Population 17,664 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Hughes County
Household size in Hughes County
| Period | Hughes County | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.37 | 2.51 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.36 | 2.51 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.26 | 2.50 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.35 | 2.48 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.02 | −0.03 | −0.03 |
Hughes County is a place of small households, averaging 2.35 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Household size has barely moved since 2006–10, while the national average fell.
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 Hughes County
| Period | Hughes County | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 40.9 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 41.0 | 38.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 41.0 | 38.8 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 40.2 | 38.9 | 40.1 |
| Change | −0.7 | +1.0 | +2.3 |
At 40.2, the median age in Hughes County is close to the national median of 40.1, so its age mix looks much like the country's. Since 2006–10, the median age has edged down from 40.9, 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 Hughes County
| Period | Hughes County | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.7% | 10.8% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 6.5% | 11.1% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 9.7% | 10.9% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 15.6% | 10.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | +4.9 pts | −0.1 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are common in Hughes County: 15.6% of all households, against 11.6% nationally. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has risen 4.9 points, even as the national share fell. Hughes County has a higher share of single-parent households than the great majority of South Dakota counties.
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 Hughes County
Renters in Hughes County
| Period | Hughes County | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 30.9% | 31.1% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 35.7% | 32.0% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 31.2% | 32.0% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 28.0% | 31.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | −2.9 pts | +0.3 pts | +1.5 pts |
Nearly three in ten households in Hughes County rent their homes (28.0%), below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. More than four in ten owners (42.9%) have paid off their mortgages, above the national share of 39.8%. Renting is most common in the southwest and least common in the northwest. Since 2006–10, the renter share has fallen 2.9 points, even as the national share rose.
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 Hughes County
| Period | Hughes County | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.8% | 11.3% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 8.0% | 10.7% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 8.2% | 11.6% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 9.4% | 10.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | +2.6 pts | −1.1 pts | −1.8 pts |
About as many homes sit empty in Hughes County as nationally: 9.4%, against 9.6%. Vacancy is up 2.6 points from 2006–10, even as the national rate fell. Hughes County has a lower vacancy rate than the great majority of South Dakota counties.
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 Hughes County
| Period | Hughes County | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1976 | 1972 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1976 | 1974 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1977 | 1977 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1979 | 1981 | 1980 |
| Change | +3 | +9 | +6 |
The typical home in Hughes County was built around 1979, about the same vintage as the country's housing overall (1980). The median year built has moved up from 1976 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the northwest, while the southwest has the oldest housing.
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 Hughes County
| Period | Hughes County | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $628 | $631 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $618 | $692 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $815 | $798 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,118 | $1,000 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$490 | +$369 | +$606 |
Rent in Hughes County runs $1,118 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Even so, rents here are higher than in South Dakota overall ($1,000). Rent has climbed $490 a month since 2006–10, up 78%, faster than rents rose nationally. Rent takes 26.6% of the typical renter's income, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
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 Hughes County
Bachelor's degrees in Hughes County
| Period | Hughes County | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 32.4% | 26.8% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 32.8% | 27.8% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 34.8% | 29.4% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 38.2% | 32.5% | 35.6% |
| Change | +5.8 pts | +5.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are about as common in Hughes County as nationally: 38.2% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%. The share is higher than in South Dakota overall (32.5%). The share with a degree has risen 5.8 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Only three of South Dakota's 66 counties have a higher 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 Hughes County
| Period | Hughes County | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 93.1% | 89.9% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 91.9% | 91.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 92.5% | 91.8% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 96.6% | 93.1% | 89.3% |
| Change | +3.5 pts | +3.2 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Hughes County: 96.6% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. The share with a diploma is up 3.5 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country. Of South Dakota's 66 counties, only two have a higher 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 Hughes County
| Period | Hughes County | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1.4% | 4.9% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 2.6% | 4.9% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 2.7% | 3.6% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 0.7% | 3.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | −0.7 pts | −1.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Hughes County has been low: just 0.7% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Since 2006–10, unemployment has edged down 0.7 points, a smaller shift than nationally. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current 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).
Hughes County compared with nearby counties
| County | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hughes County | 2.35 | 40.2 | 15.6% | 28.0% | 9.4% | 1979 | $1,118 | 38.2% | 96.6% | 0.7% |
| Stanley County | 2.35 | 46.2 | 5.2% | 16.9% | 17.7% | 1989 | $954 | 28.3% | 93.7% | 0.4% |
| Beadle County | 2.57 | 37.9 | 8.9% | 27.1% | 10.4% | 1962 | $986 | 28.0% | 87.8% | 1.7% |
| Kingsbury County | 2.54 | 42.4 | 6.0% | 17.9% | 18.0% | 1963 | $687 | 22.6% | 92.1% | 1.0% |
| Meade County | 2.55 | 39.3 | 9.5% | 27.1% | 8.8% | 1989 | $1,153 | 28.4% | 94.9% | 3.2% |
| Lawrence County | 2.25 | 44.9 | 6.9% | 34.9% | 13.7% | 1987 | $983 | 33.3% | 95.5% | 1.5% |
| Brookings County | 2.39 | 32.2 | 5.0% | 42.8% | 9.7% | 1985 | $1,019 | 41.5% | 97.3% | 3.4% |
| Lincoln County | 2.23 | 46.1 | 7.0% | 18.6% | 19.1% | 1960 | $695 | 25.7% | 94.4% | 2.6% |
| Crook County | 2.66 | 45.6 | 4.3% | 21.9% | 20.1% | 1985 | $813 | 22.0% | 92.9% | 0.8% |
| Lyon County | 2.50 | 37.9 | 9.7% | 27.5% | 9.9% | 1971 | $813 | 30.8% | 92.0% | 3.0% |
| Redwood County | 2.39 | 41.9 | 7.8% | 21.6% | 11.4% | 1964 | $821 | 22.2% | 93.6% | 2.5% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Redwood County, MN · Jefferson County, FL · Jefferson County, OR · Jerome County, ID · Prince Edward County, VA · Rabun County, GA · Radford City, VA · Ramsey County, ND · Randolph County, AL · Randolph County, AR
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 Hughes County. 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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