Population 30,546 · Census ACS 2020–24
Choose a measure to map it.Tap a measure to map it. Swipe the row for more. Arrows show the change since 2006–10.
Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
Younger residents
Older residents
Colorblind friendly
off
More maps of Meade County: Best Neighborhoods · Walk Grade · Household income · Home prices · Race · Politics · Traffic noise · Internet
Population and households in Meade County
Household size in Meade County
| Period | Meade County | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.69 | 2.51 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.54 | 2.51 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.48 | 2.50 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.55 | 2.48 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.15 | −0.03 | −0.03 |
Households in Meade County run a little small, averaging 2.55 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. South Dakota as a whole looks much the same. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.69, a much bigger shift than nationally.
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 Meade County
| Period | Meade County | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 36.0 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 37.6 | 38.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 38.2 | 38.8 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 39.3 | 38.9 | 40.1 |
| Change | +3.3 | +1.0 | +2.3 |
Half of the people in Meade County are younger than 39.3 and half are older, close to the national median of 40.1. The median age has climbed from 36.0 in 2006–10, as it has nationally.
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 Meade County
| Period | Meade County | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.4% | 10.8% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 9.2% | 11.1% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 8.4% | 10.9% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 9.5% | 10.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | +0.1 pts | −0.1 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in ten households in Meade County (9.5%), below the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share has barely moved since 2006–10, while 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 Meade County
Renters in Meade County
| Period | Meade County | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 27.4% | 31.1% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 29.0% | 32.0% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 25.6% | 32.0% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 27.1% | 31.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | −0.3 pts | +0.3 pts | +1.5 pts |
More than a quarter of households in Meade County rent their homes (27.1%), below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. About half of owners (48.6%) have paid off their mortgages, above the national share of 39.8%. Renting is most common in the southeast and least common in the center.
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 Meade County
| Period | Meade County | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.1% | 11.3% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 10.5% | 10.7% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 9.0% | 11.6% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 8.8% | 10.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | −5.3 pts | −1.1 pts | −1.8 pts |
About as many homes sit empty in Meade County as nationally: 8.8%, against 9.6%. Since 2006–10, vacancy has fallen 5.3 points, in line with the national trend. Few South Dakota counties have a lower vacancy rate: only five of 66.
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 Meade County
| Period | Meade County | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1981 | 1972 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1987 | 1974 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1986 | 1977 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1989 | 1981 | 1980 |
| Change | +8 | +9 | +6 |
Meade County has newer housing than the country as a whole: the median home was built in 1989, versus 1980 nationally. The median year built has moved up from 1981 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the southeast, the oldest in the west. Of South Dakota's 66 counties, only two have newer homes.
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 Meade County
| Period | Meade County | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $711 | $631 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $794 | $692 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,099 | $798 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,153 | $1,000 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$443 | +$369 | +$606 |
Rent in Meade County runs $1,153 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Still, rents here are higher than in South Dakota overall ($1,000). Rents are up $443 a month from 2006–10, a 62% jump, roughly in step with the nation. Rent takes 23.1% 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 Meade County
Bachelor's degrees in Meade County
| Period | Meade County | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 21.1% | 26.8% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 21.1% | 27.8% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 28.4% | 29.4% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 28.4% | 32.5% | 35.6% |
| Change | +7.3 pts | +5.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are less common in Meade County than nationally: 28.4% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%. The share with a degree is up 7.3 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. College graduates are most concentrated in the southeast and least in the northwest.
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 Meade County
| Period | Meade County | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 93.4% | 89.9% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 93.1% | 91.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 94.9% | 91.8% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 94.9% | 93.1% | 89.3% |
| Change | +1.6 pts | +3.2 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Meade County: 94.9% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 1.6 points, in line with the national trend. Meade County has a higher share of high school graduates than at least four in five South Dakota counties.
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 Meade County
| Period | Meade County | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.6% | 4.9% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 3.1% | 4.9% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 1.8% | 3.6% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.2% | 3.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | −2.4 pts | −1.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Meade County has been low: just 3.2% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Unemployment has fallen 2.4 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country. 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).
Meade 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meade County | 2.55 | 39.3 | 9.5% | 27.1% | 8.8% | 1989 | $1,153 | 28.4% | 94.9% | 3.2% |
| Haakon County | 2.42 | 47.0 | 0.8% | 20.8% | 23.2% | 1975 | $495 | 21.1% | 96.4% | 0.0% |
| Campbell County | 2.67 | 36.8 | 10.9% | 22.3% | 10.6% | 1993 | $1,036 | 23.9% | 91.7% | 4.1% |
| Stanley County | 2.35 | 46.2 | 5.2% | 16.9% | 17.7% | 1989 | $954 | 28.3% | 93.7% | 0.4% |
| Hughes County | 2.35 | 40.2 | 15.6% | 28.0% | 9.4% | 1979 | $1,118 | 38.2% | 96.6% | 0.7% |
| Johnson County | 2.17 | 48.3 | 5.4% | 17.7% | 13.3% | 1984 | $1,022 | 30.9% | 95.0% | 3.3% |
| 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% |
| 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% |
| Brown County | 2.26 | 43.2 | 7.9% | 21.1% | 7.7% | 1961 | $885 | 25.7% | 92.9% | 2.8% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Posey County, IN · Leake County, MS · Lee County, IA · Lee County, IL · Lee County, VA · Polk County, MN · Polk County, MO · Pontotoc County, MS · Pontotoc County, OK · Le Sueur County, MN
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 Meade 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.
No other site shows detail at this level for free. We are able to keep this site free by receiving a small commission from the referring links on this page. Please share or cite this page if you aren’t able to otherwise support our work.