Lake City, South Dakota Demographics & Population 2026

A note before these figures: with a population of 40, Lake City's ACS estimates come from a small number of survey responses and carry wide margins of error. Individual percentages below — particularly rates that round to 0% or 100% — are approximations, not precise measurements. See data.census.gov for the published margins of error.

Population Overview

Lake City is a small community located in South Dakota, within Marshall County. The total population is 40. It ranks as the 382nd most populous out of 439 Census-designated places in South Dakota.

Age Demographics

The median age in Lake City is 65.7 years. This is 73% higher than the state median of 38.0 years. Only 7.5% of residents are under 18, indicating fewer families with children.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Lake City is $41,563. This is 45% lower than the state median of $75,081. It is also 49% lower than the national median of $80,734. The ACS records no residents below the poverty line in Lake City. In a community this small the estimate rests on very few survey responses, so it should be read as an absence of measurement rather than a measured absence of poverty. The survey records no unemployed residents in Lake City, which reflects the size of the sample rather than a labor market without joblessness. The median home value is $109,400. Housing costs are 57% lower than the state median of $257,400. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 2.6x, Lake City is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 100.0% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 46% higher than the state average of 68.6%.

Race & Ethnicity

Every resident counted in Lake City was recorded as White (non-Hispanic). A figure of exactly 100.0% reflects a survey sample too small to capture the community's full composition rather than a precise measurement.

Education

37.8% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 19% higher 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 89.2%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Lake City, South Dakota is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates. The ACS collects data from approximately 3.5 million households annually and pools five years of responses so that even small communities can be measured, though the margin of error widens as the population falls. Comparisons are made against South Dakota state averages and national averages calculated from the same dataset. Rankings reflect the city's position among all 439 Census-designated places in South Dakota. Read more about how these figures are produced on our methodology page, or visit data.census.gov for official data.