HomeSouth DakotaMellette County
Mellette County, South Dakota: commercial real estate data.
Mellette County, South Dakota has a population of 1,943 across 1,307 square miles, down 4.5 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $71.1 m in 2024, 21 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 1 7(a) approvals worth $700,000.
95 sourced county values · tier FULL · 10 sections
Mellette County
How many people live in Mellette County
- Population1,943
- Households641
- Average household size3.03
- Median household income$54,076
- Median age37.5
- Median gross rent$708 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$84,100
- Home value to household income1.6 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income15.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher19.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree5.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over1,264
- Population under 18557
- Share under 1828.7 percent
- Population 65 and over319
- Share 65 and over16.4 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 641,067
- Civilian labor force866
- Unemployment rate12.5 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over62.5 percent
- Rank by population among South Dakota counties58th of 66
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents3126th
Mellette County is the 58th largest of 66 South Dakota counties by population. A median home costs 1.6 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 28.7 percent against 16.4 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Mellette County
Is Mellette County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-4.53 percent
- Census 2020 base population1,921
- Births, 202428
- Deaths, 202432
- Natural change, 2024-4
- Net domestic migration, 2024-5
- Net international migration, 20240
- Total net migration, 2024-5
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-59
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2948th
The county has lost 4.53 percent of its population since the 2020 census base.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Mellette County
Where people moving to Mellette County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving26
- People arriving, from those returns51
- Adjusted gross income arriving$1.5 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$56,808
- Largest single originMellette County Non-migrants (538 households)
- Largest single destination (538 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mellette County Non-migrants | 538 | 1,241 | $24.6 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 26 | 51 | $1.5 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Mellette 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.
Mellette County
What the Mellette County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$71.1 m
- County GDP, 2023$65.5 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20248.6 percent
- GDP change over five years108.3 percent
- Rank by GDP among South Dakota counties65th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents3079th
- GDP per resident$36,593
Output grew 8.6 percent in the latest year and 108.3 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.
Mellette County
Who employs people in Mellette County
- Covered employment, annual average328
- Establishments reporting44
- Average annual pay$36,865
- Average weekly wage$709
- Sector 44-45, employment36
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$17,988
- Sector 72, employment34
- Sector 72, average annual pay$10,907
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 44-45 | 36 | 4 | $17,988 |
| Sector 72 | 34 | 4 | $10,907 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 36 jobs, 11.0 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.
Mellette County
What businesses operate in Mellette County
- Establishments, all industries21
- Employment at those establishments156
- Annual payroll$4.8 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents10.8
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.
Mellette County
What is being built in Mellette County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 20242
- Declared construction value permitted$287,564
- Single family units authorised2
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$143,782
- Units authorised per 1,000 households3.1
Multifamily is 0.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Mellette County
How much SBA lending happens in Mellette County
- 7(a) approvals recorded1
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$700,000
- Average 7(a) approval$700,000
- Median 7(a) approval$700,000
- 10th percentile approval$700,000
- 90th percentile approval$700,000
- Largest single approval$700,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)4
- Jobs per approval4.0
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active1
- Distinct industries receiving approvals1
- Median 7(a) term300 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer100.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms1
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter0
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countHotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels (1)
- Most active lenderFirst Fidelity Bank (1)
The average approval of $700,000 sits close to the median of $700,000, so lending here is fairly evenly sized rather than driven by a few large deals. 100.0 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.
Mellette County
Do SBA loans in Mellette County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded0
- Paid in full0
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure1
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 0 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.
Mellette County
How big is Mellette County
- Land area1,307 sq mi
- Rank by land area among South Dakota counties21st of 66
- Width, east to west50.7 mi
- Height, north to south32.4 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land1
- Establishments per square mile0.02
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 504 approvals recorded in this county in the FOIA release covering FY2010 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 Mellette 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 Mellette County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population1,943
- Households641
- Average household size3.03
- Median household income$54,076
- Median age37.5
Common questions
Mellette County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Mellette County, South Dakota?
1,943, in 641 households, ranking 58th of 66 South Dakota counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Mellette County growing?
The population has fallen 4.53 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 28 births against 32 deaths, with net migration of -5. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Mellette County?
$54,076. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $84,100, which is 1.6 times income, and median gross rent is $708 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Mellette County?
21 establishments, employing 156 people with an annual payroll of $4.8 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 Mellette County?
Average annual pay is $36,865, or $709 a week, across 328 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Mellette County?
1 7(a) approvals totalling $700,000 since FY2020, across 1 lenders, with a median approval of $700,000. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Mellette County?
2 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $287,564. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Mellette 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 Mellette County come from?
The largest single origin is Mellette County Non-migrants, with 538 households. Arriving households report an average income of $56,808 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 Mellette 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 Mellette 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.