in South Dakota. Keep on reading for more about the top ten and a detailed methodology.
Or, check out the best places to live in South Dakota and the cheapest places to live in South Dakota.
The Richest Counties In South Dakota For 2024
1. Lincoln County
Biggest Place: Sioux Falls
Population: 65,801
Median Income: $92,317 (highest)
Median Home Price: $358,749 (3rd highest)
More on Lincoln County: Data
2. Custer County
Biggest Place: Custer
Population: 8,515
Median Income: $75,943 (9th highest)
Median Home Price: $454,333 (highest)
More on Custer County: Data
3. Union County
Biggest Place: Dakota Dunes
Population: 16,700
Median Income: $82,036 (5th highest)
Median Home Price: $317,695 (6th highest)
More on Union County: Data
4. Stanley County
Biggest Place: Fort Pierre
Population: 2,979
Median Income: $82,298 (4th highest)
Median Home Price: $314,920 (7th highest)
More on Stanley County: Data
5. Hamlin County
Biggest Place: Estelline
Population: 6,196
Median Income: $76,995 (7th highest)
Median Home Price: $291,610 (10th highest)
More on Hamlin County: Data
6. Hughes County
Biggest Place: Pierre
Population: 17,812
Median Income: $83,750 (3rd highest)
Median Home Price: $269,528 (16th highest)
More on Hughes County: Data
7. Minnehaha County
Biggest Place: Sioux Falls
Population: 197,742
Median Income: $73,110 (14th highest)
Median Home Price: $303,172 (8th highest)
More on Minnehaha County: Data
8. Deuel County
Biggest Place: Clear Lake
Population: 4,298
Median Income: $76,997 (6th highest)
Median Home Price: $266,510 (17th highest)
More on Deuel County: Data
9. Lake County
Biggest Place: Madison
Population: 11,207
Median Income: $74,884 (11th highest)
Median Home Price: $275,930 (13th highest)
More on Lake County: Data
10. Hanson County
Biggest Place: Alexandria
Population: 3,443
Median Income: $86,827 (2nd highest)
Median Home Price: $228,801 (25th highest)
More on Hanson County: Data
Methodology: How do you determine which South Dakota county is the richest?
To determine the richest county in South Dakota, we have to look at a handful of metrics that correlate with how rich people are. To do that, we made assumptions about what makes a county rich. For reference, we are trying to make the kind of argument you’d make at a bar using facts, Saturday Night Science.
With that in mind, we went to the American Community Survey data and Zillow for the most recent reporting period for data on the following:
- Average Home Price
- Median Income
We then ranked each county in South Dakota for each of the criteria from one to 65, with one being the richest.
Taking the average rank across the two criteria, we created a Rich Score with the county posting the lowest overall score being the “Richest County In South Dakota.”
The result is some of the places with the most expensive real estate and highest earners in the Mount Rushmore State.
We updated this article for 2024. This report is our first time ranking the richest counties to live in South Dakota. We have also ranked the richest states and richest cities in the United States.
Summary: The Richest Counties In South Dakota For 2024
Living in South Dakota can vary from one part of the state to the next, with pretty extreme variance in home prices and incomes across counties.
The richest counties in South Dakota are Lincoln County, Custer County, Union County, Stanley County, Hamlin County, Hughes County, Minnehaha County, Deuel County, Lake County, and Hanson County.
Now you know the parts of the state where Goodwill will have the best goodies, and that’s what you came here to learn at the end of the day.
You are welcome.
