HomeSouth DakotaHughes County
Hughes County, South Dakota: commercial real estate data.
Hughes County, South Dakota has a population of 17,664 across 742 square miles, down 1.4 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $1.66 bn in 2024, 632 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 10 7(a) approvals worth $13.0 m.
112 sourced county values · tier FULL · 10 sections
Hughes County
How many people live in Hughes County
- Population17,664
- Households7,253
- Average household size2.44
- Median household income$81,395
- Median age39.5
- Median gross rent$990 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$242,000
- Home value to household income3.0 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income14.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher39.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree14.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over12,308
- Population under 184,312
- Share under 1824.4 percent
- Population 65 and over3,188
- Share 65 and over18.0 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6410,164
- Civilian labor force9,004
- Unemployment rate1.0 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over67.4 percent
- Rank by population among South Dakota counties12th of 66
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents2001st
Hughes County is the 12th largest of 66 South Dakota counties by population. A median home costs 3.0 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 24.4 percent against 18.0 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Hughes County
Is Hughes County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-1.37 percent
- Census 2020 base population17,770
- Births, 2024212
- Deaths, 2024181
- Natural change, 202431
- Net domestic migration, 2024-120
- Net international migration, 2024-3
- Total net migration, 2024-123
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-298
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2317th
The county has lost 1.37 percent of its population 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.
Hughes County
Where people moving to Hughes County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving503
- People arriving, from those returns834
- Adjusted gross income arriving$30.4 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$60,493
- Largest single originHughes County Non-migrants (6,871 households)
- Largest single destination (6,871 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hughes County Non-migrants | 6,871 | 14,168 | $596.7 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 198 | 341 | $12.4 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 165 | 249 | $8.2 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 89 | 144 | $5.8 m |
| Stanley County | 80 | 145 | $5.8 m |
| Other flows - West | 71 | 122 | $4.2 m |
| Other flows - South | 38 | 75 | $2.5 m |
| Pennington County | 33 | 59 | $2.5 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Hughes 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.
Hughes County
What the Hughes County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$1.66 bn
- County GDP, 2023$1.58 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20244.9 percent
- GDP change over five years30.4 percent
- Rank by GDP among South Dakota counties11th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1428th
- GDP per resident$94,006
Output grew 4.9 percent in the latest year and 30.4 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.
Hughes County
Who employs people in Hughes County
- Covered employment, annual average10,867
- Establishments reporting941
- Average annual pay$61,739
- Average weekly wage$1,187
- Sector 62, employment1,410
- Sector 62, average annual pay$64,184
- Sector 44-45, employment1,334
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$38,846
- Sector 72, employment798
- Sector 72, average annual pay$22,210
- Sector 52, employment549
- Sector 52, average annual pay$101,507
- Sector 54, employment478
- Sector 23, employment451
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 62 | 1,410 | 74 | $64,184 |
| Sector 44-45 | 1,334 | 85 | $38,846 |
| Sector 72 | 798 | 57 | $22,210 |
| Sector 52 | 549 | 65 | $101,507 |
| Sector 54 | 478 | 143 | $88,484 |
| Sector 23 | 451 | 93 | $65,486 |
| Sector 81 | 343 | 69 | $50,494 |
| Sector 71 | 136 | 15 | $15,267 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 1,410 jobs, 13.0 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.
Hughes County
What businesses operate in Hughes County
- Establishments, all industries632
- Employment at those establishments6,453
- Annual payroll$314.6 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents35.8
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.
Hughes County
What is being built in Hughes County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024134
- Declared construction value permitted$20.4 m
- Single family units authorised19
- Multifamily units authorised115
- Multifamily share of units85.8 percent
- Average declared value per unit$152,381
- Units authorised per 1,000 households18.5
Multifamily is 85.8 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is being built for renters rather than buyers.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Hughes County
How much SBA lending happens in Hughes County
- 7(a) approvals recorded10
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$13.0 m
- Average 7(a) approval$1,299,450
- Median 7(a) approval$999,900
- 10th percentile approval$125,000
- 90th percentile approval$4,300,000
- Largest single approval$4,300,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)46
- Jobs per approval4.6
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active8
- Distinct industries receiving approvals9
- Median 7(a) term240 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer50.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms5
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter4
- Franchise loans1
- Franchise share of approvals10.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countHotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels (2)
- Most active lenderBlack Hills FCU (2)
- 504 approvals recorded30
- 504 gross approval dollars$20.9 m
- Average 504 approval$697,467
- Median 504 approval$467,000
- Distinct CDCs active3
- 504 jobs per approval7.7
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved11.1
- Most active CDCSouth Dakota Development Corporation (18)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals25.0 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$33.9 m
The average approval of $1,299,450 sits close to the median of $999,900, so lending here is fairly evenly sized rather than driven by a few large deals. 50.0 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.
Hughes County
Do SBA loans in Hughes County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded3
- Paid in full3
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure7
- Status: Paid in full3
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 3 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.
Hughes County
How big is Hughes County
- Land area742 sq mi
- Rank by land area among South Dakota counties43rd of 66
- Width, east to west47.6 mi
- Height, north to south30.7 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary4
- Residents per square mile of land24
- Establishments per square mile0.85
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 Hughes 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 Hughes County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population17,664
- Households7,253
- Average household size2.44
- Median household income$81,395
- Median age39.5
Common questions
Hughes County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Hughes County, South Dakota?
17,664, in 7,253 households, ranking 12th of 66 South Dakota counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Hughes County growing?
The population has fallen 1.37 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 212 births against 181 deaths, with net migration of -123. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Hughes County?
$81,395. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $242,000, which is 3.0 times income, and median gross rent is $990 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Hughes County?
632 establishments, employing 6,453 people with an annual payroll of $314.6 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 Hughes County?
Average annual pay is $61,739, or $1,187 a week, across 10,867 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Hughes County?
10 7(a) approvals totalling $13.0 m since FY2020, across 8 lenders, with a median approval of $999,900, plus 30 504 approvals worth $20.9 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Hughes County?
134 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $20.4 m. Multifamily was 85.8 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Hughes County?
Zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 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 Hughes County come from?
The largest single origin is Hughes County Non-migrants, with 6,871 households. Arriving households report an average income of $60,493 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 Hughes 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 Hughes 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.