HomeSouth DakotaLawrence County
Lawrence County, South Dakota: commercial real estate data.
Lawrence County, South Dakota has a population of 27,233 across 800 square miles, up 11.8 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $1.85 bn in 2024, 1,248 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 75 7(a) approvals worth $27.4 m.
122 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Lawrence County
How many people live in Lawrence County
- Population27,233
- Households12,054
- Average household size2.26
- Median household income$73,384
- Median age44.8
- Median gross rent$938 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$346,500
- Home value to household income4.7 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income15.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher32.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree11.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over19,838
- Population under 184,435
- Share under 1816.3 percent
- Population 65 and over6,813
- Share 65 and over25.0 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6415,985
- Civilian labor force14,936
- Unemployment rate1.7 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over65.5 percent
- Rank by population among South Dakota counties8th of 66
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents1570th
Lawrence County is the 8th largest of 66 South Dakota counties by population. A median home costs 4.7 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 25.0 percent against 16.3 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.
Lawrence County
Is Lawrence County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base11.77 percent
- Census 2020 base population25,776
- Births, 2024236
- Deaths, 2024271
- Natural change, 2024-35
- Net domestic migration, 2024694
- Net international migration, 202441
- Total net migration, 2024735
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20242,969
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents115th
The county has grown 11.77 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.
Lawrence County
Where people moving to Lawrence County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving1,366
- People arriving, from those returns2,421
- Adjusted gross income arriving$145.8 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$106,709
- Largest single originLawrence County Non-migrants (10,482 households)
- Largest single destination (10,482 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lawrence County Non-migrants | 10,482 | 20,009 | $1.14 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 841 | 1,510 | $101.9 m |
| Other flows - West | 421 | 758 | $61.5 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 221 | 406 | $19.6 m |
| Other flows - South | 146 | 256 | $16.0 m |
| Pennington County | 137 | 230 | $9.3 m |
| Meade County | 105 | 204 | $5.3 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 104 | 160 | $11.3 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Lawrence 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.
Lawrence County
What the Lawrence County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$1.85 bn
- County GDP, 2023$1.80 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20242.8 percent
- GDP change over five years49.0 percent
- Rank by GDP among South Dakota counties8th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1352nd
- GDP per resident$67,852
Output grew 2.8 percent in the latest year and 49.0 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.
Lawrence County
Who employs people in Lawrence County
- Covered employment, annual average13,566
- Establishments reporting1,630
- Average annual pay$50,201
- Average weekly wage$965
- Sector 72, employment3,304
- Sector 72, average annual pay$29,426
- Sector 44-45, employment1,748
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$39,173
- Sector 62, employment1,682
- Sector 62, average annual pay$64,316
- Sector 23, employment920
- Sector 23, average annual pay$59,505
- Sector 54, employment695
- Sector 71, employment587
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 72 | 3,304 | 155 | $29,426 |
| Sector 44-45 | 1,748 | 158 | $39,173 |
| Sector 62 | 1,682 | 106 | $64,316 |
| Sector 23 | 920 | 214 | $59,505 |
| Sector 54 | 695 | 256 | $81,631 |
| Sector 71 | 587 | 41 | $34,661 |
| Sector 21 | 468 | 13 | $114,868 |
| Sector 31-33 | 415 | 32 | $63,782 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 3,304 jobs, 24.4 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.
Lawrence County
What businesses operate in Lawrence County
- Establishments, all industries1,248
- Employment at those establishments11,109
- Annual payroll$493.8 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents45.8
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.
Lawrence County
What is being built in Lawrence County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024219
- Declared construction value permitted$101.6 m
- Single family units authorised203
- Multifamily units authorised16
- Multifamily share of units7.3 percent
- Average declared value per unit$463,726
- Units authorised per 1,000 households18.2
Multifamily is 7.3 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Lawrence County
How much SBA lending happens in Lawrence County
- 7(a) approvals recorded75
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$27.4 m
- Average 7(a) approval$365,572
- Median 7(a) approval$150,000
- 10th percentile approval$45,000
- 90th percentile approval$774,300
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)623
- Jobs per approval8.3
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active16
- Distinct industries receiving approvals43
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer16.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms12
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter62
- Franchise loans3
- Franchise share of approvals4.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countNew Single-Family Housing Construction (except For-Sale Builders) (10)
- Most active lenderFirst National Bank (23)
- 504 approvals recorded46
- 504 gross approval dollars$20.8 m
- Average 504 approval$451,696
- Median 504 approval$327,000
- Distinct CDCs active3
- 504 jobs per approval5.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved11.2
- Most active CDCAlly Dakota Development, Inc. (39)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals62.0 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$48.2 m
The average approval of $365,572 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. Only 16.0 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
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.
Lawrence County
Do SBA loans in Lawrence County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded29
- Paid in full29
- Charged off0
- Charge off rate on resolved loans0.0 percent
- Status: Paid in full29
- Status: Exempt from disclosure28
- Status: Cancelled17
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed1
Of the 29 loans that have reached a final outcome, 0.0 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Lawrence County
Which parts of Lawrence County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending6
- Spearfish, approvals47
- DEADWOOD, approvals13
- LEAD, approvals8
- WHITEWOOD, approvals4
- Belle Fourche, approvals2
- Bell Fourche, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Spearfish | 47 | $15,004,900 |
| DEADWOOD | 13 | $8,121,600 |
| LEAD | 8 | $1,081,700 |
| WHITEWOOD | 4 | $339,800 |
| Belle Fourche | 2 | $569,900 |
| Bell Fourche | 1 | $2,300,000 |
Spearfish accounts for 47 approvals against 13 in DEADWOOD. 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.
Lawrence County
How big is Lawrence County
- Land area800 sq mi
- Rank by land area among South Dakota counties41st of 66
- Width, east to west29.8 mi
- Height, north to south32 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary3
- Residents per square mile of land34
- Establishments per square mile1.56
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 Lawrence 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 Lawrence County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population27,233
- Households12,054
- Average household size2.26
- Median household income$73,384
- Median age44.8
Common questions
Lawrence County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Lawrence County, South Dakota?
27,233, in 12,054 households, ranking 8th of 66 South Dakota counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Lawrence County growing?
The population has grown 11.77 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 236 births against 271 deaths, with net migration of 735. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Lawrence County?
$73,384. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $346,500, which is 4.7 times income, and median gross rent is $938 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Lawrence County?
1,248 establishments, employing 11,109 people with an annual payroll of $493.8 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 Lawrence County?
Average annual pay is $50,201, or $965 a week, across 13,566 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Lawrence County?
75 7(a) approvals totalling $27.4 m since FY2020, across 16 lenders, with a median approval of $150,000, plus 46 504 approvals worth $20.8 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Lawrence County get paid back?
Of the 29 loans that have reached a final outcome, 29 were paid in full and 0 charged off, a charge off rate of 0.0 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in Lawrence County?
219 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $101.6 m. Multifamily was 7.3 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Lawrence 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 Lawrence County come from?
The largest single origin is Lawrence County Non-migrants, with 10,482 households. Arriving households report an average income of $106,709 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 Lawrence 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 Lawrence 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.