Most African American cities in South Dakota research summary. We used Saturday Night Science to analyze South Dakota’s most recent Census data to determine the cities with the largest Black population, based on the percentage of Black residents.
The city with the largest African American population in South Dakota is Sioux Falls (6.6% Black); the least is Belle Fourche (0.0%). Statewide, South Dakota is 2.1% Black — the 40th blackest state in the country.
Roughly 42 million people identifying as Black or African American live in the United States, about 12% of the total population. In South Dakota, the Black population is 19,404, at 2.1% of the state total.
We broke down the most recent Census data to determine the cities in South Dakota with the largest African American population in 2026.
#1 most African American in South Dakota
Located in
Minnehaha County, South Dakota
Sioux Falls is the most populous city in the U.S. state of South Dakota and the 145th-most populous city in the United States. It is the county seat of Minnehaha County. and also extends into Lincoln County to the south. It is the 47th fastest-growing city in the United States and the fastest-growing metro area in South Dakota, with a population increase of 22% between 2000 and 2010.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
#2 most African American in South Dakota
Located in
Minnehaha County, South Dakota
Brandon is a city in Minnehaha County, South Dakota, United States and is the largest suburb of Sioux Falls. Brandon is located five miles east of Sioux Falls. The population was estimated at 9,923 by the United States Census Bureau on July 1, 2016, which was up from 8,785 at the 2010 census.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
#3 most African American in South Dakota
Located in
Pennington County, South Dakota
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
#4 most African American in South Dakota
Located in
Yankton County, South Dakota
Yankton is a city in, and the county seat of, Yankton County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 14,454 at the 2010 census. Yankton is the principal city of the Yankton Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes the entirety of Yankton County, and which had an estimated population of 22,702 as of July 1, 2015.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
#5 most African American in South Dakota
Located in
Clay County, South Dakota
Vermillion is a city in and the county seat of Clay County, in the southeastern corner of the state of South Dakota, and the eleventh largest city in the state. According to the 2010 Census, the population was 10,571. The city lies atop a bluff near the Missouri River.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
#6 most African American in South Dakota
Located in
Meade County, South Dakota
Sturgis is a city in Meade County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 6,627 as of the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Meade County and is named after Union General Samuel D. Sturgis.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
#7 most African American in South Dakota
Located in
Brown County, South Dakota
Aberdeen is a city in and the county seat of Brown County, South Dakota, United States, about 125 miles northeast of Pierre. The city population was 26,091 at the 2010 census, making it the third most populous city in the state after Sioux Falls and Rapid City. Aberdeen is the principal city of the Aberdeen Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Brown and Edmunds counties and has a population of 40,602 in 2010. Aberdeen is considered a college town, being the home of both Northern State University and Presentation College.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
#8 most African American in South Dakota
Located in
Lake County, South Dakota
Madison is a city in Lake County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 6,474 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Lake County and is home to Dakota State University.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
#9 most African American in South Dakota
Located in
Pennington County, South Dakota
Rapid City is the second most populous city in South Dakota and the county seat of Pennington County. Named after Rapid Creek, on which the city is established, it is set against the eastern slope of the Black Hills mountain range. The population was 67,956 as of the 2010 Census. Known as the “Gateway to the Black Hills” and the “City of Presidents”, it is split by a low mountain ridge that divides the western and eastern parts of the city. Ellsworth Air Force Base is located on the outskirts of the city. Camp Rapid, a part of the South Dakota Army National Guard, is located in the western part of the city. The historic “Old West” town of Deadwood is nearby. In the neighboring Black Hills are the popular tourist attractions of Mount Rushmore, the Crazy Horse Memorial, Custer State Park, and Wind Cave National Park.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
#10 most African American in South Dakota
Located in
Brookings County, South Dakota
Brookings is a city in Brookings County, South Dakota, United States. Brookings is the fourth largest city in South Dakota, with a population of 22,056 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Brookings County, and home to South Dakota State University, the largest institution of higher education in the state. Also found in Brookings are the South Dakota Art Museum, the Children’s Museum of South Dakota, the annual Brookings Summer Arts Festival, and the headquarters of a number of manufacturing companies and agricultural operations.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is South Dakota’s statewide median.
On the map
Where South Dakota’s Black communities live
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How We Determined The Cities In South Dakota With The Largest Black Population For 2026
We still believe in the accuracy of data — especially from the Census. So that’s where we went to get the race breakdown across South Dakota.
That leads us to the Census’s most recently available data, the 2020-2024 American Community Survey data from the US Census.
Specifically, we looked at table B03002: Hispanic OR LATINO ORIGIN BY RACE. Here are the category names as defined by the Census:
- Hispanic or Latino
- White alone*
- Black or African American alone*
- American Indian and Alaska Native alone*
- Asian alone*
- Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone*
- Some other race alone*
- Two or more races*
Our particular column of interest was the number of people who identified as Black or African American.
We limited our analysis to non-CDPs with a population greater than 5,000 people in South Dakota. That left us with 16 cities.
We then calculated the percentage of residents that are Black or African American. The percentages ranked from 6.6% to 0.0%.
Finally, we ranked each city based on the percentage of the Black population, with a higher score being more Black than a lower score. Sioux Falls took the distinction of being the most Black, while Belle Fourche was the least African American city.
We updated this article for 2026. This is our eleventh time ranking the cities in South Dakota with the largest African American population.
The full plate
African American Population By City In South Dakota
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Population | African American Population | % African American |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sioux Falls | 201,469 | 13,359 | 6.6% |
| 2 | Brandon | 10,996 | 372 | 3.4% |
| 3 | Box Elder | 12,902 | 356 | 2.8% |
| 4 | Yankton | 15,540 | 347 | 2.2% |
| 5 | Vermillion | 11,878 | 239 | 2.0% |
| 6 | Sturgis | 7,086 | 135 | 1.9% |
| 7 | Aberdeen | 28,189 | 495 | 1.8% |
| 8 | Madison | 6,094 | 80 | 1.3% |
| 9 | Rapid City | 77,946 | 955 | 1.2% |
| 10 | Brookings | 23,948 | 293 | 1.2% |
| 11 | Huron | 14,385 | 164 | 1.1% |
| 12 | Watertown | 23,044 | 190 | 0.8% |
| 13 | Mitchell | 15,649 | 77 | 0.5% |
| 14 | Spearfish | 12,930 | 25 | 0.2% |
| 15 | Pierre | 13,948 | 6 | 0.0% |
| 16 | Belle Fourche | 5,804 | 0 | 0.0% |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024. 16 cities with more than 5,000 residents.
Summary
Summary: Black Populations Across South Dakota
If you’re looking for a breakdown of African American populations across South Dakota according to the most recent data, this is an accurate list.
The blackest cities in South Dakota are Sioux Falls, Brandon, Box Elder, Yankton, Vermillion, Sturgis, Aberdeen, Madison, Rapid City, and Brookings. Not sold on South Dakota? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
