How many people live in Hughes County, SD?
Updated Apr. 6, 2026Refreshed annually
In 2024, there were about 17,500 people living in Hughes County, SD. That makes Hughes County the 12th-most populous county in South Dakota. It is home to 1.9% of people living in the state.
17.5K
population of Hughes County, SD (2024)
1.9%
County share of the South Dakota population (2024)
About 17,500 people lived in Hughes County, SD in 2024.
Population estimates, 2000–2024
What are Hughes County, SD’s age demographics?
About 3,400 Hughes County residents are aged 65 and older in 2024. That represents 19.2% of its population. For comparison, the age group represents 18.9% of South Dakota’s population and 18% in the US overall.
Another 4,200 Hughes County residents, or 23.8% of the population, were children under 18. For comparison, the age group represents 24% of South Dakota’s population and 21.6% in the US overall.
A higher share of Hughes County, SD's population is aged under 18 than the US as a whole.
Population estimates by age group, (2024)
What are Hughes County, SD’s racial and ethnic demographics?
Non-Hispanic white residents make up 79.8% of the Hughes County, SD population, higher than the national share of 57.5%. Hughes County, SD also has a larger share of people identifying as non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native (11.7%) than the US overall (0.72%).
In contrast, Hughes County’s Hispanic population accounts for 3.8%, below the 20% nationwide, and the non-Hispanic Black or African American population makes up 0.81% of the county, compared with 12.6% nationally.
Racial and ethnic make up differ based on location. These figures reflect how people identified their race alone (not in combination with other races), and separate out Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, following Census reporting standards.
Hughes County, SD has a higher share of a non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native population than South Dakota as a whole.
Population estimates by race and ethnicity, (2024)
The largest city or town in Hughes County, SD is Pierre with about 13,800 residents in 2024.
Cities and towns in Hughes County, SD ranked by population
Population (2024), includes only portions within county
| City or town | Population | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Pierre | 13,788 |
| 2. | West Hughes UT | 2,827 |
| 3. | Blunt | 334 |
| 4. | North Hughes UT | 242 |
| 5. | Crow Creek UT | 207 |
| 6. | Harrold | 98 |
| 7. | Raber | 30 |
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Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
The analysis was generated with the help of AI and reviewed by USAFacts for accuracy.
Page sources
USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.
