Willow Lake, South Dakota Demographics & Population 2026

A note before these figures: with a population of 433, Willow Lake'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

Willow Lake is a small community located in South Dakota, within Clark County. The total population is 433. It ranks as the 165th most populous out of 439 Census-designated places in South Dakota.

Age Demographics

The median age in Willow Lake is 17.5 years. This is 54% lower than the state median of 38.0 years. With 51.0% of the population under 18, Willow Lake has a notably young demographic profile, suggesting a family-oriented community.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Willow Lake is $72,875. This is 3% lower than the state median of $75,081. It is also 10% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 1.1%. This is 90% lower than the state poverty rate of 11.9%. This exceptionally low poverty rate indicates strong economic prosperity across the community. The survey records no unemployed residents in Willow Lake, which reflects the size of the sample rather than a labor market without joblessness. The median home value is $149,000. Housing costs are 42% lower than the state median of $257,400. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 2.0x, Willow Lake is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 62.2% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 9% lower than the state average of 68.6%.

Race & Ethnicity

Willow Lake has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 94.7% of all residents. Black or African American residents account for 3.7%. The Black or African American population is significantly higher than the state average (3.7% vs 2.1%). The Hispanic or Latino population (1.6%) is well below the state average of 4.8%.

Education

18.7% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 41% 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 95.9%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Willow Lake, 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.