You’re probably never going to make enough money to live in the richest counties in South Dakota.
The median household income in Lincoln County, the richest county in South Dakota is $96,552, significantly higher than the US median of $74,580, which means based purely on math most people never make enough to live there.
And that’s okay because it’s still fun to look at the people living in the lap of luxury.
So we used Saturday Night Science and the most recent Census to rank home prices and incomes for all 66 counties in the Mount Rushmore State. Let’s star gaze together.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Table | Summary
The 10 Richest Counties In South Dakota For 2025
- Lincoln County
- Custer County
- Union County
- McCook County
- Hughes County
- Minnehaha County
- Hamlin County
- Meade County
- Hanson County
- Moody County
What is the richest county in South Dakota? The richest county in South Dakota is Lincoln County. In contrast, the poorest county in state is Oglala Lakota County, according to the Census data.
Now you know exactly where to move in South Dakota. Keep on reading for more about the top ten and a detailed methodology.
Or, check out the best places to live in South Dakota and the cheapest places to live in South Dakota.
The Richest Counties In South Dakota For 2025
1. Lincoln County
Biggest Place: Sioux Falls
Population: 68,286
Median Income: $96,552 (highest)
Median Home Price: $323,500 (2nd highest)
More on Lincoln County:
2. Custer County
Biggest Place: Custer
Population: 8,686
Median Income: $81,958 (5th highest)
Median Home Price: $327,200 (highest)
More on Custer County:
3. Union County
Biggest Place: Dakota Dunes
Population: 16,916
Median Income: $84,137 (3rd highest)
Median Home Price: $269,500 (6th highest)
More on Union County:
4. Mccook County
Biggest Place: Salem
Population: 5,732
Median Income: $80,847 (6th highest)
Median Home Price: $217,300 (13th highest)
More on Mccook County:
5. Hughes County
Biggest Place: Pierre
Population: 17,732
Median Income: $78,981 (8th highest)
Median Home Price: $221,100 (11th highest)
More on Hughes County:
6. Minnehaha County
Biggest Place: Sioux Falls
Population: 200,689
Median Income: $76,074 (13th highest)
Median Home Price: $266,600 (7th highest)
More on Minnehaha County:
7. Hamlin County
Biggest Place: Estelline
Population: 6,288
Median Income: $83,194 (4th highest)
Median Home Price: $207,700 (16th highest)
More on Hamlin County:
8. Meade County
Biggest Place: Box Elder
Population: 30,297
Median Income: $74,161 (19th highest)
Median Home Price: $274,800 (4th highest)
More on Meade County:
9. Hanson County
Biggest Place: Alexandria
Population: 3,473
Median Income: $86,375 (2nd highest)
Median Home Price: $192,400 (22nd highest)
More on Hanson County:
10. Moody County
Biggest Place: Flandreau
Population: 6,371
Median Income: $77,500 (10th highest)
Median Home Price: $206,300 (18th highest)
More on Moody County:
Methodology: How do you determine which South Dakota county is the richest?
To determine the richest county in South Dakota, we have to look at a handful of metrics that correlate with how rich people are. To do that, we made assumptions about what makes a county rich. For reference, we are trying to make the kind of argument you’d make at a bar using facts, Saturday Night Science.
With that in mind, we went to the American Community Survey data and Zillow for the most recent reporting period for data on the following:
- Average Home Price
- Median Income
We then ranked each county in South Dakota for each of the criteria from one to 66, with one being the richest.
Taking the average rank across the two criteria, we created a Rich Score with the county posting the lowest overall score being the “Richest County In South Dakota.”
The result is some of the places with the most expensive real estate and highest earners in the Mount Rushmore State.
We updated this article for 2025. This report is our first time ranking the richest counties to live in South Dakota. We have also ranked the richest states and richest cities in the United States.
Summary: The Richest Counties In South Dakota For 2025
Living in South Dakota can vary from one part of the state to the next, with pretty extreme variance in home prices and incomes across counties.
The richest counties in South Dakota are Lincoln County, Custer County, Union County, McCook County, Hughes County, Minnehaha County, Hamlin County, Meade County, Hanson County, and Moody County.
Now you know the parts of the state where Goodwill will have the best goodies, and that’s what you came here to learn at the end of the day.
You are welcome.
