How many people live in Mellette County, SD?
Updated Apr. 6, 2026Refreshed annually
In 2024, there were about 1,800 people living in Mellette County, SD. That makes Mellette County the 59th-most populous county in South Dakota. It is home to 0.2% of people living in the state.
1.83K
population of Mellette County, SD (2024)
0.2%
County share of the South Dakota population (2024)
About 1,800 people lived in Mellette County, SD in 2024.
Population estimates, 2000–2024
What are Mellette County, SD’s age demographics?
About 292 Mellette County residents are aged 65 and older in 2024. That represents 15.9% of its population. For comparison, the age group represents 18.9% of South Dakota’s population and 18% in the US overall.
Another 560 Mellette County residents, or 30.5% 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 Mellette County, SD's population is aged under 18 than the US as a whole.
Population estimates by age group, (2024)
What are Mellette County, SD’s racial and ethnic demographics?
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native residents make up 52.3% of the Mellette County, SD population, higher than the national share of 0.72%. Mellette County also has a larger share of people identifying as non-Hispanic two or more races (6.9%) than the US overall (2.5%).
In contrast, Mellette County’s non-Hispanic white population accounts for 38.1%, below the 57.5% nationwide, and the Hispanic population makes up 1.5% of the county, compared with 20% 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.
Mellette 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 Mellette County, SD is Central Mellette UT with about 627 residents in 2024.
Cities and towns in Mellette County, SD ranked by population
Population (2024), includes only portions within county
| City or town | Population | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Central Mellette UT | 627 |
| 2. | White River | 512 |
| 3. | Cedarbutte UT | 207 |
| 4. | Norris | 169 |
| 5. | Blackpipe | 45 |
| 6. | Wood | 42 |
| 7. | Fairview | 34 |
| 8. | Rosebud | 34 |
| 9. | Bad Nation | 30 |
| 10. | Mosher | 27 |
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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.
