Census-designated place · Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota

Pine Ridge, South Dakota

Pine Ridge is a census-designated place in Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota. It has 2,246 residents. Pine Ridge, South Dakota has a quality-of-life score of 2 out of 100 (very low), ranking #15,306 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within South Dakota it ranks #74 of 75 cities and towns. It ranks best on home price to income ratio (low), average commute time (low) and rent-burdened households (low). It ranks worst on voter turnout (low), premature death (high) and life expectancy (low).

2Very low

Quality-of-life score: #15,306 of 15,651 cities and towns
South Dakota: #74 of 75 in SD
Population: 2,246 (2020-2024)
Land area: 3 mi²
Density: 794.4 /mi²
FIPS code: 4649660

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 62 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

Open in the map

Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety1#15,429/15,637
Economy15#13,254/15,631
Housing—
Health3#15,121/15,609
Healthcare1#15,516/15,650
Environment—
Education21#12,381/15,649
Infrastructure80#3,096/15,650
Community1#15,561/15,651
Leisure & amenities0#15,638/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Pine Ridge, South Dakota ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Oglala Lakota County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Home price to income ratio · low0.9×
100/100South Dakota 3.4×United States 4.1×2019-2023U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077High uncertainty
Average commute time · low11.2 min
98/100South Dakota 17.8 minUnited States 26.4 min2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08013High uncertainty
Rent-burdened households · low23.8%
97/100South Dakota 39.8%United States 51.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25070High uncertainty
Rent as share of income · low20.5%
95/100South Dakota 25.9%United States 30.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25071
Broadband subscriptions · high99.1%
93/100South Dakota 89.6%United States 91.0%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B28002
High school diploma or higher · high90.0%
89/100South Dakota 93.2%United States 89.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B15003

Weaknesses

Voter turnout · low34.8%
0/100South Dakota 65.2%United States 65.2%2024U.S. Election Assistance CommissionOglala Lakota County value
Premature death · high38,427 /100k
0/100South Dakota 8,706 /100kUnited States 8,123 /100k2021-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteOglala Lakota County value
Life expectancy · low58.4 yrs
0/100South Dakota 77.4 yrsUnited States 77.6 yrs2021-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteOglala Lakota County value
Injury deaths · high281 /100k
0/100South Dakota 90 /100kUnited States 87 /100k2019-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteOglala Lakota County value
Firearm deaths · high74.4 /100k
0/100South Dakota 15.3 /100kUnited States 12.1 /100k2024Centers for Disease Control and PreventionOglala Lakota County value
Dental care shortage · high25.0
0/100South Dakota 6.9United States 5.7Oct 2026Health Resources and Services AdministrationOglala Lakota County value

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

PopulationFalling
3,682 (2015-2019) → 2,246 (2020-2024)
−39%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
53.5% (2015-2019) → 99.1% (2020-2024)
+46 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Child poverty rateImproving
30.4% (2015-2019) → 8.7% (2020-2024)
−22 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Poverty rateImproving
32.5% (2015-2019) → 14.5% (2020-2024)
−18 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 12.3% → 12.1%
High school diploma or higherImproving
74.3% (2015-2019) → 90.0% (2020-2024)
+16 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 88.0% → 89.6%
Median household incomeImproving
$43,455 (2015-2019) → $53,060 (2020-2024)
+22%5 yearsCensus table B19013US $65,712 → $81,604

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Pine Ridge, South Dakota improved on 1 of 6 measures with a comparison and declined on 0. 5 moved within the margin of error and 0 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved1

Broadband+46 points53.5% → 99.1%

Declined0

No measure declined by more than its margin of error.

All 6 measures

Change of every measure of Pine Ridge, South Dakota between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Broadband subscriptions	53.5%2015-2019	99.1%2020-2024	+46 points	Improved	100%
High school diploma or higher	74.3%2015-2019	90.0%2020-2024	+16 points	Within the margin of error	99%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4752015-2019	0.4692020-2024	−0.006	Within the margin of error	56%
Public transit commuters	0.0%2015-2019	0.0%2020-2024	0 points	Within the margin of error	60%
Rent as share of income	16.2%2015-2019	20.5%2020-2024	+4.3 points	Within the margin of error	25%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	41.4%2015-2019	45.4%2020-2024	+4 points	Within the margin of error	14%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15075 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Pine Ridge, South Dakota five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Pine Ridge, South Dakota in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Pine Ridge, South Dakota itself moved +30.8 points in standing on average over the same 4 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

2,246 residents (±835)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79†
60–69†
50–59†
40–49†
30–39†
20–29†
10–19†
Under 10†

Share of all residents, each sex

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: 60–69 women (+5.7 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

2,246 residents (±835)

Pine Ridge, South Dakota
South Dakota share

White14%†319
Black0.0%0
Hispanic or Latino0.1%†2

Education

1,161 residents (±415)

Pine Ridge, South Dakota
South Dakota share

No high school diploma10.0%†116
High school or GED53%†612
Some college17%†

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

545 households (±178)

