Mellette County Demographics

A map of Mellette County's Population by Race

Mellette County, South Dakota has an estimated population of 1,943, a slight increase from the 1,918 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 56.9% Native American/Other, 34.7% White, 7.5% Multiracial, 0.9% Hispanic, 0.0% Black, and 0.0% Asian. This demographic dot map shows the population of Mellette County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Mellette is about as racially diverse as it was in the 2020 Census. It is considerably more 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 Mellette County, that probability was 54.7% in 2020 and 55.0% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Mellette County is ranked the 58th most populous county in South Dakota, out of 66 counties. Mellette County was ranked the 59th most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Mellette County's White Population

674 residents of Mellette County, or 34.7% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Mellette County is significantly lower than in South Dakota overall, where 79.8% of the population is White. Mellette County ranks 59th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 66 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Mellette County's White population has grown by an estimated 3.5%. White residents' share of Mellette County's population has increased from 33.9% to 34.7%.

Mellette County is more White than neighboring Todd County (8.1% White). Mellette County is less White than neighboring Jones County (80.2% White), Stanley County (87.9% White), Jackson County (36.6% White), and Tripp County (79.9% White).

Mellette County's Black Population

0 residents of Mellette County, or 0.0% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Mellette County is slightly lower than in South Dakota overall, where 2.1% of the population is Black. Mellette County ranks 60th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 66 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Mellette County's Black population has declined by an estimated 100.0%. Black residents' share of Mellette County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.0%.

Mellette County is less Black than neighboring Todd County (0.4% Black), and Tripp County (0.8% Black).

Mellette County's Asian Population

0 residents of Mellette County, or 0.0% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Mellette County is comparable to the share in South Dakota overall, where 1.4% of the population is Asian. Mellette County ranks 50th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 66 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Mellette County's Asian population has declined by an estimated 100.0%. Asian residents' share of Mellette County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.0%.

Mellette County is less Asian than neighboring Todd County (3.1% Asian), and Tripp County (0.4% Asian).

Mellette County's Hispanic Population

17 residents of Mellette County, or 0.9% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Mellette County is slightly lower than in South Dakota overall, where 4.8% of the population is Hispanic. Mellette County ranks 45th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 66 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Mellette County's Hispanic population has declined by an estimated 56.4%. Hispanic residents' share of Mellette County's population has decreased from 2.0% to 0.9%.

Mellette County is more Hispanic than neighboring Jackson County (0.4% Hispanic). Mellette County is less Hispanic than neighboring Jones County (1% Hispanic), Todd County (2.4% Hispanic), Stanley County (2.2% Hispanic), and Tripp County (1.9% Hispanic).

Mellette County's Native American/Other Population

1,106 residents of Mellette County, or 56.9% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Mellette County is significantly higher than in South Dakota overall, where 7.5% of the population is Native American/Other. Mellette County ranks 8th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 66 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Mellette County's Native American/Other population has remained roughly the same. Native American/Other residents' share of Mellette County's population has decreased from 57.8% to 56.9%.

Mellette County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Jones County (17.7% Native American/Other), Stanley County (3.5% Native American/Other), and Tripp County (13.8% Native American/Other). Mellette County is less Native American/Other than neighboring Todd County (81.9% Native American/Other), and Jackson County (61.2% Native American/Other).

Mellette County's Multiracial Population

146 residents of Mellette County, or 7.5% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Mellette County is slightly higher than in South Dakota overall, where 4.4% of the population is Multiracial. Mellette County ranks 4th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 66 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Mellette County's Multiracial population has grown by an estimated 25.9%. Multiracial residents' share of Mellette County's population has increased from 6.0% to 7.5%.

Mellette County is more Multiracial than neighboring Jones County (1.1% Multiracial), Todd County (4.1% Multiracial), Stanley County (6.4% Multiracial), Jackson County (1.7% Multiracial), and Tripp County (3.1% 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.