Most Native American places in South Dakota research summary. We used Saturday Night Science to research the South Dakota cities with the highest percentage of Native American residents for 2026. The data comes from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 vintage, which breaks down race by origin.
The city with the highest percentage of Native Americans is Pierre. 9.92% of people in Pierre are Native Americans.
The city with the lowest percentage of Native Americans is Brandon. 0.00% of people in Brandon are Native American.
The city with the most Native Americans is Rapid City. 5,496 people in Rapid City are Native American.
The city with the fewest Native Americans is Brandon. 0 people in Brandon are Native American.
The United States has 1,698,432 Native Americans and is 0.51% Native American.
Which city in South Dakota had the largest Native American population? The place with the largest Native American population in South Dakota for 2026 is Pierre. 9.92% of Pierre identify as Native American.
9.9% Native American · 1,384 Native American residents
Located in
Hughes County, South Dakota
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
8.2% Native American · 1,060 Native American residents
Located in
Pennington County, South Dakota
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
7.1% Native American · 5,496 Native American residents
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
3.8% Native American · 601 Native American residents
Located in
Davison County, South Dakota
Mitchell is the county seat of Davison County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 15,254 at the 2010 census.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
3.6% Native American · 1,002 Native American residents
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
3.5% Native American · 447 Native American residents
Located in
Lawrence County, South Dakota
Spearfish is a city in Lawrence County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 10,494 at the 2010 census.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
3.0% Native American · 358 Native American residents
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
2.3% Native American · 530 Native American residents
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
2.3% Native American · 357 Native American residents
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
1.7% Native American · 3,332 Native American residents
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
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 Native American population is concentrated
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How We Determined The Cities In South Dakota With The Largest Native American 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.
We used Saturday Night Science to analyze the Census’s most recently available data, the 2020-2024 American Community Survey data.
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 identifying as American Indian and Alaska Native alone.
We limited our analysis to places with a population greater than 5,000 people. That left us with 16 cities.
We then calculated the percentage of residents that are American Indian and Alaska Native. The percentages ranked from 9.92 to 0.00.
Finally, we ranked each city based on the percentage of the American Indian and Alaska Native population, with a higher score being more American Indian and Alaska Native than a lower score. Pierre took the distinction of being the most American Indian and Alaska Native, while Brandon was the least Native American city.
We updated this article for 2026. This article is our eleventh time ranking the cities in South Dakota with the largest Native American population.
The full plate
Most Native American Places In South Dakota
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Population | Native American Population | % Native American |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pierre | 13,948 | 1,384 | 9.9% |
| 2 | Box Elder | 12,902 | 1,060 | 8.2% |
| 3 | Rapid City | 77,946 | 5,496 | 7.1% |
| 4 | Mitchell | 15,649 | 601 | 3.8% |
| 5 | Aberdeen | 28,189 | 1,002 | 3.6% |
| 6 | Spearfish | 12,930 | 447 | 3.5% |
| 7 | Vermillion | 11,878 | 358 | 3.0% |
| 8 | Watertown | 23,044 | 530 | 2.3% |
| 9 | Yankton | 15,540 | 357 | 2.3% |
| 10 | Sioux Falls | 201,469 | 3,332 | 1.7% |
| 11 | Sturgis | 7,086 | 99 | 1.4% |
| 12 | Huron | 14,385 | 186 | 1.3% |
| 13 | Madison | 6,094 | 52 | 0.9% |
| 14 | Brookings | 23,948 | 201 | 0.8% |
| 15 | Belle Fourche | 5,804 | 36 | 0.6% |
| 16 | Brandon | 10,996 | 0 | 0.0% |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024, table B03002. 16 South Dakota cities with more than 5,000 residents.
Summary
Summary: Native American Populations Across South Dakota
If you’re looking for a breakdown of Native American populations across South Dakota according to the most recent data, this is an accurate list.
The most Native American cities in South Dakota are Pierre, Box Elder, Rapid City, Mitchell, Aberdeen, Spearfish, Vermillion, Watertown, Yankton, and Sioux Falls. Not sold on South Dakota? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
Questions and answers
Native American Population In South Dakota FAQs
What city in South Dakota has the highest share of Native American residents?
Pierre has the highest share of Native American residents in South Dakota for 2026, at 9.92% of the population. Box Elder and Rapid City are next.
What city in South Dakota has the most Native American residents overall?
Rapid City has the most Native American residents in South Dakota, with 5,496 people. That is the raw count; Pierre leads on share of population.
What are the top Native American communities in South Dakota?
The South Dakota places with the highest Native American population shares are Pierre, Box Elder, Rapid City, Mitchell, Aberdeen, Spearfish, Vermillion, Watertown, Yankton, and Sioux Falls. We ranked all 16 places with more than 5,000 residents.
How many Native Americans live in the United States?
The United States has 1,698,432 residents identifying as American Indian and Alaska Native, which is 0.51% of the country. The share in Pierre runs far above that national mark.
Where does this data come from?
Every number comes from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2020-2024), table B03002, based on residents identifying as American Indian and Alaska Native. We rank each South Dakota place with more than 5,000 residents.