Pine Ridge, South Dakota
South Dakota share

Under $25k20%†108
$25k–50k18%†96
$50k–75k18%†97
$75k–100k23%†124
$100k–150k9.5%†52
$150k–200k0.0%0
$200k or more12%†68

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B19001View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

545 households (±178)

Pine Ridge, South Dakota
South Dakota share

Own47%†258
Rent53%†287

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

282 households (±130)

Pine Ridge, South Dakota
South Dakota share

Under $75050%†141
$750–1,00033%†94
$1,000–1,5000.0%0

Home values

258 homes (±128)

Pine Ridge, South Dakota
South Dakota share

Under $150k76%†196
$150k–250k24%†62
$250k–400k0.0%0

Age of homes

683 homes (±175)

Pine Ridge, South Dakota
South Dakota share

2010 or later6.0%†41
2000–20097.8%†53
1980–199930%†

Size of homes

683 homes (±175)

Pine Ridge, South Dakota
South Dakota share

Studio1.5%†10
1 bedroom6.6%†45
2 bedrooms7.5%†51

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

726 workers (±311)

Pine Ridge, South Dakota
South Dakota share

Drive alone76%†552
Carpool0.7%†5
Public transit0.0%0
Walk12%†90
Bike0.0%0
Work from home11%†79
Other0.0%0

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Carpool (−5.3 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

647 workers (±277)

Pine Ridge, South Dakota
South Dakota share

Under 15 min86%†556
15–29 min6.8%†44
30–44 min0.8%†

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Oglala Lakota County, the county holding most of Pine Ridge's residents.

Oglala Lakota County has 84 employer establishments, 62.6 for every 10,000 residents (0.25× the US rate of 248; 0.20× South Dakota's), with 1,963 paid employees at an average annual pay of $43,623. The Census Bureau also counts 476 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 84; 476 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 62.6; US 248 · South Dakota 317
Paid employees: 1,963
Average annual pay: $43,623; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Oglala Lakota County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Schools, colleges and instruction	9	6.7	1.91×Too few to compare	833	$51,005	47
Elementary and secondary schools	7	5.2	7.57×Too few to compare	829	$51,185	—
Ambulatory health care services	5	3.7	0.18×Too few to compare	137	$30,190	20
Gasoline stations	5	3.7	1.15×Too few to compare	119	$21,790	—
Restaurants and other eating places	5	3.7	0.20×Too few to compare	63	$18,063	6
Construction of buildings	4	3	0.39×Too few to compare	22	$36,227	30
Grocery and convenience stores	4	3	1.00×Too few to compare	98	$21,806	—
Limited-service restaurants	4	3	0.37×Too few to compare	58	$18,345	—
Religious organizations	3	2.2	0.40×Too few to compare	11	$30,000	—
Specialty trade contractors	3	2.2	0.14×Too few to compare	18	$42,278	18
Accounting, tax preparation and payroll services	0	0	0.00×Too few to compare	0	—	3
Advertising, public relations and related services	0	0	0.00×Too few to compare	0	—	—

Rank places for an industry Open Oglala Lakota County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 13,423 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

In FY2026, an estimated $764.3K of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Pine Ridge, South Dakota: $340 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $764.3K; −4.9% vs FY2025
Per resident: $340; US $1,994
Sole-source: 22%; US 30%
Single offer: 9.0%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Indian Health Service$695.3K91%
Bureau of Indian Affairs and Bureau of Indian Education$58.9K7.7%
Forest Service$7,7501.0%
Federal Highway Administration$2,3020.3%
Department of Veterans Affairs$80.620.0%

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

227.5KFY2017
270.6KFY2018
241.3KFY2019
543.7KFY2020
390.5KFY2021
660.9KFY2022
648.3KFY2023
608.5K

Top industries (NAICS)

Offices of physicians · 6211$262.4K34%
Employment services · 5613$174.6K23%
Residential building construction · 2361$84.9K11%
Offices of other health practitioners · 6213$59.8K7.8%
Other ambulatory health care services · 6219$44K5.8%
Architectural, engineering, and related services · 5413

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

How this is estimated

Agencies report each contract action's place of performance as a county and a ZIP code. A ZIP code's money is split among the cities it covers by the share of its land inside each (Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation areas); the part outside city limits stays with the county.

The place of performance is what the contracting agency reports, often the contractor's office rather than where the work happens.
Shares are of land, not of people or businesses: a ZIP code that is mostly rural land but has its offices in town gives the town less than it should.
ZIP codes that are not mapped areas (post office boxes, the unique ZIP codes of large federal sites and companies) stay with their county, unless one city covers nearly all of it.
Counts of actions and awards include those only partly in Pine Ridge, South Dakota, so they do not add up across cities.

Pine Ridge, South Dakota's figures are part of those of Oglala Lakota County, SD ($55.8M in FY2026), never added to them: 1.4% of that total.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Pine Ridge is mostly in Oglala Lakota County.

See federal money in Oglala Lakota County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Pine Ridge, South Dakota is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.

House

Dusty JohnsonR-SD · 100% of residentsWith party 99%Missed 4.7%

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Oglala Lakota County6100% of residents

Other cities and towns in Oglala Lakota County

Largest first.

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/4649660

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends