Article Table Of Contents
Across most of America, the African American and Hispanic communities comprise "most of the minority". We're not totally sure that's a term, but it's an accurate reflection of the state of race in America.
Asians are a "minority of the minority", generally. But not everywhere.
There are now over 17 million people who identify as Asian living in America, making up 5.6% of the total population. According to the most recent American Community Survey, the Asian population in South Dakota is 12,579 - at 1.4% of the total population of South Dakota.
And, unlike African Americans that fall under one group in the Census, Asian Americans have many sub-groups -- Chinese, Filipino, and Indian being the three largest sub-groups.
So, what how does the Asian population stratify across South Dakota? Which cities and towns in South Dakota have seen the greatest increase in their Asian population?
Here are the cities in South Dakota with the largest Asian population in 2023:
Which city in South Dakota had the largest Asian population? Huron took the number one over all spot for the largest Asian in South Dakota for 2023. 10.37% of Huron identify as Asian.
Read on below to see how we crunched the numbers and how your town ranked.
To see where South Dakota ranked as a state on diversity, we have a ranking of the most diverse states in America.
And if you already knew these places were Asian, check out the best places to live in South Dakota or the most diverse places in South Dakota.
The 10 Most Asian Cities In South Dakota For 2023
/10
Population: 14,060
% Asian: 10.37%
# Of Asian Residents: 1,458
Percent Change Since 2010: 327.57%
More on Huron: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 28,500
% Asian: 4.48%
# Of Asian Residents: 1,278
Percent Change Since 2010: 468.0%
More on Aberdeen: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 23,432
% Asian: 4.37%
# Of Asian Residents: 1,024
Percent Change Since 2010: 79.33%
More on Brookings: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 11,506
% Asian: 3.62%
# Of Asian Residents: 417
Percent Change Since 2010: 109.55%
More on Vermillion: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 189,258
% Asian: 2.44%
# Of Asian Residents: 4,621
Percent Change Since 2010: 67.12%
More on Sioux Falls: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 11,527
% Asian: 1.58%
# Of Asian Residents: 182
Percent Change Since 2010: -5.21%
More on Box Elder: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 73,942
% Asian: 1.32%
# Of Asian Residents: 975
Percent Change Since 2010: 12.07%
More on Rapid City: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 15,677
% Asian: 1.19%
# Of Asian Residents: 187
Percent Change Since 2010: 750.0%
More on Mitchell: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 7,088
% Asian: 1.03%
# Of Asian Residents: 73
Percent Change Since 2010: 563.64%
More on Sturgis: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 22,577
% Asian: 0.7%
# Of Asian Residents: 159
Percent Change Since 2010: 261.36%
More on Watertown: Real Estate | Data | Photos
Methodology: How We Determined The Cities In South Dakota With The Largest Asian Population For 2023
We still believe in the accuracy of data -- especially from the census. So that's where we went to get the breakdown of race across South Dakota.
That lead us to the Census's most recently available data, the 2017-2021 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 here was the number of people who identified as Asian alone.
We limited our analysis to non-CDPs with a population greater than 5,000 people. That left us with 16 cities.
We then calculated the percent of residents that are Asian. The percentages ranked from 10.4% to 0.0%.
Finally, we ranked each city based on the percent of Asian population with a higher score being more Asian than a lower score. Huron took the distinction of being the most Asian, while Madison was the least Asian city. You can download the data here.
Read on for more information on how the cities in South Dakota ranked by population of Asian residents or, for a more general take on diversity in America, head over to our ranking of the most diverse cities in America.
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.
If you're curious enough, here are the least Asian places in South Dakota:
- Madison
- Pierre
- Yankton
For more South Dakota reading, check out:
- Safest Places In South Dakota
- Best Places To Live In South Dakota
- Best Places To Raise A Family In South Dakota
Table: Asian Population By City In South Dakota
| Rank | City | % Asian |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Huron | 10.37% |
| 2 | Aberdeen | 4.48% |
| 3 | Brookings | 4.37% |
| 4 | Vermillion | 3.62% |
| 5 | Sioux Falls | 2.44% |
| 6 | Box Elder | 1.58% |
| 7 | Rapid City | 1.32% |
| 8 | Mitchell | 1.19% |
| 9 | Sturgis | 1.03% |
| 10 | Watertown | 0.7% |
| 11 | Spearfish | 0.53% |
| 12 | Belle Fourche | 0.41% |
| 13 | Brandon | 0.37% |
| 14 | Yankton | 0.2% |
| 15 | Pierre | 0.02% |
| 16 | Madison | 0.0% |