Here’s a look at the poorest counties in South Dakota according to the data:
- Oglala Lakota County
- Todd County
- Corson County
For more South Dakota reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In South Dakota
- Best Counties To Live In South Dakota
- Richest Cities In South Dakota
- Safest Places In South Dakota
Detailed List Of The Richest Counties In South Dakota
| Rank | County | Population | Median Income | Average Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lincoln County | 68,286 | $96,552 | $323,500 |
| 2 | Custer County | 8,686 | $81,958 | $327,200 |
| 3 | Union County | 16,916 | $84,137 | $269,500 |
| 4 | Mccook County | 5,732 | $80,847 | $217,300 |
| 5 | Hughes County | 17,732 | $78,981 | $221,100 |
| 6 | Minnehaha County | 200,689 | $76,074 | $266,600 |
| 7 | Hamlin County | 6,288 | $83,194 | $207,700 |
| 8 | Meade County | 30,297 | $74,161 | $274,800 |
| 9 | Hanson County | 3,473 | $86,375 | $192,400 |
| 10 | Moody County | 6,371 | $77,500 | $206,300 |
| 11 | Deuel County | 4,318 | $79,556 | $180,100 |
| 12 | Lake County | 11,052 | $73,792 | $231,000 |
| 13 | Turner County | 8,772 | $75,283 | $199,000 |
| 14 | Pennington County | 112,081 | $70,768 | $270,400 |
| 15 | Yankton County | 23,379 | $73,855 | $208,200 |
| 16 | Lawrence County | 26,574 | $66,766 | $310,800 |
| 17 | Stanley County | 3,012 | $77,000 | $169,900 |
| 18 | Brule County | 5,261 | $74,043 | $205,500 |
| 19 | Edmunds County | 4,033 | $77,266 | $163,600 |
| 20 | Brookings County | 34,968 | $67,341 | $246,300 |
| 21 | Brown County | 38,079 | $70,239 | $212,900 |
| 22 | Grant County | 7,544 | $73,818 | $179,400 |
| 23 | Hutchinson County | 7,393 | $74,459 | $160,500 |
| 24 | Harding County | 1,092 | $74,766 | $156,400 |
| 25 | Codington County | 28,556 | $65,080 | $218,000 |
| 26 | Butte County | 10,538 | $67,692 | $207,700 |
| 27 | Sully County | 1,481 | $70,250 | $198,700 |
| 28 | Douglas County | 2,823 | $78,125 | $125,000 |
| 29 | Jerauld County | 1,845 | $75,417 | $127,000 |
| 30 | Hyde County | 1,305 | $74,279 | $134,500 |
| 31 | Marshall County | 4,355 | $72,500 | $147,200 |
| 32 | Kingsbury County | 5,210 | $70,221 | $159,600 |
| 33 | Clay County | 15,133 | $58,794 | $221,800 |
| 34 | Hand County | 3,045 | $72,054 | $152,100 |
| 35 | Aurora County | 2,573 | $74,130 | $129,000 |
| 36 | Charles Mix County | 9,281 | $64,850 | $169,200 |
| 37 | Beadle County | 19,279 | $63,082 | $178,400 |
| 38 | Davison County | 19,936 | $61,401 | $190,000 |
| 39 | Sanborn County | 2,370 | $69,870 | $138,500 |
| 40 | Spink County | 6,283 | $73,011 | $117,400 |
| 41 | Fall River County | 7,179 | $61,056 | $176,300 |
| 42 | Potter County | 2,430 | $71,726 | $121,300 |
| 43 | Miner County | 2,299 | $72,589 | $114,100 |
| 44 | Day County | 5,460 | $62,270 | $155,100 |
| 45 | Roberts County | 10,219 | $63,691 | $139,100 |
| 46 | Clark County | 3,876 | $62,885 | $141,900 |
| 47 | Lyman County | 3,717 | $61,169 | $156,500 |
| 48 | Haakon County | 1,708 | $59,231 | $153,200 |
| 49 | Walworth County | 5,298 | $62,722 | $130,000 |
| 50 | Jones County | 1,030 | $64,688 | $117,100 |
| 51 | Perkins County | 3,058 | $65,455 | $105,900 |
| 52 | Tripp County | 5,607 | $58,854 | $137,100 |
| 53 | Campbell County | 1,481 | $65,000 | $87,900 |
| 54 | Bon Homme County | 7,024 | $61,275 | $120,300 |
| 55 | Bennett County | 3,354 | $44,569 | $138,600 |
| 56 | Gregory County | 3,993 | $52,432 | $129,000 |
| 57 | Faulk County | 2,137 | $58,000 | $124,100 |
| 58 | Mcpherson County | 2,278 | $62,024 | $78,400 |
| 59 | Buffalo County | 1,757 | $47,000 | $108,000 |
| 60 | Ziebach County | 2,410 | $47,333 | $101,700 |
| 61 | Dewey County | 5,230 | $57,928 | $75,400 |
| 62 | Jackson County | 2,826 | $26,686 | $111,500 |
| 63 | Mellette County | 2,043 | $51,364 | $63,000 |
| 64 | Corson County | 3,859 | $43,750 | $73,800 |
| 65 | Todd County | 9,293 | $39,148 | $45,200 |
| 66 | Oglala Lakota County | 13,587 | $34,769 | $45,600 |