Hughes County, South Dakota Population and Demographics

In this article, we'll explore the population statistics for Hughes County, South Dakota, including popular demographics data like median age, number of households, household income, gender, employment and unemployment rates, occupations, religion, and more.

We are using the latest American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year survey data from the US Census Bureau, which is accurate up to 2021.

Table of Contents

Population

There is a lot of data that lets us see how many people live in Hughes County, South Dakota. The most basic data is the total population, which is the total number of people living in Hughes County, South Dakota. The estimated population of Hughes County, South Dakota is 17,829 people, with a median age of 39.

We can look at the total population in Hughes County over the last 5 years to see how much it has changed.

Year Population Change 5-Year Change
2021
17,829
+1.53%
+1.46%
2020
17,560
 -0.27% -
2019
17,608
 -0.05% -
2018
17,617
+0.26%
-
2017
17,572
 - -

Population of Hughes County, South Dakota by Race and Ethnicity

We can also look at how the population has changed over the last 5 years by each of the race/ethnicity types as defined by the US Census Bureau.

Race 2021 2017 Change
White
80.7%
83.1%
 -2.89%
Black/African American
0.1%
0.5%
 -80.00%
Native
11.1%
10.3%
 +7.77%
Hispanic
3.4%
2.9%
 +17.24%
Asian
0%
0.4%
 -100.00%
Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
0%
0%
 0.00%
Two Or More Races
4.8%
2.8%
 +71.43%
Other
0%
0%
 0.00%

This data can be very important for a number of reasons, including social and economic research, planning and development, and marketing to a multi-cultural population.

Note that the Native group includes both Native American and Alaskan Native people.

Population of Hughes County, South Dakota by Age and Gender

The age and gender of a population is another interesting demographic statistic because it lets us track trends in the population over time. For example, we can see how the population has changed over the last 5 years by median age as a total, and also by male and female.

Year Total Male Female
2021 39 +1.3% 38.9 +1.83% 39.1 +1.3%
2020 38.5 +1.32% 38.2 +1.87% 38.6 +0.26%
2019 38 0% 37.5 +0.27% 38.5 +0.52%
2018 38 -0.78% 37.4 -1.06% 38.3 -1.03%
2017 38.3 - 37.8 - 38.7 -

The median age of Hughes County, South Dakota gives you an idea of the age distribution, with half of the population being older than the median age and half being younger.

This can then be used to infer and compare against birth rates, parent ages, and more metrics to understand the population. For example, an increasing median age indicates an aging population, which can be a sign of a declining population in terms of birth rates and workforce participation.

Age 2021 2017
(Years) Male Female Male Female
0 to 9 1,406 -3.82% 1,295 -3.9% 1,352 1,234
10 to 19 947 +16.59% 906 2.58% 1,098 906
20 to 29 1,000 -21.79% 1,128 +5.76% 791 1,193
30 to 39 1,207 +14.7% 1,228 +8.47% 1,389 1,333
40 to 49 941 -13.21% 1,055 -0.95% 821 1,037
50 to 59 1,220 -16.17% 1,222 -10.36% 1,028 1,096
60 to 69 1,079 +20.58% 983 +26.97% 1,316 1,270
70+ 799 +22.96% 1,156 -17.02% 996 969

Median Household Income

The latest median household income of Hughes County, South Dakota is $77,725.00.

In simple terms, the median income is the middle income of a group of people. Half of the people in the group make more than the median income, and half make less. The median income is a good indicator of the overall income of a group of people, and can be used to compare against other metrics such as the average income, per capita income, and more.

Median Income by Age

We can also look at the median income by age to see how the median income varies by age, and how it compares to the overall median income for Hughes County.

  • Under 25
    $29,292.00
  • 25 to 44
    $82,163.00
  • 45 to 64
    $87,204.00
  • 65 and over
    $48,887.00

Average Household Income

Whenever we ask what is the average household income in Hughes County, we are actually talking about the mean household income.

This is calculated by adding up all the incomes of all the households in Hughes County, and then dividing that number by the total number of households. This is a good way to get a general idea of the average income of a group of people, but it can be skewed by a very high or very low incomes.

The average household income of Hughes County, South Dakota is currently $84,329.00.

In terms of accurately summarizing income at a geographic level, the median income is a better metric than the average income because it isn't affected by a small number of very high or very low incomes.

If you had an area where the average income was greater than the median, it can mean that there is significant income inequality, with income being concentrated in a small number of wealthy households.

4.34% of households in Hughes County are classed as high income households (making $200,000+ per year).

Household Income Tiers

The US Census Bureau divides households into income tiers based on the median income for the area. This is a good way to compare the income of Hughes County against other areas.

  • Less than $24,999
    13.79%
  • $25,000 to $49,999
    20.80%
  • $50,000 to $74,999
    13.93%
  • $75,000 to $99,999
    20.91%
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    18.62%
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    7.61%
  • $200,000 or more
    4.34%

Per Capita Income

The per capita income in Hughes County is $35,344.00.

