United States · state
South Dakota population 2026
South Dakota has 935,094 people on the latest official figure, for 1 July 2025, 7,984 more than a year earlier (+0.86%). It is 46th of the US’s 50 states and DC by population, home to 0.3% of the US’s people.
If last year’s change continues: about 943 thousand by 1 July 2026. That is our arithmetic, not an official figure.
South Dakota in numbers
- Population
- 935 thousand 1 July 2025
- Change in a year
- +0.86% +7,984 people
- Change since 2020
- +5.33% from 888 thousand
- Share of the US
- 0.3% 46th of 50 states and DC
- Population density
- 5per km² 196,342 km²
- Births in the year
- 11 thousand deaths: 9 thousand
- International migration
- +3 thousand net arrivals from abroad
- Moves within the US
- +2 thousand more people moved in than left
In the latest year births outnumbered deaths by 2,605, 3,183 more people arrived from abroad than left, and 2,169 more people moved in from the rest of the US than moved out.
That is about as many people as Fiji (937 thousand).
Population of South Dakota by year
› Show the numbers as a table
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 816,193 |
| 2011 | 823,740 |
| 2012 | 833,859 |
| 2013 | 842,751 |
| 2014 | 849,670 |
| 2015 | 854,663 |
| 2016 | 863,693 |
| 2017 | 873,732 |
| 2018 | 879,386 |
| 2019 | 887,127 |
| 2020 | 887,808 |
| 2021 | 896,303 |
| 2022 | 909,156 |
| 2023 | 917,739 |
| 2024 | 927,110 |
| 2025 | 935,094 |
| Year | Population | Change | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 935,094 | +7,984 | +0.86% |
| 2024 | 927,110 | +9,371 | +1.02% |
| 2023 | 917,739 | +8,583 | +0.94% |
| 2022 | 909,156 | +12,853 | +1.43% |
| 2021 | 896,303 | +8,495 | +0.96% |
| 2020 | 887,808 | +681 | +0.08% |
| 2019 | 887,127 | +7,741 | +0.88% |
| 2018 | 879,386 | +5,654 | +0.65% |
| 2017 | 873,732 | +10,039 | +1.16% |
| 2016 | 863,693 | +9,030 | +1.06% |
| 2015 | 854,663 | +4,993 | +0.59% |
| 2014 | 849,670 | +6,919 | +0.82% |
| 2013 | 842,751 | +8,892 | +1.07% |
| 2012 | 833,859 | +10,119 | +1.23% |
| 2011 | 823,740 | +7,547 | +0.92% |
2010–2019 are Vintage 2020 estimates and 2020–2025 are Vintage 2025, so the step between 2019 and 2020 is partly a change of base.
South Dakota among the US’s states
Full ranking →| # | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 39,355,309 | −0.02% | 11.5% | 98 |
| 2 | Texas | 31,709,821 | +1.25% | 9.3% | 47 |
| 3 | Florida | 23,462,518 | +0.84% | 6.9% | 169 |
| 4 | New York State | 20,002,427 | +0.01% | 5.9% | 164 |
| 5 | Pennsylvania | 13,059,432 | +0.10% | 3.8% | 113 |
| 6 | Illinois | 12,719,141 | +0.13% | 3.7% | 89 |
| 7 | Ohio | 11,900,510 | +0.34% | 3.5% | 113 |
| 8 | Georgia (US State) | 11,302,748 | +0.88% | 3.3% | 76 |
| 9 | North Carolina | 11,197,968 | +1.32% | 3.3% | 89 |
| 10 | Michigan | 10,127,884 | +0.28% | 3.0% | 69 |
| 11 | New Jersey | 9,548,215 | +0.44% | 2.8% | 501 |
| 12 | Virginia | 8,880,107 | +0.69% | 2.6% | 87 |
| 13 | Washington State | 8,001,020 | +0.92% | 2.3% | 47 |
| 14 | Arizona | 7,623,818 | +0.89% | 2.2% | 26 |
