HomeSouth DakotaDewey County
Dewey County, South Dakota: commercial real estate data.
Dewey County, South Dakota has a population of 5,205 across 2,302 square miles, up 1.5 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $270.6 m in 2024, 103 establishments operate here.
85 sourced county values · tier FULL · 9 sections
Dewey County
How many people live in Dewey County
- Population5,205
- Households1,692
- Average household size3.08
- Median household income$54,104
- Median age27.7
- Median gross rent$692 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$69,600
- Home value to household income1.3 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income15.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher18.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree6.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over2,745
- Population under 181,996
- Share under 1838.3 percent
- Population 65 and over518
- Share 65 and over10.0 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 642,691
- Civilian labor force2,092
- Unemployment rate13.9 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over65.2 percent
- Rank by population among South Dakota counties36th of 66
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents2882nd
Dewey County is the 36th largest of 66 South Dakota counties by population. A median home costs 1.3 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 38.3 percent against 10.0 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Dewey County
Is Dewey County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base1.51 percent
- Census 2020 base population5,243
- Births, 2024297
- Deaths, 202485
- Natural change, 2024212
- Net domestic migration, 2024-70
- Net international migration, 20241
- Total net migration, 2024-69
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-132
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1331st
The county has grown 1.51 percent since the 2020 census base. Births exceeded deaths in 2024 but more people left than arrived, so the population is being sustained internally rather than attracting.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Dewey County
Where people moving to Dewey County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving66
- People arriving, from those returns133
- Adjusted gross income arriving$2.1 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$31,288
- Largest single originDewey County Non-migrants (1,971 households)
- Largest single destination (1,971 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dewey County Non-migrants | 1,971 | 4,604 | $106.9 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 66 | 133 | $2.1 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Dewey 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.
Dewey County
What the Dewey County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$270.6 m
- County GDP, 2023$273.9 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 2024-1.2 percent
- GDP change over five years13.9 percent
- Rank by GDP among South Dakota counties40th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents2760th
- GDP per resident$51,979
Output grew -1.2 percent in the latest year and 13.9 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.
Dewey County
Who employs people in Dewey County
- Covered employment, annual average2,447
- Establishments reporting156
- Average annual pay$51,085
- Average weekly wage$982
- Sector 44-45, employment212
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$23,146
- Sector 72, employment88
- Sector 72, average annual pay$15,913
- Sector 42, employment43
- Sector 42, average annual pay$56,694
- Sector 51, employment25
- Sector 51, average annual pay$23,433
- Sector 81, employment14
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 44-45 | 212 | 18 | $23,146 |
| Sector 72 | 88 | 11 | $15,913 |
| Sector 42 | 43 | 5 | $56,694 |
| Sector 51 | 25 | 3 | $23,433 |
| Sector 81 | 14 | 6 | $45,270 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 212 jobs, 8.7 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.
Dewey County
What businesses operate in Dewey County
- Establishments, all industries103
- Employment at those establishments778
- Annual payroll$33.4 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents19.8
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.
Dewey County
What is being built in Dewey County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 20243
- Declared construction value permitted$247,500
- Single family units authorised1
- Multifamily units authorised2
- Multifamily share of units66.7 percent
- Average declared value per unit$82,500
- Units authorised per 1,000 households1.8
Multifamily is 66.7 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is being built for renters rather than buyers.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Dewey County
How much SBA lending happens in Dewey County
- 504 approvals recorded1
- 504 gross approval dollars$686,000
- Average 504 approval$686,000
- Median 504 approval$686,000
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval2.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved2.9
- Most active CDCAlly Dakota Development, Inc. (1)
US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Dewey County
How big is Dewey County
- Land area2,302 sq mi
- Rank by land area among South Dakota counties6th of 66
- Width, east to west60.6 mi
- Height, north to south51.7 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land2
- Establishments per square mile0.04
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 7(a) approvals recorded in this county in the FOIA release covering FY2020 onward.
- 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 Dewey 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 Dewey County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population5,205
- Households1,692
- Average household size3.08
- Median household income$54,104
- Median age27.7
Common questions
Dewey County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Dewey County, South Dakota?
5,205, in 1,692 households, ranking 36th of 66 South Dakota counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Dewey County growing?
The population has grown 1.51 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 297 births against 85 deaths, with net migration of -69. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Dewey County?
$54,104. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $69,600, which is 1.3 times income, and median gross rent is $692 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Dewey County?
103 establishments, employing 778 people with an annual payroll of $33.4 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 Dewey County?
Average annual pay is $51,085, or $982 a week, across 2,447 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
What is being built in Dewey County?
3 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $247,500. Multifamily was 66.7 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Dewey 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 Dewey County come from?
The largest single origin is Dewey County Non-migrants, with 1,971 households. Arriving households report an average income of $31,288 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 Dewey 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 Dewey 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.