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McCook County, SD: population growth, jobs and income

McCook County gained 83 residents between 2024 and 2025 (+1.4%).

McCook County had an estimated 5,964 residents in 2025, up 5.2% (293 more people) since 2020. That is slower than South Dakota as a whole (+5.3%), and the 12th fastest growth of 65 counties in South Dakota.

Data as of 2025 · updated

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In the McCook County report

One-time $99 PDF: everything on this page for McCook County, ranked against South Dakota and the U.S., plus these figures that are not on the free page:

  • Median gross rent$945/mo2020–24
  • Vacant homes, incl. seasonal and second homes10.2%2020–24
  • New homes permitted, last 12 months262025-10/2026-09
  • Rent growth, 5 yearsIn the report
  • Permits in 5+ unit buildingsIn the report
  • IRS income moving in (net AGI)In the report
  • Neighbouring-county comparison tableIn the report

What's inside: 5 pages

  1. 1 Summary, headline numbers and ranks (free preview)
  2. 2 Ranks and the neighbouring-county table
  3. 3 Migration, with IRS mover and income flows
  4. 4 Rent, vacant homes, permits and employers
  5. 5 Every source and the methods
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Headline numbers

New homes permitted

19

2025

3.2 per 1,000 residents

Small base: the change swings on a few homes or people, so we don't show it.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2025. Housing units authorized by building permits in the year.

What the numbers say

Net domestic migration added 11 people in 2025: more people moved in from other U.S. counties than moved out.

Private employers had 944 paid employees in mid-March 2023, +0.1% since 2018 (County Business Patterns).

Unemployment averaged 1.9% in 2025, 0.6 points lower than in 2019 (before the pandemic).

Builders were authorized to start 19 new homes in 2025, or 3.2 per 1,000 residents.

Median household income was $83,852 in the 2020–24 American Community Survey, +26.6% since 2016–20.

Across the 3,107 U.S. counties with a comparable estimate, its population growth ranks 589th.

Part of the Sioux Falls, SD-MN metro area.

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McCook County population by year

Resident population, July 1 estimate (Census Bureau)
YearPopulationChange
20255,964+83
20245,881+41
20235,840+43
20225,797+79
20215,718+47
20205,671–

Census Bureau population estimates, July 1 of each year.

What drove the change in McCook County

McCook County grew by 293 people since 2020; the largest part came from international migration (+117).

Components of population change, people (Census Bureau)
Component20252020–25Share
Natural changebirths minus deaths+35+86
International migrationfrom and to other countries+37+117
Domestic migrationfrom and to other U.S. counties+11+91
Census adjustmentbalancing residual+0−1
Total change+83+293

Census Bureau population estimates, components of change, each year July 1 to June 30. The components add up to the change in the estimate; the Census adjustment is the small balancing figure the Bureau publishes.

How it ranks

MeasureIn South DakotaAmong U.S. counties
Population growth12th of 65589th of 3,107
Net domestic migration per 1,000 residents18th of 651,584th of 3,108
Private-sector job growth38th of 651,853rd of 3,092
Median household income7th of 65453rd of 3,107
Lowest unemployment rate23rd of 6530th of 3,108
New homes permitted per 1,000 residents24th of 621,058th of 3,005

1st = highest (lowest for unemployment). Counties are ranked only against others with a figure for the same period.

Get the county report — $99

The County Growth and Demographics Report for McCook County, SD as a PDF, from federal data: population and migration, housing and rents, permits, private employers and jobs, unemployment, ranks in the state and the country, and neighbouring counties, with a source next to every number. Pay once, no subscription.

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Neighbouring counties

Over 2020–25, McCook County's population change (+5.2%) was ahead of 4 of its 6 neighbouring counties and behind 2 (Turner County and Minnehaha County).

Its median household income ($83,852, 2020–24) is higher than in all 6 of its neighbouring counties.

McCook County, SD and its 6 neighbouring counties: public federal figures
CountyPopulation2025Population change2020–25Net domestic migration per 1,000 residents2025Homes permitted per 1,000 residents2025Median household income2020–24
McCook County, SD This county5,964+5.2%1.83.2$83,852
Hanson County, SD3,456−0.3%−21.12.3$81,071
Lake County, SD10,993−0.2%−5.17.8$76,808
Miner County, SD2,281−0.8%4.81.8$76,140
Turner County, SD9,314+7.3%−2.51.7$75,771
Hutchinson County, SD7,413−0.1%1.23.2$73,977
Minnehaha County, SD212,691+7.6%4.19.6$76,880

Census Bureau population estimates and building permits, American Community Survey 5-year income. Rates per 1,000 residents. – means no figure, or a base too small for a change or rate (it would swing on a few people). A figure from another period shows its year and is left out of the comparison.

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Questions

Is McCook County growing?

Yes. Its population grew 5.2% between 2020 and 2025, about 293 more people (Census Bureau population estimates). South Dakota as a whole changed +5.3% over the same years. That ranks 12th of 65 counties in South Dakota for population growth.

How many people moved to McCook County?

On net, about 11 people in 2025: that many more moved in from other U.S. counties than moved out (Census Bureau net domestic migration estimate).

What is the unemployment rate in McCook County?

It averaged 1.9% in 2025 (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual average).

What is the population of McCook County?

About 5,964 people, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's population estimate for July 1, 2025.

How many jobs are in McCook County?

Private employers there had 944 paid employees in mid-March 2023, +0.1% since 2018 (Census Bureau County Business Patterns; government jobs and the self-employed are not counted).

What Beacon CRE covers in South Dakota

Map, parcel and listing layers cover North and South Carolina only for now. This page and the other South Dakota county pages carry the public federal growth figures.

McCook County data alerts

Email me when McCook County gets new Census numbers: population, building permits, jobs and income. About 4 emails a year, one click to stop.

We use your address only to email you when new data for McCook County is out: what changed, with a link to that county's report. No newsletter, no other sales emails. Delete it any time with the link in every email. We'll email you a link to confirm first; nothing starts until you click it. Privacy notice.

Sources and method

Each number shows its own period. Changes compare the latest period with five years earlier (or the earliest period available). Beacon CRE last refreshed these figures on 2026-11-05. Figures come from public federal statistics and are informational only, not investment advice. Check the source before relying on a number. Methodology: how we compute every number. More on every layer: data sources and licences.

Jobs outside North and South Carolina use County Business Patterns (paid private-sector employees in mid-March); wages and government jobs are not included.