| 15 | Tennessee | 7,315,076 | +0.88% | 2.1% | 69 |
| 16 | Massachusetts | 7,154,084 | +0.22% | 2.1% | 354 |
| 17 | Indiana | 6,973,333 | +0.56% | 2.0% | 75 |
| 18 | Missouri | 6,270,541 | +0.43% | 1.8% | 35 |
| 19 | Maryland | 6,265,347 | +0.32% | 1.8% | 249 |
| 20 | Colorado | 6,012,561 | +0.40% | 1.8% | 22 |
| 21 | Wisconsin | 5,972,787 | +0.26% | 1.7% | 43 |
| 22 | Minnesota | 5,830,405 | +0.57% | 1.7% | 28 |
| 23 | South Carolina | 5,570,274 | +1.46% | 1.6% | 72 |
| 24 | Alabama | 5,193,088 | +0.58% | 1.5% | 40 |
| 25 | Louisiana | 4,618,189 | +0.07% | 1.4% | 41 |
| 26 | Kentucky | 4,606,864 | +0.50% | 1.3% | 45 |
| 27 | Oregon | 4,273,586 | +0.19% | 1.3% | 17 |
| 28 | Oklahoma | 4,123,288 | +0.62% | 1.2% | 23 |
| 29 | Connecticut | 3,688,496 | +0.38% | 1.1% | 294 |
| 30 | Utah | 3,538,904 | +1.02% | 1.0% | 17 |
| 31 | Nevada | 3,282,188 | +0.88% | 1.0% | 12 |
| 32 | Iowa | 3,238,387 | +0.25% | 0.9% | 22 |
| 33 | Arkansas | 3,114,791 | +0.60% | 0.9% | 23 |
| 34 | Kansas | 2,977,220 | +0.40% | 0.9% | 14 |
| 35 | Mississippi | 2,954,160 | +0.14% | 0.9% | 24 |
| 36 | New Mexico | 2,125,498 | −0.06% | 0.6% | 7 |
| 37 | Idaho | 2,029,733 | +1.44% | 0.6% | 10 |
| 38 | Nebraska | 2,018,006 | +0.62% | 0.6% | 10 |
| 39 | West Virginia | 1,766,147 | −0.07% | 0.5% | 28 |
| 40 | Hawaii | 1,432,820 | −0.15% | 0.4% | 86 |
| 41 | New Hampshire | 1,415,342 | +0.48% | 0.4% | 61 |
| 42 | Maine | 1,414,874 | +0.46% | 0.4% | 18 |
| 43 | Montana | 1,144,694 | +0.63% | 0.3% | 3 |
| 44 | Rhode Island | 1,114,521 | +0.37% | 0.3% | 416 |
| 45 | Delaware | 1,059,952 | +0.94% | 0.3% | 210 |
| 46 | South Dakota | 935,094 | +0.86% | 0.3% | 5 |
| 47 | North Dakota | 799,358 | +0.75% | 0.2% | 5 |
| 48 | Alaska | 737,270 | +0.10% | 0.2% | 1 |
| 49 | District of Columbia | 693,645 | +0.34% | 0.2% | 4,381 |
| 50 | Vermont | 644,663 | −0.29% | 0.2% | 27 |
| 51 | Wyoming | 588,753 | +0.35% | 0.2% | 2 |
Largest cities in South Dakota
City proper, not the wider metro area; latest figure in GeoNames (CC BY 4.0), so years differ.
- Sioux Falls171,544
- Rapid City73,569
- Aberdeen28,102
- Brookings23,657
- Watertown22,073
- Mitchell15,669
Questions
What is the population of South Dakota in 2026?
Is South Dakota’s population growing or shrinking?
How does South Dakota rank in the US?
What is the population density of South Dakota?
What is the largest city in South Dakota?
Source and method
US Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 population estimates. US government work, public domain. Land area, US Census Bureau Gazetteer. The Census Bureau publishes new state estimates each December. Ranks, shares and changes are our arithmetic on the published figures. National figures can differ from the UN’s projection for the US, which uses a different method. The 2026 figure above carries last year’s change forward; it does not come from the source.
Cite this page: South Dakota population, US Census Bureau, 1 July 2025. GlobeMetrics, https://globemetrics.org/world-population/united-states/south-dakota/
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