Harding County Demographics

A map of Harding County's Population by Race

Harding County, South Dakota has an estimated population of 1,148, a large decrease from the 1,311 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 91.2% White, 4.0% Multiracial, 1.9% Native American/Other, 1.5% Black, 1.4% Hispanic, and 0.0% Asian. This demographic dot map shows the population of Harding County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Harding has become more racially diverse since the 2020 Census. It is considerably less diverse than South Dakota overall. Demographers use a diversity index to measure the probability that two randomly selected individuals belong to different racial or ethnic groups. In Harding County, that probability was 15.3% in 2020 and 16.6% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Harding County is ranked the 65th most populous county in South Dakota, out of 66 counties. Harding County was ranked the 64th most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Harding County's White Population

1,047 residents of Harding County, or 91.2% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Harding County is considerably higher than in South Dakota overall, where 79.8% of the population is White. Harding County ranks 22nd statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 66 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Harding County's White population has declined by an estimated 13.1%. White residents' share of Harding County's population has decreased from 91.9% to 91.2%.

Harding County is more White than neighboring Butte County (88% White), and Carter County (88.9% White). Harding County is less White than neighboring Bowman County (91.6% White), Slope County (92.4% White), and Perkins County (92% White).

Harding County's Black Population

17 residents of Harding County, or 1.5% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Harding County is comparable to the share in South Dakota overall, where 2.1% of the population is Black. Harding County ranks 25th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 66 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Harding County's Black population has grown by an estimated 240.0%. Black residents' share of Harding County's population has increased from 0.4% to 1.5%.

Harding County is more Black than neighboring Bowman County (0% Black), Butte County (0% Black), Slope County (0% Black), Perkins County (0% Black), and Carter County (0.1% Black).

Harding County's Asian Population

0 residents of Harding County, or 0.0% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Harding County is comparable to the share in South Dakota overall, where 1.4% of the population is Asian. Harding County ranks 64th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 66 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Harding County's Asian population has grown from 0 to an estimated 0. Asian residents' share of Harding County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.0%.

Harding County is less Asian than neighboring Butte County (0.5% Asian), and Perkins County (0.7% Asian).

Harding County's Hispanic Population

16 residents of Harding County, or 1.4% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Harding County is slightly lower than in South Dakota overall, where 4.8% of the population is Hispanic. Harding County ranks 35th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 66 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Harding County's Hispanic population has declined by an estimated 50.0%. Hispanic residents' share of Harding County's population has decreased from 2.4% to 1.4%.

Harding County is more Hispanic than neighboring Slope County (0.1% Hispanic), and Perkins County (1.1% Hispanic). Harding County is less Hispanic than neighboring Bowman County (2.7% Hispanic), Butte County (4.3% Hispanic), and Carter County (2.4% Hispanic).

Harding County's Native American/Other Population

22 residents of Harding County, or 1.9% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Harding County is lower than in South Dakota overall, where 7.5% of the population is Native American/Other. Harding County ranks 33rd statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 66 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Harding County's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 38.9%. Native American/Other residents' share of Harding County's population has decreased from 2.7% to 1.9%.

Harding County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Bowman County (1.7% Native American/Other), Butte County (1.4% Native American/Other), Slope County (0.8% Native American/Other), Perkins County (1.4% Native American/Other), and Carter County (0.2% Native American/Other).

Harding County's Multiracial Population

46 residents of Harding County, or 4.0% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Harding County is comparable to the share in South Dakota overall, where 4.4% of the population is Multiracial. Harding County ranks 46th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 66 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Harding County's Multiracial population has grown by an estimated 39.4%. Multiracial residents' share of Harding County's population has increased from 2.5% to 4.0%.

Harding County is less Multiracial than neighboring Butte County (5.9% Multiracial), Slope County (6.7% Multiracial), Perkins County (4.8% Multiracial), and Carter County (8.3% Multiracial).

Sources: Most recent population estimates are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. 2020 population counts and map data are from 2020 Census State Redistricting Data. Geographic data are from Census TIGER/Line Shapefiles.