Per capita income is the average income of a person in a given area. It is calculated by dividing the total income of Hughes County by the total population of Hughes County.

This is different from the average or mean income because it includes and accounts for all people in Hughes County, South Dakota, including people like children, the elderly, unemployed people, retired people, and more.

Education Levels

We can also look at the education levels in Hughes County to see how many people have a high school degree, a bachelor's degree, or a graduate degree.

Educational attainment is a good indicator of the overall education level of a population, and can be used to compare against other metrics such as the average income, per capita income, and more to see how education levels affect income, unemployment rates, and more.

  • Master's degree or higher
    9.80%
  • Bachelor's degree
    39.84%
  • Some college or associate's degree
    12.46%
  • High school diploma or equivalent
    36.92%
  • Less than high school diploma
    0.98%

Employment

Employment rates are all based around the total population in Hughes County that are over the age of 16.

The total population of Hughes County over the age of 16 is 13,878.

Of those people, a total of 67.60% are working or actively looking for work. This is called the labor force participation rate.

The participation rate is a useful market measure because it shows the relative amount of labor resources available to the economy.

The employment to total population rate in Hughes County is 66.90%.

Employment by Age

We can look at the employment rates by age to see how it compares to the overall employment rate.

Age Population Participation Unemployment Rate
16 to 19 years 639 59.30% 0.00%
20 to 24 years 933 64.30% 1.50%
25 to 29 years 1,051 77.70% 4.00%
30 to 34 years 1,078 80.10% 0.60%
35 to 44 years 2,537 86.20% 0.70%
45 to 54 years 2,048 93.00% 0.10%
55 to 59 years 1,041 85.60% 0.00%
60 to 64 years 1,608 72.30% 1.80%
65 to 74 years 1,757 29.90% 0.00%
75 years and over 1,186 4.90% 0.00%

Employment by Race

Another very interesting employment statistic we can look at is the employment and unemployment rates by race in Hughes County. The table below shows the rates for each of the ethnicity groups types defined by the US Census Bureau.

Age Population Participation Unemployment Rate
White 11,826 69.00% 0.50%
Black or African American 13 0.00% 0.00%
American Indian and Alaska Native 1,354 45.80% 5.50%
Asian 3 100.00% 0.00%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 0 0.00% 0.00%
Other 15 26.70% 0.00%
Two or more races 667 90.70% 1.30%
Hispanic or Latino 323 74.60% 13.70%
Not Hispanic or Latino 11,675 68.70% 0.10%

Occupations

In this section we can look at the most common occupations in Hughes County as well as the gender breakdown and earnings of them.

The total population of civilian employees that are 16 years old or older in Hughes County is 9,287, with median earnings of $43,954.00.

Women in Hughes County, South Dakota earning approximately 76.40% of the men's earnings.

Population Earnings
Total 9,287 $43,954.00
Male 4,792 $50,121.00
Female 4,495 $38,306.00

Occupations by Category

In the table below, we can break down the population and earnings even further by occupation. The list of occupation categories below will show you how many people are employed in each category and the median earnings of each profession.

Occupation Employed Earnings
Management 1,354 $54,551.00
Business and Financial 608 $51,517.00
Computer and Mathematical 268 $59,917.00
Architecture and Engineering 332 $77,851.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 157 $46,431.00
Community and Social Service 114 $42,927.00
Legal 199 $80,134.00
Educational and Library 523 $43,967.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 321 $38,542.00
Healthcare Practitioners 615 $49,583.00
Healthcare Support 194 $28,285.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 99 $12,656.00
Law Enforcement 140 $49,565.00
Food Preparation and Serving 597 $13,614.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 270 $36,842.00
Personal Care and Service 98 $16,346.00
Sales 715 $30,536.00
Office and Administrative Support 1,147 $34,508.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 57 $59,219.00
Construction and Extraction 393 $44,154.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 309 $41,989.00
Production 159 $59,125.00
Transportation and Material Moving 378 $41,667.00

Occupations by Gender

The table below shows the same occupations from the list above, but we have split them by male and female to see how many male and females work in each occupation, the median earnings, and the male to female ratio of earnings.

That last metric is important because it can be used to look at the gender pay gap between men and women.

Occupation Male Female
Population Earnings Population Earnings
Management 660 $72,738.00 694 $52,953.00
Business and Financial 294 $51,432.00 314 $53,250.00
Computer and Mathematical 215 $65,583.00 53 $59,625.00
Architecture and Engineering 332 $77,851.00 0 $0.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 68 $58,333.00 89 $45,888.00
Community and Social Service 64 $44,451.00 50 $29,500.00
Legal 84 $82,232.00 115 $72,902.00
Educational and Library 189 $60,486.00 334 $42,704.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 159 $36,469.00 162 $53,720.00
Healthcare Practitioners 138 $68,229.00 477 $48,750.00
Healthcare Support 2 $0.00 192 $28,256.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 61 $56,250.00 38 $0.00
Law Enforcement 89 $49,103.00 51 $0.00
Food Preparation and Serving 310 $14,216.00 287 $9,944.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 202 $38,950.00 68 $24,545.00
Personal Care and Service 0 $0.00 98 $16,346.00
Sales 442 $33,889.00 273 $20,250.00
Office and Administrative Support 145 $34,583.00 1,002 $34,500.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 57 $59,219.00 0 $0.00
Construction and Extraction 393 $44,154.00 0 $0.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 309 $41,989.00 0 $0.00
Production 99 $55,781.00 60 $60,714.00
Transportation and Material Moving 321 $50,599.00 57 $33,323.00

Households and Family Size

A household defined bu the US Census Bureau is a group of people who occupy a housing unit. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, group of rooms, or single room occupied as separate living quarters.

