County profile

Harding County

South Dakota · ACS 2020–2024

Download data

Latest estimates

At a glance

U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates.

Total population
1,148
Median household income
$80,441
People below poverty
6.3%
Median home value
$166,100

Income

The median income of households in Harding County, South Dakota was $80,441. An estimated 0.4% of households had income below $10,000 a year and 9.8% had income of $200,000 or more.

Household Income in Harding County, South Dakota in 2020-2024

View Data Table ↓

Percent
Less than $10,000 0.4
$10,000 to $14,999 5
$15,000 to $24,999 3
$25,000 to $34,999 4.4
$35,000 to $49,999 11.2
$50,000 to $74,999 21.5
$75,000 to $99,999 19.3
$100,000 to $149,999 19.3
$150,000 to $199,999 6
$200,000 or more 9.8

Median Earnings for Full-Time Year-Round Workers by Sex in Harding County, South Dakota in 2020-2024

View Data Table ↓

Dollars
Male 60179
Female 37566

An estimated 91.2% of households received earnings. An estimated 28.7% of households received Social Security and an estimated 10.6 % of households received retirement income other than Social Security. The average income from Social Security was $24,257. These income sources are not mutually exclusive; that is, some households received income from more than one source.

Proportion of Households with Various Income Sources in Harding County, South Dakota in 2020-2024

View Data Table ↓

Percent
Earnings 91.2
Social Security 28.7
Retirement income 10.6
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) 1.4
Cash public assistance income 1.6

Poverty and Participation in Government Programs

In 2020-2024, 6.3 % of people were in poverty. An estimated 4.9% of children under 18 were below the poverty level, compared with 8.8% of people 65 years old and over. An estimated 6% of people 18 to 64 years were below the poverty level.

Poverty Rates in Harding County, South Dakota in 2020-2024

View Data Table ↓

Percent
People in poverty 6.3
Children under 18 years below poverty 4.9
People 65 years old and over below poverty 8.8
People 18 to 64 years below poverty 6

In 2020-2024, 2 % of households received SNAP (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program). An estimated 70% of households that received SNAP had children under 18, and 90% of households that received SNAP had one or more people 60 years and over. An estimated 10% of all households receiving SNAP were families with a female householder and no spouse present.


Among the civilian noninstitutionalized population in Harding County, South Dakota in 2020-2024, 97.2% had health insurance coverage and 2.8% did not have health insurance coverage. Private coverage was 82.4% and public coverage was 26.7%, respectively. The percentage of children under the age of 19 with no health insurance coverage was 1.1%.


In 2020-2024, Harding County, South Dakota had a total population of 1,148 - 508 (44.3%) females and 640 (55.7%) males. The median age was 46.3 years. An estimated 23.3% of the population was under 18 years, 23.2% was 19 to 44 years, 30.9% was 45 to 64 years, and 20.7 % was 65 years and older.

Population by Age and Sex for Harding County, South Dakota in 2020-2024

Male Female
Under 5 38 28
5 to 9 37 24
10 to 14 50 27
15 to 19 72 13
20 to 24 13 30
25 to 29 20 27
30 to 34 33 21
35 to 39 48 27
40 to 44 20 28
45 to 49 27 36
50 to 54 54 42
55 to 59 33 46
60 to 64 79 37
65 to 69 73 68
70 to 74 27 37
75 to 79 11 8
80 to 84 4 3
85 and over 1 6

Hispanic Origin and Race

For people reporting one race alone, 91.4% were White; 1.5% were Black or African American; 5.5% were American Indian and Alaska Native; 0% were Asian; 0.2% were Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, and 0% were Some Other Race. An estimated 5.1% reported Two or More Races. An estimated 1.4% of the people in Harding County, South Dakota were Hispanic or Latino. An estimated 91.2% of the people in Harding County, South Dakota were White alone, non-Hispanic. People of Hispanic origin may be of any race.


Households and Families

In 2020-2024, there were 498 households in Harding County, South Dakota. The average household size was 2.22 people.

