Most Asian cities in South Dakota research summary. We analyzed South Dakota’s most recent Census data to determine the most Asian cities in South Dakota based on the percentage of Asian residents.
13.1% Asian · #1 most Asian in South Dakota
Located in
Beadle County, South Dakota
Huron is a city in Beadle County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 12,592 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Beadle County. Huron was the home of now-defunct Huron University. The Huron Plainsman, also referred to as the Plainsman, is the newspaper. The first settlement at Huron was made in 1880. The city was named after the Huron Indians. It is currently the ninth largest city in South Dakota, but it once was the fourth. Huron was in the running for capital of South Dakota but lost out to Pierre due to Pierres positioning.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
4.6% Asian · #2 most Asian 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
3.8% Asian · #3 most Asian 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
3.4% Asian · #4 most Asian 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
2.1% Asian · #5 most Asian 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
1.3% Asian · #6 most Asian 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
1.1% Asian · #7 most Asian in South Dakota
Located in
Pennington County, South Dakota
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
0.8% Asian · #8 most Asian in South Dakota
Located in
Hughes County, South Dakota
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
0.8% Asian · #9 most Asian 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
0.7% Asian · #10 most Asian in South Dakota
Located in
Codington County, South Dakota
Watertown is a city in and the county seat of Codington County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 21,482 at the 2010 census. It is the fifth largest city in South Dakota. It is also the principal city of the Watertown Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Codington and Hamlin counties.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
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Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is South Dakota’s statewide median.
On the map
Where South Dakota’s Asian communities live
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How We Determined The Cities In South Dakota With The Largest Asian Population For 2026
We used Saturday Night Science to compare Census data on race across every place in South Dakota.
The Census’s most recently available data comes from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey.
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 here was the number of people who identified as Asian alone.
We limited our analysis to cities with a population greater than 5,000 people. That left us with 16 cities.
We then calculated the percentage of residents that are Asian. The percentages ranked from 13.1% to 0.0%.
Finally, we ranked each city based on the percentage of Asian population, with a higher percentage being more Asian. Huron took the distinction of being the most Asian, while Sturgis was the least Asian city.
We updated this article for 2026. This report reflects our eleventh time ranking the cities in South Dakota with the largest Asian population.
The full plate
Cities In South Dakota By Asian Population
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Population | Asian Population | % Asian |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Huron | 14,385 | 1,891 | 13.1% |
| 2 | Brookings | 23,948 | 1,096 | 4.6% |
| 3 | Vermillion | 11,878 | 447 | 3.8% |
| 4 | Aberdeen | 28,189 | 948 | 3.4% |
| 5 | Sioux Falls | 201,469 | 4,136 | 2.1% |
| 6 | Rapid City | 77,946 | 1,031 | 1.3% |
| 7 | Box Elder | 12,902 | 148 | 1.1% |
| 8 | Pierre | 13,948 | 116 | 0.8% |
| 9 | Madison | 6,094 | 49 | 0.8% |
| 10 | Watertown | 23,044 | 154 | 0.7% |
| 11 | Mitchell | 15,649 | 99 | 0.6% |
| 12 | Spearfish | 12,930 | 76 | 0.6% |
| 13 | Yankton | 15,540 | 64 | 0.4% |
| 14 | Brandon | 10,996 | 14 | 0.1% |
| 15 | Belle Fourche | 5,804 | 0 | 0.0% |
| 15 | Sturgis | 7,086 | 0 | 0.0% |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024. 16 cities with more than 5,000 residents.
Summary
Summary: Asian Populations Across South Dakota
If you’re looking for a breakdown of Asian populations across South Dakota according to the most recent data, this is an accurate list.
The most Asian cities in South Dakota are Huron, Brookings, Vermillion, Aberdeen, Sioux Falls, Rapid City, Box Elder, Pierre, Madison, and Watertown.
