County · South Dakota
Day County, South Dakota
Day County, South Dakota has a quality-of-life score of 78 out of 100 (high), ranking #703 of 3,143 US counties. Within South Dakota it ranks #39 of 66 counties. It ranks best on rent-burdened households (low), unemployment rate (low) and drug overdose deaths (low). It ranks worst on mental health providers (low), flu vaccinations (low) and mental health care shortage (high).
- Quality-of-life score
- #703 of 3,143 counties
- South Dakota
- #39 of 66 in SD
- Population
- 5,484 (2025)
- Land area
- 1,028 mi²
- Density
- 5.3 /mi²
- FIPS code
- 46037
Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 72 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.
Scores by category
Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US counties.
- Safety88#364/3,096
- Economy62#1,202/3,143
- Housing88#375/3,140
- Health75#773/3,144
- Healthcare30#2,203/3,143
- Environment97#79/3,108
- Education82#563/3,144
- Infrastructure33#2,112/3,144
- Community60#1,269/3,144
- Leisure & amenities64#1,126/3,143
Strengths · Weaknesses
Indicators where Day County, South Dakota ranks highest and lowest among US counties (score = percentile, 100 = best).
Strengths
- Rent-burdened households · low29.8%
- Unemployment rate · low2.4%
- Drug overdose deaths · low8.9 /100k94/100South Dakota 8.0 /100kUnited States 18.4 /100k2024Centers for Disease Control and PreventionModel-based estimate
- Drought exposure · low1%94/100South Dakota 38%United States 43%Oct 2025–Sep 2026National Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA
- Restaurants and bars · high18.2 /10k
- Homicide rate · low0.0 /100k92/100South Dakota 3.8 /100kUnited States 4.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional data
Weaknesses
- Mental health providers · low19 /100k4/100South Dakota 260 /100kUnited States 348 /100k2025University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute
- Flu vaccinations · low21.0%
- Mental health care shortage · high19.0
- Job growth · low-4.0%
- Public EV charging ports · low0.0 /10k
- Dentists · low18 /100k14/100South Dakota 65 /100kUnited States 75 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute
Trends
The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.
- Drought exposureImproving
35% (2021) → 1% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
−33 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
- Arts, entertainment and recreationImproving
1.8 /10k (2020) → 3.6 /10k (2025)
+98%5 yearsUS 4.8 /10k → 5.5 /10k
- New business applicationsImproving
7.9 /1k (2020) → 15.5 /1k (2025)
+96%5 yearsUS 13.1 /1k → 16.6 /1k
- Broadband subscriptionsImproving
70.2% (2015-2019) → 83.8% (2020-2024)
+14 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
- Income adjusted for local pricesImproving
$51,129 (2019) → $83,512 (2024)
+63%5 yearsUS $55,567 → $73,204
- Preventable hospital staysImproving
4,751 /100k (2019) → 1,814 /100k (2023)
−62%4 yearsUS 3,767 /100k → 2,769 /100k
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.
Counties like Day County, South Dakota five years ago that improved
The places whose measures looked most like those of Day County, 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.
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).
Income
How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.
Homes
Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.
Getting to work
How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.
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.
Federal contract spending
Federal grants & assistance
Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.
Public money & outcomes
Federal money per resident by fiscal year next to how the place changed, and, when its money jumped, how it compares with similar counties. A comparison, not cause and effect.
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.
Cities and towns in Day County
Places whose residents live mostly in Day County, largest first.
Neighboring counties
Places that share a border, best score first.
Similar counties
Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).
- McPherson County, SD80Alike on Mental health shortage, Unemployment, Avg temperature
- Marshall County, SD91Alike on Unemployment, Mental health shortage, Frost days
- Sanborn County, SD64Alike on Mental health shortage, Infant care, Frost days
- Clark County, SD77Alike on Mental health shortage, Frost days, Job growth
- Hand County, SD99Alike on Mental health shortage, Frost days, Infant care
Data and sources
Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.
- Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
- PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
- Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
- Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
- Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
- National Risk IndexFederal Emergency Management Agency · release v1.20.0
- Health Professional Shortage AreasHealth Resources and Services Administration · release 2026-10-08
- Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
- Common Core of DataNational Center for Education Statistics · release 2024
- U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-09-29
- Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
- nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
- Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
- Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
- Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
- American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
- Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
- Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
- 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
- Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
- Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
- County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement
- Zillow Home Value Index, Observed Rent Index and affordabilityZillow Research · release 2026-08