Married-couple households made up 51.4% of the households in Harding County, South Dakota while cohabiting couple households made up 4.6% of households. Female householders with no spouse or partner present were 18.9% of all households, while 25.1% of households had male householders with no spouse or partner present. Some households had one person, as 22.1% of households were male householders living alone, and 17.1% were female householders living alone, for a total of 39.2% of all households.

In Harding County, South Dakota, 19.9% of all households had one or more people under the age of 18; 31.1% of all households had one or more people 65 years and over.

Types of Households in Harding County, South Dakota in 2020-2024

View Data Table ↓

Percent
Married-couple households 51.4
Cohabiting Couples 4.6
Male Householder
No spouse/partner present
25.1
Female Householder
No spouse/partner present
18.9

Marital Status

Among persons 15 and older, 58.4% of males and 65.5% of females were currently married.

Population 15 years and over Percent
Males
Percent
Females
Never married 35 16.8
Now married, except separated 58.4 65.5
Separated 0.8 0
Widowed 0.4 7.9
Divorced 5.4 9.8

Grandparents and Grandchildren

In Harding County, South Dakota, 30 grandparents lived with their grandchildren under 18 years old. Of those grandparents, 20% were responsible for the basic needs of their grandchildren.


Nativity and Foreign-Born

In 2020-2024, an estimated 99% of the people living in Harding County, South Dakota were U.S. natives. 60.5% of the Harding County, South Dakota population were living in the state where they were born.

Approximately 1% of Harding County, South Dakota residents in 2020-2024 were foreign-born. 81.8% of foreign-born were naturalized U.S. citizens and an estimated 45.5 % entered the country before the year 2010.

Foreign-born residents of Harding County, South Dakota come from different parts of the world. The bar graph below displays the percentage of foreign-born from each world region of birth in 2020-2024 for Harding County, South Dakota.

Region of Birth for the Foreign-Born Population in Harding County, South Dakota in 2020-2024

View Data Table ↓

Percent
Latin America 81.8
Asia 0
Europe 0
Africa 0
Northern America 18.2
Oceania 0

Language

Among people at least five years old living in Harding County, South Dakota in 2020-2024, 2.8 % spoke a language other than English at home. Spanish was spoken by 0.3% of people at least five years old; 0% reported that they did not speak English "very well."

Percentage of the Population 5 years and over who Speak a Language other than English in Harding County, South Dakota in 2020-2024

View Data Table ↓

Percent
Spanish 0.3
Other Indo-European languages 2.5
Asian and Pacific Islander languages 0
Other languages 0

Geographic Mobility

In 2020-2024, 95.8 % of the people at least one year old living in Harding County, South Dakota were living in the same house one year earlier.

Geographic Mobility of Residents of Harding County, South Dakota in 2020-2024

View Data Table ↓

Percent
Same house 95.8
Different house, same county 1.9
Different county, same state 0.4
Different state 1.9
Abroad 0

Education

In 2020-2024, 93.8 % of people 25 years and over had at least graduated from high school and 30.4% had a bachelor's degree or higher. An estimated 6.3% did not complete high school.

The total school enrollment in Harding County, South Dakota was 235 in 2020-2024. Nursery school enrollment was 10 and kindergarten through 12th grade enrollment was 202. College or graduate school enrollment was 23.

Educational Attainment of People in Harding County, South Dakota in 2020-2024

View Data Table ↓

Percent
Less than high school diploma 6.3
High school diploma or equivalency 30.5
Some college, no degree 24
Associate's degree 8.8
Bachelor's degree 26.7
Graduate or professional degree 3.7

Disability

In Harding County, South Dakota, among the civilian noninstitutionalized population in 2020-2024, 6.6 % reported a disability. The likelihood of having a disability varied by age - from 0.4% of people under 18 years old, to 4.1% of people 18 to 64 years old, and to 20.2% of those 65 and over.


Employment Status and Type of Employer

In Harding County, South Dakota, 74.5 % of the population 16 and over were employed; 24.8% were not currently in the labor force.

An estimated 53.7% of the people employed were private wage and salary workers; 19.1% were federal, state, or local government workers; and 25.8 % were self-employed in their own (not incorporated) business.

