Harding County, South Dakota Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Harding County is located in South Dakota with a total population of 1,148. It is the 65th most populous county out of 66 in South Dakota. The county encompasses 2 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Harding County is 46.3 years. This is 22% higher than the state median of 38.0 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Harding County is $80,441. This is 7% higher than the state median of $75,081. It is also about the same as the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 6.3%. This is 47% lower than the state poverty rate of 11.9%. The unemployment rate is 0.9%. This is 70% lower than the state rate of 2.9%. The median home value is $166,100. Housing costs are 35% lower than the state median of $257,400. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 2.1x, Harding County is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 76.5% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 12% higher than the state average of 68.6%.

Race & Ethnicity

Harding County has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 91.2% of all residents. Black or African American residents account for 1.5%. The Hispanic or Latino population (1.4%) is well below the state average of 4.8%.

Education

30.4% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 5% lower than the state rate of 31.9%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 93.8%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Harding County come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates, with comparisons drawn against South Dakota and national averages from the same dataset. See our methodology page for how each metric is defined, or data.census.gov for official tables with margins of error.