Here’s a look at the poorest counties in South Dakota according to the data:
- Todd County
- Mellette County
- Jackson County
For more South Dakota reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In South Dakota
- Safest Places In South Dakota
- Best Counties To Live In South Dakota
- Richest Cities In South Dakota
Detailed List Of The Richest Counties In South Dakota
| Rank | County | Population | Median Income | Average Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lincoln County | 65,801 | $92,317 | $358,749 |
| 2 | Custer County | 8,515 | $75,943 | $454,333 |
| 3 | Union County | 16,700 | $82,036 | $317,695 |
| 4 | Stanley County | 2,979 | $82,298 | $314,920 |
| 5 | Hamlin County | 6,196 | $76,995 | $291,610 |
| 6 | Hughes County | 17,812 | $83,750 | $269,528 |
| 7 | Minnehaha County | 197,742 | $73,110 | $303,172 |
| 8 | Deuel County | 4,298 | $76,997 | $266,510 |
| 9 | Lake County | 11,207 | $74,884 | $275,930 |
| 10 | Hanson County | 3,443 | $86,827 | $228,801 |
| 11 | Meade County | 29,970 | $70,256 | $352,751 |
| 12 | Turner County | 8,687 | $72,312 | $272,527 |
| 13 | Mccook County | 5,714 | $74,873 | $263,528 |
| 14 | Pennington County | 110,386 | $67,823 | $336,351 |
| 15 | Moody County | 6,346 | $71,469 | $258,002 |
| 16 | Edmunds County | 4,014 | $76,806 | $207,554 |
| 17 | Sully County | 1,318 | $66,875 | $276,783 |
| 18 | Lawrence County | 26,047 | $62,977 | $408,460 |
| 19 | Marshall County | 4,363 | $74,018 | $219,041 |
| 20 | Hand County | 3,075 | $72,857 | $224,881 |
| 21 | Codington County | 28,402 | $65,747 | $303,021 |
| 22 | Campbell County | 1,534 | $66,932 | $263,900 |
| 23 | Yankton County | 23,311 | $68,847 | $249,428 |
| 24 | Brookings County | 34,631 | $64,438 | $275,783 |
| 25 | Brown County | 38,278 | $70,379 | $212,964 |
| 26 | Harding County | 1,176 | $71,484 | $207,116 |
| 27 | Douglas County | 2,823 | $75,048 | $161,483 |
| 28 | Butte County | 10,369 | $58,106 | $283,518 |
| 29 | Kingsbury County | 5,172 | $65,964 | $208,016 |
| 30 | Jerauld County | 1,836 | $66,607 | $195,944 |
| 31 | Aurora County | 2,590 | $71,490 | $161,349 |
| 32 | Grant County | 7,533 | $70,851 | $163,124 |
| 33 | Hutchinson County | 7,401 | $69,139 | $185,894 |
| 34 | Charles Mix County | 9,302 | $60,729 | $223,270 |
| 35 | Potter County | 2,587 | $71,786 | $140,737 |
| 36 | Sanborn County | 2,373 | $65,806 | $191,373 |
| 37 | Brule County | 5,247 | $64,821 | $204,888 |
| 38 | Roberts County | 10,242 | $59,022 | $208,800 |
| 39 | Clay County | 14,953 | $55,963 | $234,510 |
| 40 | Beadle County | 19,089 | $63,813 | $191,209 |
| 41 | Davison County | 19,966 | $55,606 | $232,548 |
| 42 | Fall River County | 7,079 | $54,886 | $245,745 |
| 43 | Miner County | 2,312 | $62,037 | $190,271 |
| 44 | Hyde County | 1,319 | $69,712 | $129,961 |
| 45 | Day County | 5,485 | $57,558 | $206,711 |
| 46 | Lyman County | 3,719 | $60,284 | $176,443 |
| 47 | Spink County | 6,355 | $65,795 | $134,876 |
| 48 | Clark County | 3,837 | $59,340 | $175,180 |
| 49 | Tripp County | 5,607 | $56,758 | $190,656 |
| 50 | Perkins County | 2,970 | $64,410 | $134,784 |
| 51 | Jones County | 1,006 | $61,250 | $132,232 |
| 52 | Haakon County | 1,755 | $53,109 | $185,926 |
| 53 | Bon Homme County | 7,018 | $57,554 | $149,773 |
| 54 | Faulk County | 2,140 | $56,734 | $154,003 |
| 55 | Bennett County | 3,391 | $44,821 | $188,335 |
| 56 | Walworth County | 5,317 | $57,697 | $136,427 |
| 57 | Mcpherson County | 2,251 | $58,529 | $104,049 |
| 58 | Gregory County | 3,983 | $48,272 | $145,722 |
| 59 | Buffalo County | 1,859 | $42,917 | $138,643 |
| 60 | Dewey County | 5,275 | $55,077 | $99,908 |
| 61 | Corson County | 3,906 | $48,125 | $119,173 |
| 62 | Ziebach County | 2,455 | $46,023 | $124,218 |
| 63 | Jackson County | 2,838 | $26,078 | $109,912 |
| 64 | Mellette County | 1,989 | $41,397 | $81,075 |
| 65 | Todd County | 9,353 | $33,792 | $54,094 |