Demographics of Custer County, South Dakota

Custer County, South Dakota had 9,431 people on July 1, 2025, by the Census Bureau’s estimate: +1,098 since July 2020. Age, income, poverty, housing and origin below come from the American Community Survey, averaged over 2020–2024, each with its margin of error.

Custer County, in four figures

9,431
Population: July 1, 2025, Vintage 2025 estimate.; +13.2%
Change since July 2020: +1,098 people.; 57.6 ±1.0
Median age: ACS 2020–⁠2024.; $84,112 ±$3,932
Median household income: ACS 2020–⁠2024, in 2024 dollars.

Population, year by year

July 1 estimates from the Census Bureau’s Vintage 2025. Each year's change is births less deaths, net moves from abroad and net moves from elsewhere in the country, with the Bureau's small residual. The 2020 row's components run 3 months, from the April census to July 1.

Custer County, South Dakota's population grew 13.2% from July 2020 to July 2025, against +3.1% nationally

The July 1 estimate of Custer County, South Dakota's resident population and the nation's, each year of the Census Bureau's Vintage 2025, as a share of its July 2020 level (= 100).

U.S. Census Bureau — Census Bureau population estimates — counties and Puerto Rico municipios, with components of change

About this chart

The figures

Custer County, South Dakota's population grew 13.2% from July 2020 to July 2025, against +3.1% nationally. The July 1 estimate of Custer County, South Dakota's resident population and the nation's, each year of the Census Bureau's Vintage 2025, as a share of its July 2020 level (= 100).
July 1	Population	Index	United States
2020	8,333	100.0	100.0
2021	8,639	103.7	100.2
2022	9,012	108.1	100.7
2023	9,108	109.3	101.6
2024	9,324	111.9	102.5
2025	9,431	113.2	103.1

3 more columns on a wider screen

Population of Custer County, South Dakota on July 1 of each year, Vintage 2025
July 1	Population	Change	Births less deaths	From abroad	From elsewhere in the country
2020	8,333	+14	−11	0	+30
2021	8,639	+306	−33	+3	+357
2022	9,012	+373	−20	+4	+364
2023	9,108	+96	−15	+12	+98
2024	9,324	+216	−32	+22	+227
2025	9,431	+107	−35	+21	+122

Age, 2020–2024

The median age is 57.6 ±1.0: for men 58.2 ±0.7 and for women 55.9 ±3.3. Shares are of everyone the survey counts, in the Bureau’s sex-by-age table (B01001).

2 more columns on a wider screen

People in Custer County by age, ACS 2020–2024
Age	People	Share	South Dakota	United States
Under 5	324 ±47	3.6% ±0.5	6.3% ±0.1	5.6% ±<0.1
5 to 17	901 ±129	10.1% ±1.5	17.9% ±0.2	16.3% ±<0.1
18 to 24	344 ±118	3.9% ±1.3	9.3% ±0.4	9.1% ±<0.1
25 to 44	1,613 ±170	18.1% ±1.9	25.2% ±0.2	26.9% ±<0.1
45 to 64	2,713 ±257	30.5% ±2.9	23.3% ±0.2	24.8% ±<0.1
65 and over	2,997 ±315	33.7% ±3.5	18.0% ±0.3	17.2% ±<0.1

Income and poverty, 2020–2024

Median household income is $84,112 ±$3,932, and income per person $52,898 ±$7,321, in 2024 dollars. The median is $75,081 ±$888 in South Dakota and $80,734 ±$166 in the United States.

Households by income

2 more columns on a wider screen

Households in Custer County by income, ACS 2020–2024
Household income	Households	Share	South Dakota	United States
Under $25,000	718 ±196	16.1% ±4.4	14.0% ±0.4	14.6% ±<0.1
$25,000 to $49,999	590 ±177	13.3% ±3.9	18.5% ±0.5	16.7% ±<0.1
$50,000 to $74,999	646 ±167	14.5% ±3.7	17.4% ±0.4	15.5% ±<0.1
$75,000 to $99,999	799 ±168	18.0% ±3.7	14.6% ±0.4	12.6% ±<0.1
$100,000 to $149,999	830 ±202	18.6% ±4.5	18.9% ±0.5	17.5% ±<0.1
$150,000 to $199,999	460 ±143	10.3% ±3.2	8.5% ±0.3	9.6% ±<0.1
$200,000 or more	408 ±148	9.2% ±3.3	8.1% ±0.4	13.4% ±0.1

Poverty by age

The poverty rate is the share of people whose family income is below the federal threshold for their family’s size, of everyone for whom the Bureau determines it (B17020).