There are currently 7,490 households in Hughes County, with an average household size of 2.24 people.

A family is defined as a group of two or more people related by birth, marriage, or adoption who live together in the same household.

There are 4,672 families in Hughes County with an average family size of 2.69 people.

Households by Marital Status

The four categories of household by marital status are:

  • Married-couple family
  • Male householder with no spouse present
  • Female household with no spouse present
  • Nonfamily household

The table below shows the total number of households and families, with the average sizes of each.

Married Male Female Nonfamily
Total Households 3,484 570 618 2,818
Average Household Size 2.85 2.42 3.31 1.2
Total Families 3,484 570 618 0
Average Household Size 2.81 1.68 2.96 0

Poverty

Of the 4,672 families in Hughes County, 8.80% are considered to be below the poverty threshold.

The table below shows the latest poverty thresholds in Hughes County:

Household Size Poverty Threshold
1 Person $14,580.00
2 People $19,720.00
3 People $24,860.00
4 People $30,000.00
5 People $35,140.00
6 People $40,280.00
7 People $45,420.00
8 People $50,560.00

Housing

There are 7,920 housing units in Hughes County, South Dakota.

The table below shows the split between occupied and vacant units:

Total Percentage
Occupied 7,490 94.57%
Vacant 430 5.43%

25.66% of the total 7,920 housing units in Hughes County are rental units. This is approximately 2,032 properties.

For owner-occupied housing units, a total of 5,354 are occupied by the owner - or 67.60% of the total.

Rental Rates

The median rent for a property in Hughes County is $810.00.

In the chart below, we can look at the number of rental properties in Hughes County that fall into a particular rent range. These can then be used to compare with other areas, or to see how they have changed over time.

  • No rent paid
    104
  • Less than $500
    301
  • $500 to $999
    1,115
  • $1,000 to $1,499
    564
  • $1,500 to $1,999
    41
  • $2,000 to $2,499
    11
  • $2,500 to $2,999
    0
  • $3,000 or more
    0

Property Value

The median value of a property in Hughes County is $186,600.00.

Just like with rental rates, we can look at the number of properties in Hughes County that fall into a particular value range.

  • Less than $50,000
    492
  • $50,000 to $99,999
    404
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    707
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    1,624
  • $200,000 to $299,999
    1,099
  • $300,000 to $499,999
    879
  • $500,000 to $999,999
    133
  • $1,000,000 or more
    16

Property Age

We can also look at the age of properties in Hughes County. The chart below shows the number of properties in Hughes County that fall into a particular age range.

  • 1939 or earlier
    814
  • 1940 to 1949
    127
  • 1950 to 1959
    909
  • 1960 to 1969
    838
  • 1970 to 1979
    1,724
  • 1980 to 1989
    1,084
  • 1990 to 1999
    846
  • 2000 to 2009
    808
  • 2010 to 2013
    744
  • 2014 or later
    26

Vehicles per Household

The number of vehicles available per household can be a good indicator of the level of affluence in an area. The chart below shows the number of households in Hughes County that have a particular number of vehicles available.

  • No vehicles available
    516
  • 1 vehicle available
    2,356
  • 2 vehicles available
    2,492
  • 3 or more vehicles available
    2,126

Commuting to Work

In this section, we can also look at how people in Hughes County get to work. The chart below shows the number of people in Hughes County that commute to work in a particular way.

12.4 minutes is the average travel time to work for people in Hughes County.

These commute times can be compared to other date like income and educational levels to see how they relate to each other and if there are any trends in the data that might suggest a correlation.

  • Less than 5 minutes
    760
  • 5 to 9 minutes
    3,152
  • 10 to 14 minutes
    2,563
  • 15 to 19 minutes
    972
  • 20 to 24 minutes
    478
  • 25 to 29 minutes
    176
  • 30 to 34 minutes
    168
  • 35 to 39 minutes
    79
  • 40 to 44 minutes
    61
  • 45 to 59 minutes
    182
  • 60 to 89 minutes
    80
  • 90 or more minutes
    76

Summary

We've covered a LOT of demographic and population data for Hughes County, South Dakota in this article! Hopefully you have found it very useful in your research of the area.

If you use any of the data found on this page, please consider linking back to USPopulation.org as the source and if you have any feedback or data requests, click here to contact us.

Places in Hughes County, South Dakota

We have data for 4 places in Hughes County, South Dakota. Click on a place below to see more information about the demographics of that place.