Your life in Jackson County, South Dakota

What stands out

If you had to describe Jackson County in numbers, start here: the overdose death rate is among the lowest in America (-999 per 100,000), life expectancy is among the shortest in America (66.1 years), and the median household income is in the bottom 2% of American counties ($26,078). Within South Dakota it ranks 10th of 66 counties for the overdose death rate, counting from the bottom.

Where you are

You live in Jackson County, South Dakota. 2,838 people live here with you, so most faces are familiar. The population shrank 2.0% last year, and more Americans moved out than in (net -79).

South Dakota has no income tax, no estate tax and no corporate income tax, and it is the country's largest trust jurisdiction because of its favorable trust law. Sales tax applies to groceries and most services. Sioux Falls and Rapid City carry most of the growth; the state's winters are long and its plains are exposed to severe storms. Property taxes are moderate.

Money

The typical household here brings in $26,078 a year, lower than 98% of American counties. Employers pay an average wage of $41,313. Unemployment runs 3.0%, lower than 64% of American counties. 17% of workers work from home.

South Dakota has no state income tax, so none of that goes to the state.

Home

The median home costs $154K, cheaper than 83% of American counties, about 3.2 years of the median household's income. A two-bedroom rents for around $929 a month. Property tax is 0.59% of home value, roughly $640 a year on that median home, lower than 78% of American counties. 56% of households own rather than rent.

Safety and health

Violent crime here is 4.6 per 1,000 residents, higher than 84% of American counties.

A child born here can expect to live 66.1 years, shorter than almost every county in America. There are 0 active physicians in the county, about 0.0 per 10,000 people; the nearest doctor is in another county. 13.6% of people under 65 have no health insurance.

School

Local students test at grade level 2.96 where 3.0 is national grade level, lower than 64% of American counties. 87% of adults finished high school.

Neighbors and politics

In 2024 your neighbors voted Republican by 34 points. 50% of eligible voters turned out. Under South Dakota law you can carry a concealed handgun without a permit, abortion is banned with narrow exceptions, and marijuana is medical only.

Weather and risk

The year averages 50°F, highs near 63 and lows near 37, colder than 75% of American counties. About 21 inches of rain and snow fall a year. FEMA puts natural-hazard risk at 14 out of 100, safer than 86% of American counties; the county has had 28 federal disaster declarations since 1953.

Getting around, going out

Home internet averages 130 Mbps down, slower than 78% of American counties. There is 1 airport in the county, counting general aviation.

Where these numbers come from

• BLS QCEW 2024
• CDC 2024
• CMS 2024
• Census 2023
• Census ACS
• Census ACS 2022
• Census Population Estimates 2023
• Census SAHIE 2024
• County Health Rankings 2024
• Derived from ACS 2022 home value / household income
• FAA Airport Database
• FEMA Disaster Declarations 1953–2026
• FEMA National Risk Index 2023 (0–100, all hazards)
• HRSA Area Health Resources File 2023
• HUD Fair Market Rents FY2026
• IMLS
• NOAA Climate Normals
• National Park Service
• Ookla Speedtest Intelligence
• Open Brewery DB
• OpenElections 2024
• SEDA via County Health Rankings 2024 (3.0 = at grade level; not a Z-score)
• Tax Foundation 2023
• USDA Food Environment Atlas
• Zillow ZHVI 2024
• South Dakota tax and law data: state revenue department, Tax Foundation, Giffords, Guttmacher (2026)

Percentiles compare this county with every other county that reports the same figure. Missing figures are left out rather than guessed. Share this page: the address is permanent.