Which South Dakota City Is the Fastest Growing?

A lot of people are moving to South Dakota. From 2010 to 2020 the state's overall population grew by almost 9% or about 72,500 people, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Dakota News Now examined a study by Augustana economics professor David Sorenson which found that people are not only moving to South Dakota, but they are moving around in the state.

One of those places that people are apparently moving to in droves is Harrisburg. Its population between July 1, 2020, and July 1, 2023, grew by almost 38% or more than 2500 residents. So if you've been thinking that cities like Harrisburg and Tea are just booming like crazy, you're right!

West River, it is the city of Box Elder that came in third in the growth category with a population surge of 16.2% over that same time frame.

Eighteen South Dakota cities now have populations of 5,000, but not all cities grew. Brandon, Mitchell, Aberdeen, Madison, Pierre, and Sturgis all saw slight decreases in population.

The state that has sent the most people to South Dakota is Minnesota. Conversely, Minnesota is the state that most South Dakotans move to when they choose to move out of state.  This process is referred to as the Gravity Model, similar to Newton's Law of Gravity.

For more information on South Dakota's population growth and changes see this study.

Source: Dakota News Now