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South Dakota rankings · Growth

Fastest-growing towns in South Dakota

Harrisburg has grown fastest of South Dakota’s 30 towns of 2,500+: up 54.5% from 6,736 residents in April 2020 to an estimated 10,405 in July 2025 (Census Bureau estimates). The typical town here changed +2.4%; 10 of the 30 lost residents.

Census Bureau population estimates, Vintage 2025: July 1, 2025 against the April 2020 base, both on January 2025 town lines (people a town annexed are in its base, not its growth). Estimates, not counts. Unincorporated communities (census-designated places) get no estimate, so they aren’t listed. A described list: no letters. How grades work

#3

Box Elder

Pennington County
+17.6%

11,854 in 2020·13,936 in 2025·+2,082 people

All 30 towns

Growth since 2020, highest first.

30 towns ranked. Not here? See why a town may be missing.

#TownGrowth since 2020People addedResidents
1HarrisburgLincoln County+54.5%+3,6696,736 → 10,405April 2020 → July 2025
2TeaLincoln County+42.7%+2,4015,618 → 8,019April 2020 → July 2025
3Box ElderPennington County+17.6%+2,08211,854 → 13,936April 2020 → July 2025
4SpearfishLawrence County+15.9%+1,94312,211 → 14,154April 2020 → July 2025
5Sioux FallsMinnehaha County+10.9%+21,011192,737 → 213,748April 2020 → July 2025
6Big Sioux TownshipUnion County+9.8%+4594,693 → 5,152April 2020 → July 2025
7HartfordMinnehaha County+8.6%+2883,347 → 3,635April 2020 → July 2025
8BrookingsBrookings County+8.5%+1,97623,379 → 25,355April 2020 → July 2025
9Hot SpringsFall River County+8.2%+2773,393 → 3,670April 2020 → July 2025
10Rapid CityPennington County+7.8%+5,85474,735 → 80,589April 2020 → July 2025
11WatertownCodington County+4.8%+1,08322,653 → 23,736April 2020 → July 2025
12Belle FourcheButte County+2.9%+1655,626 → 5,791April 2020 → July 2025
13LeadLawrence County+2.9%+852,979 → 3,064April 2020 → July 2025
14HuronBeadle County+2.5%+35214,255 → 14,607April 2020 → July 2025
15BrandonMinnehaha County+2.4%+27011,036 → 11,306April 2020 → July 2025
16YanktonYankton County+2.4%+37715,439 → 15,816April 2020 → July 2025
17SummersetMeade County+2.0%+602,970 → 3,030April 2020 → July 2025
18WinnerTripp County+1.9%+552,914 → 2,969April 2020 → July 2025
19MitchellDavison County+0.5%+7915,677 → 15,756April 2020 → July 2025
20VermillionClay County+0.2%+1811,702 → 11,720April 2020 → July 2025
21North Sioux CityUnion County−0.4%−123,048 → 3,036April 2020 → July 2025
22MilbankGrant County−1.0%−343,546 → 3,512April 2020 → July 2025
23PierreHughes County−1.7%−24514,093 → 13,848April 2020 → July 2025
24AberdeenBrown County−1.8%−51828,479 → 27,961April 2020 → July 2025
25MadisonLake County−2.1%−1276,192 → 6,065April 2020 → July 2025
26MobridgeWalworth County−2.2%−723,264 → 3,192April 2020 → July 2025
27CantonLincoln County−2.2%−683,069 → 3,001April 2020 → July 2025
28SturgisMeade County−2.4%−1717,093 → 6,922April 2020 → July 2025
29Dell RapidsMinnehaha County−3.1%−1243,976 → 3,852April 2020 → July 2025
30Split Rock TownshipMinnehaha County−3.5%−1133,199 → 3,086April 2020 → July 2025
Quick answers

Questions people ask

What is the fastest-growing town in South Dakota?

Harrisburg (Lincoln County): it grew 54.5%, from 6,736 residents in April 2020 to an estimated 10,405 in July 2025. Tea (+42.7%) and Box Elder (+17.6%) follow.

How are these towns ranked?

By the percent change in residents from the Census Bureau’s April 2020 estimates base to its latest July 1 estimate, highest first, on the exact change: two towns shown with the same tenth of a percent keep the order of their unrounded figures, and only an identical change shares a rank (T). The base is the 2020 Census count redrawn on today’s town lines, so a town that annexed land since 2020 changes only by births, deaths and moves, not by the people it took in. How grades work.

Why isn’t my town on this list?

The list covers the towns TownRatings grades that had 2,500+ residents in the 2020 estimates base (30 in South Dakota). Census-designated places (unincorporated communities) have no Census Bureau estimates, so they never appear; a town incorporated since 2020, or one TownRatings merges with its twin township, isn’t listed either. Every town is on the South Dakota page.

Go deeper

More South Dakota lists

Every list ranks the same 2,500+ towns, so a town’s rank means the same thing on each.

All South Dakota rankings →
Other states

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