White Horse, South Dakota Demographics & Population 2026

A note before these figures: with a population of 238, White Horse'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

White Horse is a small community located in South Dakota, within Todd County. The total population is 238. It ranks as the 218th most populous out of 439 Census-designated places in South Dakota.

Age Demographics

The median age in White Horse is 7.5 years. This is 80% lower than the state median of 38.0 years. With 71.9% of the population under 18, White Horse has a notably young demographic profile, suggesting a family-oriented community.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in White Horse is $39,609. This is 47% lower than the state median of $75,081. It is also 51% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 9.7%. This is 19% lower than the state poverty rate of 11.9%. The unemployment rate is 5.5%. This is 86% higher than the state rate of 2.9%. The median home value is $9,999. Housing costs are 96% lower than the state median of $257,400. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 0.3x, White Horse 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

White Horse is a highly diverse community where no single racial or ethnic group constitutes a majority of the population. Asian residents account for 3.8%. The White (non-Hispanic) population (10.5%) is well below the state average of 79.8%. The Asian population is significantly higher than the state average (3.8% vs 1.4%).

Education

0.0% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is among the lowest rates in the state, which may correlate with employment and income patterns. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. No surveyed resident aged 25 or older reported leaving school before earning a high school diploma, though a rate of exactly 100% reflects the limits of a small sample.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for White Horse, 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.