Pennington County Demographics

A map of Pennington County's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	88,293	82,743	77.8%	75.8%
Multiracial	8,509	6,662	7.5%	6.1%
Native American/Other	7,621	11,416	6.7%	10.5%
Hispanic	6,444	5,575	5.7%	5.1%
Asian	1,401	1,463	1.2%	1.3%
Black	1,244	1,363	1.1%	1.2%

Pennington County, South Dakota has an estimated population of 113,512, an increase from the 109,222 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 77.8% White, 7.5% Multiracial, 6.7% Native American/Other, 5.7% Hispanic, 1.2% Asian, and 1.1% Black. This demographic dot map shows the population of Pennington County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Pennington has become less racially diverse since the 2020 Census. It is 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 Pennington County, that probability was 40.8% in 2020 and 38.1% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Pennington County is ranked the 2nd most populous county in South Dakota, out of 66 counties. Pennington County was ranked the 2nd most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Pennington County's White Population

88,293 residents of Pennington County, or 77.8% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Pennington County is comparable to the share in South Dakota overall, where 79.8% of the population is White. Pennington County ranks 53rd statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 66 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Pennington County's White population has grown by an estimated 6.7%. White residents' share of Pennington County's population has increased from 75.8% to 77.8%.

Pennington County is more White than neighboring Oglala Lakota County (7% White). Pennington County is less White than neighboring Meade County (85% White), Custer County (87.7% White), Lawrence County (88.8% White), and Fall River County (83.9% White).

Pennington County's Black Population

1,244 residents of Pennington County, or 1.1% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Pennington County is comparable to the share in South Dakota overall, where 2.1% of the population is Black. Pennington County ranks 9th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 66 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Pennington County's Black population has declined by an estimated 8.7%. Black residents' share of Pennington County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 1.1%.

Pennington County is more Black than neighboring Custer County (0.3% Black), Oglala Lakota County (0.1% Black), Lawrence County (0.3% Black), and Fall River County (0% Black). Pennington County is less Black than neighboring Meade County (1.7% Black).

Pennington County's Asian Population

1,401 residents of Pennington County, or 1.2% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Pennington County is comparable to the share in South Dakota overall, where 1.4% of the population is Asian. Pennington County ranks 9th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 66 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Pennington County's Asian population has declined by an estimated 4.2%. Asian residents' share of Pennington County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 1.2%.

Pennington County is more Asian than neighboring Meade County (0.7% Asian), Custer County (0.4% Asian), Oglala Lakota County (0% Asian), and Lawrence County (0.4% Asian). Pennington County is less Asian than neighboring Fall River County (1.9% Asian).

Pennington County's Hispanic Population

6,444 residents of Pennington County, or 5.7% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Pennington County is comparable to the share in South Dakota overall, where 4.8% of the population is Hispanic. Pennington County ranks 8th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 66 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Pennington County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 15.6%. Hispanic residents' share of Pennington County's population has increased from 5.1% to 5.7%.

Pennington County is more Hispanic than neighboring Meade County (4.9% Hispanic), Custer County (3.1% Hispanic), Oglala Lakota County (1.9% Hispanic), Lawrence County (3.9% Hispanic), and Fall River County (3.4% Hispanic).

Pennington County's Native American/Other Population

7,621 residents of Pennington County, or 6.7% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Pennington County is comparable to the share in South Dakota overall, where 7.5% of the population is Native American/Other. Pennington County ranks 17th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 66 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Pennington County's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 33.2%. Native American/Other residents' share of Pennington County's population has decreased from 10.5% to 6.7%.

Pennington County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Meade County (2.3% Native American/Other), Custer County (3.4% Native American/Other), Lawrence County (2.8% Native American/Other), and Fall River County (6% Native American/Other). Pennington County is less Native American/Other than neighboring Oglala Lakota County (90.8% Native American/Other).

Pennington County's Multiracial Population

8,509 residents of Pennington County, or 7.5% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Pennington County is slightly higher than in South Dakota overall, where 4.4% of the population is Multiracial. Pennington County ranks 3rd statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 66 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Pennington County's Multiracial population has grown by an estimated 27.7%. Multiracial residents' share of Pennington County's population has increased from 6.1% to 7.5%.

Pennington County is more Multiracial than neighboring Meade County (5.4% Multiracial), Custer County (5% Multiracial), Oglala Lakota County (0.2% Multiracial), Lawrence County (3.8% Multiracial), and Fall River County (4.7% 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.