Official Federal Data
Mellette County, South Dakota
FIPS 46095 · Population 1,943
8 Sources
Updated June 22, 2026
$54,076 ▲
Median Income
$80,734 national
3%
Unemployment
4% national
866
Labor Force
19.1% ▲
Bachelor's+
35.7% national
Small population: 1,943 residents. These figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey 5-year estimates, which carry a wide margin of error for places under 20,000 people. Read each value as an approximate range, and treat year-over-year changes as indicative rather than exact. A small shift can reflect survey sampling, not a real change on the ground.
Demographics & Population
Census Bureau American Community Survey 2020-2024 · 5-Year Estimates
Household Income
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates
Median Household
$54,076 ▲
Per Capita
$25,614 ▲
Mean Household
$74,230 ▲
Poverty Rate
41.7% ▼approx.
Median Income Comparison
Mellette County$54,076
South Dakota$75,081
National$80,734
Population Profile
Source: Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 · Tables B01001, B02001, B03003
Cohorts
Under 18 · 28.7%
18-34 · 17.2%
35-54 · 26.3%
55-64 · 11.4%
65+ · 16.4%
Race & Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino is an ethnic category and overlaps with the race categories above.
Educational Attainment
Source: Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 · Table B15003 · Population 25+
83.5%
High School+
National: 89.6%
▼ 6.1 pts
19.1%
Bachelor's+
National: 35.7%
▼ 16.6 pts
5.4%
Graduate+
National: 14.1%
▼ 8.7 pts
Employment Overview
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates
1,943
Population
866
Labor Force
Employed
758
Unemployment Rate BLS LAUS 2025 annual
3%
Mean Commute 26 min below national avg
0.0 min
Work From Home vs 15.1% national
13.9%
Key Takeaways
- Income gap: Households earn meaningfully less than the national median, which directly affects retail demand, housing absorption, and tax base.
- Elevated poverty: At 41.7%, the rate is in economically distressed territory and supports federal funding narratives (CDFI, NMTC, EDA).
- Talent gap: Bachelor's-or-higher attainment trails the national average by 16.6 pts, relevant for advanced-services attraction strategy.
Economy & Industry
Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW · Bureau of Economic Analysis
Key Takeaways
- Largest sector: Retail Trade employs 42 workers (57.5% of tracked sectors), at an average wage of $20,280.
Source: BLS QCEW.
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Housing & Affordability
Census ACS · HUD Fair Market Rents FY2026
Housing Overview
Source: Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates · Tables B25001, B25077, B25064
$84,100 ▲
Median Home Value vs 2019
$708 ▲
Rent/Mo
60.4% ▼
Owner-Occ
17.7% ▼
Vacancy
1.6x
Home Value to Income Ratio - Affordable
vs. ~4.1x national average
HUD Fair Market Rents
Source: HUD · Fair Market Rents FY2026
Studio
$654/mo
1 Bedroom
$722/mo
2 Bedroom
$948/mo
3 Bedroom
$1,206/mo
4 Bedroom
$1,468/mo
30% of monthly median household income (~$1,352/mo) · rents above this line are typically considered cost-burdened.
Key Takeaways
- Affordable market: Home value to income ratio of 1.6x is well below the ~4.1x national average; supports talent attraction and family settlement narratives.
- Elevated vacancy: 17.7% vacancy rate. In resort, rural, and seasonal markets much of this is recreational/seasonal (second homes), not available supply; confirm the vacancy-by-reason split before treating it as a redevelopment opportunity.
- Affordable rent tiers: 4 of 5 HUD Fair Market Rent bedroom tiers sit below the 30%-of-median-income affordability threshold (~$1,352/mo).
Source: Census ACS housing tables + HUD Fair Market Rents.
Workforce Pipeline
Labor force readiness, commuting, and workforce composition
Labor Market Overview
Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Tables B01001, B23025, B08303, B08301
1,067 ▼
Working Age (18-64) vs 2019
Mean Commute 26 min below national avg
0.0 min
Work From Home vs 15.1% national
13.9%
Prime-Age Employed (25-54)
54.1%
of prime-age population
▲ vs 2019
Education & Talent Pipeline
Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Table B15003 · College Scorecard
Bachelor's+
19.1% ▲
HS Diploma+
83.5% ▲
Regional / Statewide Institutions
Total credentials awarded
7,826/yr
2,703/yr
2,132/yr
818/yr
797/yr
793/yr
583/yr
Aging Workforce
Source: Census Bureau ACS · Derived from age & employment tables
20.7%
55-64 of working-age population (18-64)
Elevated retirement risk, above the 20% threshold. Succession planning recommended.
Workforce by Occupation
Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Table C24010 · Civilian employed population 16+
Management / Professional
56.9%
Service
22%
Sales & Office
7.7%
Construction / Maint.
13.3%
Production / Transport
0.1%
Bars scaled 2× for visual differentiation; percentage labels show actual share of 758 employed workers.
Key Takeaways
- Talent pipeline: 6 regional institutions feed the workforce; the top three combined produce 5,653 annual credentials.
Source: ACS workforce data and College Scorecard.
AI Insights
AI-assisted analysis, drawn from 8 federal data sources
Industry Shift Analysis
Manufacturing Automation Risk
High
Healthcare Growth Forecast
+4.2% CAGR
Remote Work Migration
67/100
Prospect Match Scores
Advanced Manufacturing
92/100
Life Sciences
84/100
Data Centers
71/100
Illustrative example
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Data Sources
Updated from official federal government data.
Census ACS 5-Year2024
BLS QCEW2025 annual
BLS LAUS (via FRED)2025 annual
BEA Regional GDP2024
HUD Fair Market RentsFY2026
FCC Broadband Map2024
USAspending.govFY2026
College ScorecardAY 2022-23
Frequently Asked Questions
Key economic and demographic figures for Mellette County, South Dakota, from federal data sources.
What is the population of Mellette County, South Dakota?
1,943 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates).
What is the median household income in Mellette County, South Dakota?
$54,076 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Mellette County, South Dakota?
3% (2025 annual average, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS).
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