HomeSouth DakotaCuster County
Custer County, South Dakota: commercial real estate data.
Custer County, South Dakota has a population of 8,892 across 1,557 square miles, up 12.1 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $397.6 m in 2024, 327 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 22 7(a) approvals worth $6.0 m.
117 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Custer County
How many people live in Custer County
- Population8,892
- Households4,451
- Average household size2.00
- Median household income$84,112
- Median age57.6
- Median gross rent$1,112 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$372,100
- Home value to household income4.4 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income15.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher31.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree12.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over7,323
- Population under 181,225
- Share under 1813.8 percent
- Population 65 and over2,997
- Share 65 and over33.7 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 644,670
- Civilian labor force4,299
- Unemployment rate2.3 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over56.1 percent
- Rank by population among South Dakota counties21st of 66
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents2570th
Custer County is the 21st largest of 66 South Dakota counties by population. A median home costs 4.4 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 33.7 percent against 13.8 percent, which points demand at health care, services and single storey product rather than schools.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Custer County
Is Custer County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base12.07 percent
- Census 2020 base population8,325
- Births, 202477
- Deaths, 2024100
- Natural change, 2024-23
- Net domestic migration, 2024227
- Net international migration, 202411
- Total net migration, 2024238
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20241,049
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents108th
The county has grown 12.07 percent since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration alone is more sensitive to a change in relative cost than one growing from household formation.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Custer County
Where people moving to Custer County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving473
- People arriving, from those returns867
- Adjusted gross income arriving$51.0 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$107,825
- Largest single originCuster County Non-migrants (3,581 households)
- Largest single destination (3,581 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Custer County Non-migrants | 3,581 | 7,053 | $303.4 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 285 | 508 | $32.2 m |
| Other flows - West | 138 | 255 | $15.8 m |
| Pennington County | 100 | 170 | $13.2 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 95 | 173 | $12.8 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 59 | 119 | $3.6 m |
| Other flows - South | 52 | 80 | $3.6 m |
| Fall River County | 29 | 70 | $2.0 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Custer County Non-migrants, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Custer County
What the Custer County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$397.6 m
- County GDP, 2023$376.2 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20245.7 percent
- GDP change over five years58.4 percent
- Rank by GDP among South Dakota counties29th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents2546th
- GDP per resident$44,719
Output grew 5.7 percent in the latest year and 58.4 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Custer County
Who employs people in Custer County
- Covered employment, annual average2,677
- Establishments reporting421
- Average annual pay$47,494
- Average weekly wage$913
- Sector 44-45, employment301
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$29,011
- Sector 62, employment266
- Sector 62, average annual pay$62,850
- Sector 23, employment193
- Sector 23, average annual pay$47,737
- Sector 81, employment89
- Sector 81, average annual pay$38,965
- Sector 53, employment55
- Sector 52, employment53
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 44-45 | 301 | 36 | $29,011 |
| Sector 62 | 266 | 19 | $62,850 |
| Sector 23 | 193 | 60 | $47,737 |
| Sector 81 | 89 | 19 | $38,965 |
| Sector 53 | 55 | 15 | $36,429 |
| Sector 52 | 53 | 22 | $71,274 |
| Sector 42 | 42 | 25 | $97,456 |
| Sector 61 | 20 | 11 | $42,807 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 301 jobs, 11.2 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Custer County
What businesses operate in Custer County
- Establishments, all industries327
- Employment at those establishments1,536
- Annual payroll$72.8 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents36.8
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Custer County
What is being built in Custer County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024232
- Declared construction value permitted$81.3 m
- Single family units authorised228
- Multifamily units authorised4
- Multifamily share of units1.7 percent
- Average declared value per unit$350,344
- Units authorised per 1,000 households52.1
Multifamily is 1.7 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Custer County
How much SBA lending happens in Custer County
- 7(a) approvals recorded22
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$6.0 m
- Average 7(a) approval$271,545
- Median 7(a) approval$150,000
- 10th percentile approval$25,000
- 90th percentile approval$417,700
- Largest single approval$1,792,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)158
- Jobs per approval7.2
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active12
- Distinct industries receiving approvals16
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer31.8 percent
- Loans on real estate terms7
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter14
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countRV (Recreational Vehicle) Parks and Campgrounds (4)
- Most active lenderHighmark FCU (9)
- 504 approvals recorded11
- 504 gross approval dollars$3.5 m
- Average 504 approval$316,364
- Median 504 approval$272,000
- Distinct CDCs active2
- 504 jobs per approval3.6
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved11.5
- Most active CDCAlly Dakota Development, Inc. (10)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals66.7 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$9.5 m
The average approval of $271,545 sits well above the median of $150,000, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. 31.8 percent of approvals run on real estate terms of 240 months or more, so this is a market where SBA credit is buying buildings, not just funding operations.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Custer County
Do SBA loans in Custer County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded9
- Paid in full9
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full9
- Status: Exempt from disclosure13
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 9 resolved loans, too few to publish a rate. A rate computed on a handful of loans is noise, so none is shown.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Custer County
Which parts of Custer County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending4
- CUSTER, approvals19
- BUFFALO GAP, approvals1
- HERMOSA, approvals1
- FAIRBURN, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| CUSTER | 19 | $5,749,000 |
| BUFFALO GAP | 1 | $100,000 |
| HERMOSA | 1 | $25,000 |
| FAIRBURN | 1 | $100,000 |
CUSTER accounts for 19 approvals against 1 in BUFFALO GAP. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Custer County
How big is Custer County
- Land area1,557 sq mi
- Rank by land area among South Dakota counties16th of 66
- Width, east to west68.5 mi
- Height, north to south26.1 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary2
- Residents per square mile of land6
- Establishments per square mile0.21
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- No NFIP communities are listed for this county in the FEMA Community Status Book.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Custer County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Custer County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population8,892
- Households4,451
- Average household size2.00
- Median household income$84,112
- Median age57.6
Common questions
Custer County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Custer County, South Dakota?
8,892, in 4,451 households, ranking 21st of 66 South Dakota counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Custer County growing?
The population has grown 12.07 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 77 births against 100 deaths, with net migration of 238. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Custer County?
$84,112. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $372,100, which is 4.4 times income, and median gross rent is $1,112 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Custer County?
327 establishments, employing 1,536 people with an annual payroll of $72.8 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Custer County?
Average annual pay is $47,494, or $913 a week, across 2,677 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Custer County?
22 7(a) approvals totalling $6.0 m since FY2020, across 12 lenders, with a median approval of $150,000, plus 11 504 approvals worth $3.5 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Custer County?
232 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $81.3 m. Multifamily was 1.7 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Custer County?
Zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Custer County come from?
The largest single origin is Custer County Non-migrants, with 3,581 households. Arriving households report an average income of $107,825 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Custer County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Custer County?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.