2 more columns on a wider screen

Poverty rate in Custer County by age, ACS 2020–2024
Age	Below poverty	Rate	South Dakota	United States
All ages	786 ±231	9.0% ±2.6	11.9% ±0.4	12.5% ±0.1
Under 18	47 to 151	4.0% to 12.7%	14.3% ±0.6	16.1% ±0.1
18 to 59	193 ±94	5.3% ±2.6	11.8% ±0.5	11.6% ±0.1
60 and over	494 ±172	12.5% ±4.2	9.7% ±0.4	11.0% ±<0.1

A range (the estimate less and plus its margin) where the Bureau's estimate is too uncertain to state as one number: a coefficient of variation over 30%.

Housing, 2020–2024

1 more column on a wider screen

Housing in Custer County, ACS 2020–2024
Measure	Custer County	South Dakota	United States
Housing units	5,291 ±186	408,584 ±422	143,775,355 ±10,234
Occupied	84.1% ±1.1	89.5% ±0.4	89.9% ±0.1
Vacant	15.9% ±3.8	10.5% ±0.4	10.1% ±0.1
Owner occupied	85.6% ±2.2	68.6% ±0.5	65.2% ±0.3
Renter occupied	14.4% ±3.8	31.4% ±0.5	34.8% ±0.1
Median home value	$372,100 ±$47,295	$257,400 ±$3,051	$332,700 ±$236
Median gross rent	$1,112 ±$219	$946 ±$11	$1,413 ±$2
Median year built	1994 ±5	1980 ±1	1980 ±1

Occupied and vacant are shares of all housing units; owner and renter occupied are shares of occupied units. Value and rent are medians in 2024 dollars.

Origin and place of birth, 2020–2024

Hispanic or Latino origin is not a race in the Census Bureau’s tables. Here the people of Hispanic origin, of any race, are one row, and everyone else is counted by race alone (B03002), so the rows add to the whole.

Hispanic origin and race

2 more columns on a wider screen

People in Custer County by Hispanic origin and race, ACS 2020–2024
Origin	People	Share	South Dakota	United States
Hispanic or Latino	274 ±0	3.1% ±<0.1	4.8% ±<0.1	19.3% ±<0.1
White alone, not Hispanic	7,801 ±144	87.7% ±1.6	79.8% ±0.1	57.4% ±<0.1
Black alone, not Hispanic	0 to 72	0% to 0.8%	2.1% ±0.1	11.9% ±<0.1
Asian alone, not Hispanic	0 to 78	0% to 0.9%	1.4% ±0.1	5.9% ±<0.1
American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic	84 to 270	0.9% to 3.0%	7.1% ±0.1	0.5% ±<0.1
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic	0 to 15	0% to 0.2%	< 0.1% ±<0.1	0.2% ±<0.1
Some other race alone, not Hispanic	0 to 250	0% to 2.8%	0.3% ±0.1	0.6% ±<0.1
Two or more races, not Hispanic	449 ±120	5.0% ±1.3	4.4% ±0.2	4.3% ±<0.1

A range (the estimate less and plus its margin) where the Bureau's estimate is too uncertain to state as one number: a coefficient of variation over 30%.

Place of birth and citizenship

“Born a citizen outside the states” counts people born in Puerto Rico, the island areas, or abroad to American parents. Naturalized citizens and those who are not citizens together make up the people born abroad (B05002).

2 more columns on a wider screen

People in Custer County by place of birth and citizenship, ACS 2020–2024
Born	People	Share	South Dakota	United States
Born in the state	3,823 ±428	43.0% ±4.8	62.4% ±0.4	57.3% ±<0.1
Born in another state	4,654 ±424	52.3% ±4.8	32.9% ±0.4	26.9% ±<0.1
Born a citizen outside the states	55 to 303	0.6% to 3.4%	0.7% ±0.1	1.7% ±<0.1
Born abroad	100 to 372	1.1% to 4.2%	4.0% ±0.2	14.1% ±<0.1
Naturalized citizens	63 to 283	0.7% to 3.2%	1.7% ±0.1	7.4% ±<0.1
Not citizens	0 to 126	0% to 1.4%	2.3% ±0.2	6.8% ±<0.1

A range (the estimate less and plus its margin) where the Bureau's estimate is too uncertain to state as one number: a coefficient of variation over 30%.

Custer County among the counties of South Dakota

19th of 66 by population, July 2025. Every one is listed on the South Dakota page.

Counties of South Dakota near Custer County in population, July 2025
County	July 2025	Change since 2020
Clay County	15,031	+0.2%
Oglala Lakota County	13,338	−2.3%
Lake County	10,993	−0.2%
Butte County	10,856	+5.5%
Roberts County	10,255	−0.1%
Custer County	9,431	+13.2%
Turner County	9,314	+7.3%
Charles Mix County	9,303	−0.5%
Todd County	8,863	−4.9%
Grant County	7,534	> −0.1%
Fall River County	7,467	+7.1%

Elsewhere on the site

Sources

Census Bureau population estimates — counties and Puerto Rico municipios, with components of change — U.S. Census Bureau · U.S. Government work · retrieved September 25, 2026
American Community Survey 5-year estimates — table-based Summary File · U.S. Government work

Data retrieved September 25, 2026