Population 7,574 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Belle Fourche
Household size in Belle Fourche
| Period | Belle Fourche | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.41 | 2.51 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.42 | 2.51 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.40 | 2.50 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.38 | 2.48 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.03 | −0.03 | −0.03 |
Households in Belle Fourche are small: just 2.38 people on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. That is typical of places where many people live alone or as couples, and fewer have children at home. Since 2006–10, household size has edged down from 2.41, in line with the national trend.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Belle Fourche
| Period | Belle Fourche | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 42.9 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 41.2 | 38.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 39.3 | 38.8 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 41.2 | 38.9 | 40.1 |
| Change | −1.8 | +1.0 | +2.3 |
Half of the people in Belle Fourche are younger than 41.2 and half are older, close to the national median of 40.1. The population here is older than in South Dakota as a whole, where the median age is 38.9. Since 2006–10, the median age has dropped from 42.9, even as the national median rose.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Belle Fourche
| Period | Belle Fourche | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.1% | 10.8% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 7.5% | 11.1% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 15.1% | 10.9% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 12.2% | 10.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | +5.1 pts | −0.1 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are about as common in Belle Fourche as they are nationally: 12.2%, against 11.6%. Single parents are more common here than in South Dakota overall (10.7%). The single-parent share is up 5.1 points from 2006–10, even as the national share fell.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Belle Fourche
Renters in Belle Fourche
| Period | Belle Fourche | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 26.3% | 31.1% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 30.8% | 32.0% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 25.1% | 32.0% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 29.0% | 31.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | +2.7 pts | +0.3 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in Belle Fourche own their homes; 29.0% rent, a little below the national share of 34.8%. Among homeowners, 43.8% have no mortgage at all, above the national share of 39.8%. Renting is most common in the center and least common in the southwest. Since 2006–10, the renter share has risen 2.7 points, mirroring the country.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Belle Fourche
| Period | Belle Fourche | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.7% | 11.3% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 10.5% | 10.7% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 12.5% | 11.6% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 9.8% | 10.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | −3.9 pts | −1.1 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy in Belle Fourche is close to the national rate: 9.8% of homes are empty, against 9.6%. Since 2006–10, vacancy has fallen 3.9 points, as it has nationally.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Belle Fourche
| Period | Belle Fourche | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1966 | 1972 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1970 | 1974 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1976 | 1977 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1983 | 1981 | 1980 |
| Change | +17 | +9 | +6 |
The typical home in Belle Fourche was built around 1983, about the same vintage as the country's housing overall (1980). The median year built has moved up from 1966 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the southwest, the oldest in the north.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Belle Fourche
| Period | Belle Fourche | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $488 | $631 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $539 | $692 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $722 | $798 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $913 | $1,000 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$425 | +$369 | +$606 |
The median renter in Belle Fourche pays $913 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $425 a month since 2006–10, up 87%, faster than rents rose nationally. The typical renter here spends 23.3% of household income on rent, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally. Rents run highest in the north and lowest in the southwest.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Belle Fourche
Bachelor's degrees in Belle Fourche
| Period | Belle Fourche | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 21.6% | 26.8% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 20.7% | 27.8% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 21.5% | 29.4% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 20.0% | 32.5% | 35.6% |
| Change | −1.6 pts | +5.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Belle Fourche: 20.0% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below the national share of 35.6%. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has fallen 1.6 points, even as the national share rose. Only two of the 22 South Dakota cities with 5,000+ people have a lower share of college graduates.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Belle Fourche
| Period | Belle Fourche | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 88.4% | 89.9% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 87.4% | 91.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 93.4% | 91.8% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 89.2% | 93.1% | 89.3% |
| Change | +0.8 pts | +3.2 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Belle Fourche is close to the national rate: 89.2% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%. The rate is lower than in South Dakota overall (93.1%). Only two of the 22 South Dakota cities with 5,000+ people have a lower share of high school graduates.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Belle Fourche
| Period | Belle Fourche | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.6% | 4.9% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 3.4% | 4.9% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.9% | 3.6% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 2.7% | 3.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | −2.0 pts | −1.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Belle Fourche has been low: just 2.7% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Unemployment is down 2.0 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Belle Fourche compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belle Fourche | 2.38 | 41.2 | 12.2% | 29.0% | 9.8% | 1983 | $913 | 20.0% | 89.2% | 2.7% |
| Fruitdale | 2.84 | 39.6 | 7.3% | 11.2% | 10.9% | 1988 | $926 | 24.4% | 92.8% | 0.7% |
| St. Onge | 2.43 | 50.7 | 6.5% | 9.2% | 13.5% | 2003 | $1,268 | 37.9% | 96.8% | 0.2% |
| Spearfish | 2.26 | 41.3 | 7.6% | 40.3% | 8.3% | 1993 | $1,025 | 37.3% | 95.8% | 1.4% |
| Nisland | 2.89 | 39.4 | 6.4% | 8.3% | 12.8% | 1980 | $971 | 25.1% | 94.7% | 1.3% |
| Beulah | 2.91 | 43.8 | 6.9% | 19.9% | 30.2% | 1984 | $832 | 25.3% | 97.2% | 0.1% |
| Whitewood | 2.72 | 46.9 | 4.7% | 21.8% | 17.0% | 1995 | $1,077 | 26.4% | 93.2% | 1.4% |
| Central City | 2.12 | 58.5 | 1.6% | 10.7% | 53.8% | 1994 | $885 | 27.7% | 95.0% | 10.8% |
| Savoy | 1.82 | 67.4 | 0.9% | 5.1% | 78.5% | 2000 | $922 | 31.4% | 96.0% | 17.3% |
| Aladdin | 2.84 | 42.0 | 3.5% | 15.0% | 16.2% | 1979 | $692 | 17.3% | 93.6% | 1.9% |
| Colony | 2.82 | 41.4 | 2.4% | 13.3% | 11.9% | 1978 | $649 | 14.8% | 92.5% | 2.5% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Cochituate, MA · Homestead Meadows South, TX · Sisters, OR · Skillman, NJ · Hortonville, WI · Smiths, AL · Coloma, MI · Smithville, NJ · Snow Camp, NC · Houston, MS
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Belle Fourche. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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