How many people live in McCook County, SD?
Updated Apr. 6, 2026Refreshed annually
In 2024, there were about 5,800 people living in McCook County, SD. That makes McCook County the 30th-most populous county in South Dakota. It is home to 0.62% of people living in the state.
5.77K
population of McCook County, SD (2024)
0.62%
County share of the South Dakota population (2024)
About 5,800 people lived in McCook County, SD in 2024.
Population estimates, 2000–2024
What are McCook County, SD’s age demographics?
About 1,100 McCook County residents are aged 65 and older in 2024. That represents 19.5% of its population. For comparison, the age group represents 18.9% of South Dakota’s population and 18% in the US overall.
Another 1,700 McCook County residents, or 28.8% 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 McCook County, SD's population is aged under 18 than the US as a whole.
Population estimates by age group, (2024)
What are McCook County, SD’s racial and ethnic demographics?
Non-Hispanic white residents make up 92.7% of the McCook County population, higher than the national share of 57.5%. McCook County also has a larger share of people identifying as non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native (1.1%) than the US overall (0.72%).
In contrast, McCook County’s Hispanic population accounts for 3.7%, below the 20% nationwide, and the non-Hispanic Black or African American population makes up 0.68% 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.
McCook County, SD has a higher share of a non-Hispanic white population than South Dakota as a whole.
Population estimates by race and ethnicity, (2024)
The largest city or town in McCook County, SD is Salem with about 1,300 residents in 2024.
Cities and towns in McCook County, SD ranked by population
Population (2024), includes only portions within county
| City or town | Population | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Salem | 1,315 |
| 2. | Canistota | 643 |
| 3. | Bridgewater | 505 |
| 4. | Montrose | 461 |
| 5. | Spring Valley | 384 |
| 6. | Greenland | 334 |
| 7. | Salem | 277 |
| 8. | Montrose | 220 |
| 9. | Richland | 170 |
| 10. | Canistota | 157 |
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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.