Class of worker Number Percent
Private wage and salary workers 369 53.7
Federal, state, or local government workers 131 19.1
Self-employed workers in own not incorporated business 177 25.8

Industries

In 2020-2024, the civilian employed population 16 years and older in Harding County, South Dakota worked in the following industries:

Percent by Industry in Harding County, South Dakota in 2020-2024

View Data Table ↓

Percent
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, and mining 38.7
Construction 4.8
Manufacturing 3.1
Wholesale trade 1.3
Retail trade 10.3
Transportation and warehousing, and utilities 4.1
Information 2.3
Finance and insurance, and real estate and rental and leasing 2.9
Professional, scientific, and management, and administrative and waste management services 3.3
Educational services, and health care and social assistance 12.5
Arts, entertainment, and recreation, and accommodation, and food services 3.3
Other Services, except public administration 6.6
Public administration 6.7

Occupations

Occupations for the Civilian Employed Population 16 Years and over in Harding County, South Dakota in 2020-2024

Civilian employed population 16 years and over Number Percent
Management, business, sciences, and arts occupations 365 53.1
Service occupations 44 6.4
Sales and office occupations 76 11.1
Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations 101 14.7
Production, transportation, and material moving occupations 101 14.7

Commuting to Work

An estimated 60.4% of Harding County, South Dakota workers drove to work alone in 2020-2024, and 8.7% carpooled. Among those who commuted to work, it took them on average 18.7 minutes to get to work.

Percent of Workers 16 and over Commuting by Mode in Harding County, South Dakota in 2020-2024

View Data Table ↓

Percent
Car, truck, van -- drove alone 60.4
Car, truck, van -- carpooled 8.7
Public transportation (excluding taxicab) 0
Walked 11.7
Other means 2.8
Worked from home 16.4

In 2020-2024, Harding County, South Dakota had a total of 688 housing units. Of these housing units, 67% were single-family houses either not attached to any other structure or attached to one or more structures (commonly referred to as "townhouses" or "row houses"). 7.9% of the housing units were located in multi-unit structures, or those buildings that contained two or more apartments. 24.3% were mobile homes, while any remaining housing units were classified as "other," which included boats, recreational vehicles, vans, etc.

Types of Housing Units in Harding County, South Dakota in 2020-2024

View Data Table ↓

Percent
Single-family houses 67
Apartments in multi-unit structures 7.9
Mobile homes 24.3
Boat, RV, van, etc 0.9

7.6% of the housing inventory was comprised of houses built since 2010, while 19.5% of the houses were first built in 1939 or earlier. The median number of rooms in all housing units in Harding County, South Dakota was 6.2 rooms, and of these housing units 78% had three or more bedrooms.


In 2020-2024, Harding County, South Dakota had 498 housing units that were occupied or had people living in them, while the remaining 190 were vacant. Of the occupied housing units, the percentage of these houses occupied by owners (also known as the homeownership rate) was 76.5% while renters occupied 23.5%. The average household size of owner-occupied houses was 2.23 and in renter-occupied houses it was 2.22.

1% of householders of these occupied houses had moved into their house since 2021, while 13.9% moved into their house in 1989 or earlier. Households without a vehicle available for personal use comprised 1.6% and another 42.2% had three or more vehicles available for use.

The following chart provides the primary fuel used to heat houses in Harding County, South Dakota:

House Heating Fuel Used in Harding County, South Dakota in 2020-2024

View Data Table ↓

Percent
Gas 74.5
Electricity 20.5
Fuel oil, kerosene, etc 0.8
All other fuels 3
No fuel used 1.2

In 2020-2024, the median property value for owner-occupied houses in Harding County, South Dakota was $166,100.

Of the owner-occupied households, 27.8 % had a mortgage. 72.2% owned their houses "free and clear," that is without a primary mortgage or loan on the house. The median monthly housing costs for owners with a mortgage was $1,233 and for owners without a mortgage it was $627.

For renter-occupied houses, the median gross rent for Harding County, South Dakota was $521. Gross rent includes the monthly contract rent and any monthly payments made for electricity, gas, water and sewer, and any other fuels to heat the house.