Population 2,388 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Potter County
Household size in Potter County
| Period | Potter County | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.35 | 2.51 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.13 | 2.51 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.25 | 2.50 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.23 | 2.48 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.12 | −0.03 | −0.03 |
Potter County is a place of small households, averaging 2.23 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.35, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change. Potter County has smaller households than the great majority of South Dakota counties.
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 Potter County
| Period | Potter County | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 49.8 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 52.3 | 38.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 48.7 | 38.8 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 49.3 | 38.9 | 40.1 |
| Change | −0.5 | +1.0 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 49.3, Potter County is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees. Only six of South Dakota's 66 counties are older.
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 Potter County
| Period | Potter County | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.2% | 10.8% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 8.0% | 11.1% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 4.2% | 10.9% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.6% | 10.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | −2.6 pts | −0.1 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in Potter County: 3.6% of households, against 11.6% nationally. Few South Dakota counties have a lower share of single-parent households: only four of 66.
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 Potter County
Renters in Potter County
| Period | Potter County | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 18.0% | 31.1% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 17.4% | 32.0% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 21.2% | 32.0% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 18.5% | 31.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | +0.5 pts | +0.3 pts | +1.5 pts |
Potter County is largely a place of homeowners: only 18.5% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. Among homeowners, 67.3% have no mortgage at all, well above the national share of 39.8%.
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 Potter County
| Period | Potter County | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 35.4% | 11.3% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 31.3% | 10.7% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 37.5% | 11.6% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 32.7% | 10.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | −2.7 pts | −1.1 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Potter County: 32.7% of homes are empty, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand. Potter County has the highest vacancy rate of any South Dakota county.
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 Potter County
| Period | Potter County | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1963 | 1972 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1964 | 1974 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1968 | 1977 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1974 | 1981 | 1980 |
| Change | +11 | +9 | +6 |
Homes in Potter County run a bit older than the national norm, with a median build year of 1974 against 1980.
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 Potter County
| Period | Potter County | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $422 | $631 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $541 | $692 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $585 | $798 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,026 | $1,000 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$604 | +$369 | +$606 |
Rent in Potter County runs $1,026 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. That is in line with the rest of South Dakota. The typical renter here spends 16.5% of household income on rent, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally.
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 Potter County
Bachelor's degrees in Potter County
| Period | Potter County | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 19.3% | 26.8% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 18.8% | 27.8% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 21.8% | 29.4% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 26.8% | 32.5% | 35.6% |
| Change | +7.5 pts | +5.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are less common in Potter County than nationally: 26.8% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%.
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 Potter County
| Period | Potter County | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 86.5% | 89.9% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 88.9% | 91.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 92.7% | 91.8% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 96.6% | 93.1% | 89.3% |
| Change | +10.1 pts | +3.2 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Potter County: 96.6% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. Few South Dakota counties have a higher share of high school graduates: only three of 66.
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 Potter County
| Period | Potter County | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 0.9% | 4.9% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 0.7% | 4.9% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 0.8% | 3.6% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 2.8% | 3.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | +1.9 pts | −1.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
The job market in Potter County has been strong: just 2.8% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. South Dakota as a whole looks much the same. 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).
Potter 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Potter County | 2.23 | 49.3 | 3.6% | 18.5% | 32.7% | 1974 | $1,026 | 26.8% | 96.6% | 2.8% |
| Faulk County | 2.25 | 42.1 | 1.7% | 20.4% | 20.3% | 1964 | $823 | 22.2% | 91.0% | 5.6% |
| Dewey County | 3.07 | 27.6 | 27.5% | 38.8% | 12.1% | 1979 | $718 | 18.2% | 86.0% | 14.9% |
| Spink County | 2.44 | 45.6 | 4.4% | 27.3% | 18.4% | 1954 | $746 | 28.2% | 93.5% | 1.3% |
| Ziebach County | 3.23 | 36.5 | 27.3% | 42.9% | 16.9% | 1986 | $724 | 15.2% | 89.9% | 24.6% |
| Codington County | 2.32 | 39.6 | 7.7% | 30.2% | 9.5% | 1979 | $1,052 | 23.0% | 94.4% | 2.1% |
| Lac qui Parle County | 2.25 | 46.8 | 7.4% | 17.5% | 15.3% | 1950 | $716 | 24.2% | 95.2% | 2.1% |
| Chippewa County | 2.36 | 41.1 | 11.1% | 27.7% | 10.3% | 1958 | $882 | 19.4% | 91.6% | 4.2% |
| Kandiyohi County | 2.49 | 39.8 | 9.2% | 27.5% | 11.8% | 1976 | $959 | 27.6% | 90.9% | 3.7% |
| Meeker County | 2.51 | 42.8 | 8.3% | 20.7% | 12.7% | 1975 | $959 | 19.9% | 93.8% | 3.2% |
| Wright County | 2.77 | 38.3 | 8.6% | 15.9% | 5.9% | 1993 | $1,456 | 35.0% | 94.8% | 2.7% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Dewey County, OK · Talbot County, GA · Sweet Grass County, MT · Sutton County, TX · Sully County, SD · Sullivan County, PA · Eddy County, ND · Dundy County, NE · Dickey County, ND · Dickens County, TX
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 Potter 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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