Turner County Demographics

A map of Turner County's Population by Race

Turner County, South Dakota has an estimated population of 8,882, a slight increase from the 8,673 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 93.0% White, 3.5% Hispanic, 2.0% Multiracial, 0.7% Native American/Other, 0.4% Black, and 0.3% Asian. This demographic dot map shows the population of Turner County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Turner has become slightly less 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 Turner County, that probability was 13.8% in 2020 and 13.3% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Turner County is ranked the 22nd most populous county in South Dakota, out of 66 counties. Turner County was ranked the 21st most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Turner County's White Population

8,263 residents of Turner County, or 93.0% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Turner County is considerably higher than in South Dakota overall, where 79.8% of the population is White. Turner County ranks 18th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 66 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Turner County's White population has grown by an estimated 2.7%. White residents' share of Turner County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 93.0%.

Turner County is more White than neighboring Yankton County (86.9% White), McCook County (92.6% White), Lincoln County (89% White), Clay County (84.2% White), and Minnehaha County (78.6% White).

Turner County's Black Population

37 residents of Turner County, or 0.4% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Turner County is comparable to the share in South Dakota overall, where 2.1% of the population is Black. Turner County ranks 20th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 66 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Turner County's Black population has remained roughly the same. Black residents' share of Turner County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.4%.

Turner County is more Black than neighboring McCook County (0.3% Black). Turner County is less Black than neighboring Yankton County (1.6% Black), Lincoln County (2.3% Black), Clay County (1.8% Black), and Minnehaha County (6.3% Black).

Turner County's Asian Population

27 residents of Turner County, or 0.3% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Turner County is comparable to the share in South Dakota overall, where 1.4% of the population is Asian. Turner County ranks 52nd statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 66 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Turner County's Asian population has grown by an estimated 125.0%. Asian residents' share of Turner County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.3%.

Turner County is more Asian than neighboring McCook County (0% Asian). Turner County is less Asian than neighboring Lincoln County (1.7% Asian), Clay County (3% Asian), and Minnehaha County (1.6% Asian).

Turner County's Hispanic Population

314 residents of Turner County, or 3.5% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Turner County is comparable to the share in South Dakota overall, where 4.8% of the population is Hispanic. Turner County ranks 25th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 66 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Turner County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 26.1%. Hispanic residents' share of Turner County's population has increased from 2.9% to 3.5%.

Turner County is more Hispanic than neighboring Lincoln County (3.2% Hispanic), and Clay County (3.3% Hispanic). Turner County is less Hispanic than neighboring Yankton County (5.9% Hispanic), McCook County (3.6% Hispanic), and Minnehaha County (6.6% Hispanic).

Turner County's Native American/Other Population

59 residents of Turner County, or 0.7% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Turner County is lower than in South Dakota overall, where 7.5% of the population is Native American/Other. Turner County ranks 58th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 66 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Turner County's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 14.5%. Native American/Other residents' share of Turner County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.7%.

Turner County is less Native American/Other than neighboring Yankton County (2.1% Native American/Other), McCook County (0.8% Native American/Other), Lincoln County (0.8% Native American/Other), Clay County (2.6% Native American/Other), and Minnehaha County (2.1% Native American/Other).

Turner County's Multiracial Population

182 residents of Turner County, or 2.0% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Turner County is slightly lower than in South Dakota overall, where 4.4% of the population is Multiracial. Turner County ranks 32nd statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 66 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Turner County's Multiracial population has declined by an estimated 30.8%. Multiracial residents' share of Turner County's population has decreased from 3.0% to 2.0%.

Turner County is less Multiracial than neighboring Yankton County (3.3% Multiracial), McCook County (2.7% Multiracial), Lincoln County (3% Multiracial), Clay County (5.1% Multiracial), and Minnehaha County (4.9% 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.