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 $99,166, 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 65 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 2026
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 Todd 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 2026
1. Lincoln County
Biggest Place: Sioux Falls
Population: 70,638
Median Income: $99,166 (highest)
Median Home Price: $378,566 (4th highest)
More on Lincoln County: Data
2. Custer County
Biggest Place: Custer
Population: 8,892
Median Income: $84,112 (6th highest)
Median Home Price: $507,259 (highest)
More on Custer County: Data
3. Union County
Biggest Place: Dakota Dunes
Population: 17,081
Median Income: $89,636 (2nd highest)
Median Home Price: $353,490 (7th highest)
More on Union County: Data
4. Hamlin County
Biggest Place: Lake Norden
Population: 6,373
Median Income: $87,101 (4th highest)
Median Home Price: $329,796 (9th highest)
More on Hamlin County: Data
5. Stanley County
Biggest Place: Fort Pierre
Population: 3,015
Median Income: $87,712 (3rd highest)
Median Home Price: $312,917 (11th highest)
More on Stanley County: Data
6. Deuel County
Biggest Place: Clear Lake
Population: 4,328
Median Income: $83,112 (8th highest)
Median Home Price: $312,819 (12th highest)
More on Deuel County: Data
7. Mccook County
Biggest Place: Salem
Population: 5,751
Median Income: $83,852 (7th highest)
Median Home Price: $287,315 (18th highest)
More on Mccook County: Data
8. Meade County
Biggest Place: Box Elder
Population: 30,546
Median Income: $74,790 (22nd highest)
Median Home Price: $394,532 (3rd highest)
More on Meade County: Data
9. Minnehaha County
Biggest Place: Sioux Falls
Population: 203,289
Median Income: $76,880 (16th highest)
Median Home Price: $323,682 (10th highest)
More on Minnehaha County: Data
10. Butte County
Biggest Place: Belle Fourche
Population: 10,676
Median Income: $75,652 (20th highest)
Median Home Price: $355,827 (6th highest)
More on Butte County: Data
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 65, 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 2026. 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 2026
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, Hamlin County, Stanley County, Deuel County, McCook County, Meade County, Minnehaha County, and Butte 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:
- Todd County
- Jackson County
- Mellette County
For more South Dakota reading, check out:
- Richest Cities In South Dakota
- Safest Places In South Dakota
- Best Counties To Live In South Dakota
- Best Places To Live In South Dakota
Detailed List Of The Richest Counties In South Dakota
| Rank | County | Population | Median Income | Average Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lincoln County | 70,638 | $99,166 | $378,566 |
| 2 | Custer County | 8,892 | $84,112 | $507,259 |
| 3 | Union County | 17,081 | $89,636 | $353,490 |
| 4 | Hamlin County | 6,373 | $87,101 | $329,796 |
| 5 | Stanley County | 3,015 | $87,712 | $312,917 |
| 6 | Deuel County | 4,328 | $83,112 | $312,819 |
| 7 | Mccook County | 5,751 | $83,852 | $287,315 |
| 8 | Meade County | 30,546 | $74,790 | $394,532 |
| 9 | Minnehaha County | 203,289 | $76,880 | $323,682 |
| 10 | Butte County | 10,676 | $75,652 | $355,827 |
| 11 | Hughes County | 17,664 | $81,395 | $289,410 |
| 12 | Pennington County | 113,512 | $74,517 | $362,723 |
| 13 | Moody County | 6,397 | $78,427 | $293,836 |
| 14 | Lake County | 10,972 | $76,808 | $306,911 |
| 15 | Lawrence County | 27,233 | $73,384 | $449,278 |
| 16 | Turner County | 8,882 | $75,771 | $297,528 |
| 17 | Harding County | 1,148 | $80,441 | $275,935 |
| 18 | Codington County | 28,767 | $72,727 | $335,019 |
| 19 | Hanson County | 3,472 | $81,071 | $235,581 |
| 20 | Sanborn County | 2,384 | $78,750 | $238,878 |
| 21 | Edmunds County | 4,048 | $81,630 | $223,899 |
| 22 | Hand County | 3,140 | $74,635 | $256,242 |
| 23 | Marshall County | 4,344 | $78,156 | $234,505 |
| 24 | Douglas County | 2,828 | $86,442 | $205,641 |
| 25 | Kingsbury County | 5,244 | $74,000 | $252,217 |
| 26 | Brookings County | 35,353 | $70,064 | $312,525 |
| 27 | Sully County | 1,526 | $72,578 | $278,457 |
| 28 | Yankton County | 23,414 | $72,821 | $274,933 |
| 29 | Grant County | 7,563 | $75,028 | $233,712 |
| 30 | Brule County | 5,283 | $73,720 | $246,696 |
| 31 | Jerauld County | 1,772 | $73,750 | $242,970 |
| 32 | Fall River County | 7,258 | $67,917 | $273,966 |
| 33 | Miner County | 2,300 | $76,140 | $193,715 |
| 34 | Hutchinson County | 7,404 | $73,977 | $217,198 |
| 35 | Brown County | 37,877 | $70,898 | $238,214 |
| 36 | Hyde County | 1,191 | $73,472 | $223,753 |
| 37 | Potter County | 2,388 | $72,045 | $232,681 |
| 38 | Charles Mix County | 9,281 | $64,038 | $280,406 |
| 39 | Davison County | 19,952 | $66,208 | $246,850 |
| 40 | Day County | 5,437 | $66,033 | $251,188 |
| 41 | Clay County | 15,219 | $56,850 | $284,411 |
| 42 | Clark County | 3,917 | $70,726 | $206,810 |
| 43 | Aurora County | 2,642 | $72,885 | $187,159 |
| 44 | Campbell County | 1,593 | $68,929 | $209,027 |
| 45 | Roberts County | 10,221 | $65,130 | $227,173 |
| 46 | Lyman County | 3,724 | $67,143 | $204,285 |
| 47 | Beadle County | 19,309 | $67,681 | $184,429 |
| 48 | Haakon County | 1,722 | $65,625 | $202,314 |
| 49 | Spink County | 6,219 | $70,139 | $169,579 |
| 50 | Perkins County | 3,001 | $66,908 | $175,636 |
| 51 | Bennett County | 3,345 | $53,750 | $224,609 |
| 52 | Tripp County | 5,611 | $58,987 | $199,702 |
| 53 | Jones County | 1,004 | $65,119 | $172,004 |
| 54 | Bon Homme County | 7,044 | $64,435 | $172,895 |
| 55 | Faulk County | 2,126 | $57,750 | $181,737 |
| 56 | Mcpherson County | 2,145 | $66,906 | $105,469 |
| 57 | Gregory County | 4,016 | $62,917 | $172,373 |
| 58 | Walworth County | 5,271 | $65,026 | $134,455 |
| 59 | Corson County | 3,806 | $46,406 | $175,444 |
| 60 | Ziebach County | 2,377 | $53,958 | $122,719 |
| 61 | Buffalo County | 1,808 | $47,045 | $145,143 |
| 62 | Dewey County | 5,205 | $54,104 | $85,755 |
| 63 | Mellette County | 1,943 | $54,076 | $103,621 |
| 64 | Jackson County | 2,802 | $35,417 | $158,433 |
| 65 | Todd County | 9,244 | $42,075 | $66,411 |