Lawrence County, South Dakota Demographics 2026

Name: Lawrence County, South Dakota Demographics
Creator: U.S. Census Bureau
License: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/about/terms-of-service.html

Lawrence County, South Dakota has a population of 27,233, the 8th most populous county in South Dakota. The median household income is $73,384 and the median home value is $346,500. The poverty rate is 11.6%.

Data vintage: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates · refreshed July 2026 · Methodology & source notes

Lawrence County Quick Facts

Population 27,233

Median Household Income $73,384

Median Home Value $346,500

Poverty Rate 11.6%

Unemployment Rate 1.8%

Median Age 44.8 years

Homeownership Rate 65.1%

Affordability Ratio 4.7x

Bachelor's Degree+ 32.9%

High School Graduation 95.4%

Cities/Places 10

Population 27,233 8th of 66

Median Income $73,384 2% lower than state

Poverty Rate 11.6%

Unemployment 1.8%

How Lawrence County Changed

Change from the 2019–2023 ACS period to 2020–2024. These are rolling five-year estimates, not year-over-year measurements.

Metric	2019–2023	2020–2024	Change
Population	26,574	27,233	+2.5%
Median household income	$66,766	$73,384	+9.9%
Median home value	$310,800	$346,500	+11.5%

Median Household Income

Lawrence

$73,384

$75,081

National

$80,734

Median Home Value

Lawrence

$346,500

$257,400

National

$332,700

Economy & Housing

Household Income Distribution

Under $25K 15.1%

$25K-$50K 21.8%

$50K-$100K 31.3%

$100K+ 31.9%

Detailed income brackets

Under $10K

3.4%

$10K-$15K

4.4%

$15K-$20K

2.6%

$20K-$25K

4.7%

$25K-$30K

5.3%

$30K-$35K

3.9%

$35K-$40K

4.4%

$40K-$45K

4.3%

$45K-$50K

3.9%

$50K-$60K

6.4%

$60K-$75K

8.2%

$75K-$100K

16.6%

$100K-$125K

9.5%

$125K-$150K

8.0%

$150K-$200K

6.7%

$200K+

7.6%

Employment

1.8% Unemployment Rate State: 2.9%|National: 5.2%

63.7% Labor Force Participation

Housing Overview

Owner 65.1%

Renter 34.9%

Affordability Index Moderate

4.7x home value to income ratio

Median gross rent $938/mo 15.3% of median household income annually

People & Demographics

Age Distribution

Under 18

16.3%

18-34

22.3%

35-54

22.0%

55-74

30.5%

75+

8.9%

Race & Ethnicity

Diversity Index

Very Low Diversity

A less diverse community where one racial or ethnic group represents a large majority.

State average: 35 | National average: 61

Education

Educational Attainment (Adults 25+)

Cities & Places in Lawrence County

City	Population	Median Income	Poverty	Home Value
Spearfish	12,930	$65,688	15.2%	$346,200
Lead	3,006	$73,047	7.5%	$189,400
North Spearfish	1,858	$76,809	23.2%	$356,200
Deadwood	1,209	$40,179	6.7%	$226,500
Whitewood	912	$77,500	2.0%	$243,300
Boulder Canyon	841	$74,281	1.1%	$597,800
Mountain Plains	350	$248,558	0.0%	$613,200
Crook City	279	$139,926	0.0%	$463,300
Central City	140	$47,000	3.6%	$208,300
St. Onge	40	N/A	0.0%	N/A

Explore South Dakota Rankings

Cities by Population All cities ranked by size Richest Cities Ranked by median income Most Educated By bachelor's degree rate Most Affordable By housing affordability

Population Overview

Lawrence County is located in South Dakota with a total population of 27,233. It is the 8th most populous county out of 66 in South Dakota. The county encompasses 10 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Lawrence County is 44.8 years. This is 18% higher than the state median of 38.0 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Lawrence County is $73,384. This is 2% lower than the state median of $75,081. It is also 9% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 11.6%. This is 3% lower than the state poverty rate of 11.9%. The unemployment rate is 1.8%. This is 40% lower than the state rate of 2.9%. The median home value is $346,500. Housing costs are 35% higher than the state median of $257,400. The home-value-to-income ratio is 4.7x. 65.1% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 5% lower than the state average of 68.6%.

Race & Ethnicity

Lawrence County has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 88.8% of all residents. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 3.9%. The Black or African American population (0.3%) is well below the state average of 2.1%. The Asian population (0.4%) is well below the state average of 1.4%.

Education

32.9% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 3% 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 95.4%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Lawrence 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.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the population of Lawrence County, South Dakota?

Lawrence County has a population of 27,233, making it the 8th most populous county in South Dakota.

What is the median income in Lawrence County?

The median household income in Lawrence County is $73,384 with a poverty rate of 11.6%.

How many cities are in Lawrence County, South Dakota?

Lawrence County contains 10 Census-designated places.