Wessington, South Dakota Demographics & Population 2026

A note before these figures: with a population of 192, Wessington'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

Wessington is a small community located in South Dakota, within Beadle County. The total population is 192. It ranks as the 242nd most populous out of 439 Census-designated places in South Dakota.

Age Demographics

The median age in Wessington is 31.9 years. This is 16% lower than the state median of 38.0 years. With 33.3% of the population under 18, Wessington has a notably young demographic profile, suggesting a family-oriented community.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Wessington is $58,125. This is 23% lower than the state median of $75,081. It is also 28% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 21.3%. This is 79% higher than the state poverty rate of 11.9%. With more than one in five residents living below the poverty line, economic hardship is a significant challenge for the community. The survey records no unemployed residents in Wessington, which reflects the size of the sample rather than a labor market without joblessness. The median home value is $102,100. Housing costs are 60% lower than the state median of $257,400. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 1.8x, Wessington is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 75.3% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 10% higher than the state average of 68.6%.

Race & Ethnicity

Wessington has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 96.9% of all residents. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 0.5%. The Hispanic or Latino population (0.5%) is well below the state average of 4.8%.

Education

22.5% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 29% 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 92.8%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Wessington, 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.