Map the Block › Places › South Dakota › Dewey County
Dewey County, South Dakota: crime rate, income and local data
FBI reports put Dewey County at 0.36 violent crimes per 1,000 people a year over 2021-2025, 90% lower than the rate for South Dakota (3.5). The median household earns $54,104 and the unemployment rate was 5.1% in August 2026. About 5,205 people live in the county.
Last updated . Crime: FBI 2021-2025. Income and housing: Census ACS 2020-2024. Unemployment: BLS August 2026. Road work: October 11, 2026.
Also on the map: income · hazard risk · Superfund · dams
What is the crime rate in Dewey County?
Police agencies in Dewey County reported an average of 79 violent crimes and 55 property crimes a year from 2021 to 2025. That is 0.36 violent crimes per 1,000 residents, 90% lower than the South Dakota rate (3.5), and 90% lower than the U.S. rate (3.7). Property crime ran at 0.42 per 1,000, against 15.8 statewide. Most violent crimes here are aggravated assaults (86%).
| Offense (yearly average, 2021-2025) | Dewey County | Per 1,000 | South Dakota per 1,000 | U.S. per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 79 | 0.36 | 3.5 | 3.7 |
| Murder | 2 | 0.01 | 0.04 | 0.06 |
| Rape | 8 | 0.04 | 0.53 | 0.40 |
| Robbery | 1 | 0.00 | 0.21 | 0.62 |
| Aggravated assault | 68 | 0.31 | 2.7 | 2.6 |
| Property crime | 55 | 0.42 | 15.8 | 18.1 |
| Burglary | 14 | 0.06 | 2.2 | 2.4 |
| Larceny-theft | 36 | 0.16 | 11.5 | 13.0 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 5 | 0.06 | 2.1 | 2.6 |
Most crime never reaches the police, so these are reported crimes, a floor rather than the full count. In 2024 about half of violent crimes (48%) and about 3 in 10 property crimes (31%) were reported to police (U.S. Justice Department, National Crime Victimization Survey). Rates also depend on how completely each agency reports to the FBI. County figures add up the city police and sheriff reports in the county (2 agencies; 91% of residents covered).
What is the median household income in Dewey County?
Median household income is $54,104, 28% lower than the statewide figure ($75,081). Owner-occupied homes have a median value of $69,600, and the median rent is $692 a month. 21.2% of households received SNAP benefits in the past year (state: 7.9%). The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 5.1% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 103 people out of work and looking.
| Census ACS 2020-2024 | Dewey County | South Dakota | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 5,205 | 907,428 | 334,922,499 |
| Median household income | $54,104 | $75,081 | $80,734 |
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $69,600 | $250,000+ | $332,700 |
| Median gross rent | $692 | $946 | $1,413 |
| Unemployment rate (2020-2024 average) | 13.9% | 2.9% | 5.2% |
| People below the poverty line | 33.0% | 11.9% | 12.5% |
| Households receiving SNAP (food stamps) | 21.2% | 7.9% | 12.1% |
| Adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher | 18.8% | 31.9% | 35.7% |
| Homeowner households | 61.2% | 68.6% | 65.2% |
| Median age | 27.7 | 38.0 | 38.9 |
| Households with broadband internet | 84.7% | 89.6% | 91.0% |
| People without health insurance | 21.2% | 9.0% | 8.4% |
What natural hazards and environmental sites are in Dewey County?
Dewey County carries a “Relatively Low” overall rating in FEMA's National Risk Index. None of the seven hazards on our map (floods, wildfire, tornadoes, heat, earthquakes, hurricanes) is rated above “Relatively Moderate” here. The index compares counties with each other and also weighs how vulnerable and resilient a community is, so it is a long-run estimate, not a forecast.
Superfund sites
EPA lists no Superfund site in Dewey County, active or completed (October 2026).
High-hazard dams
The National Inventory of Dams lists 2 high-hazard dams in Dewey County. None is rated Poor or Unsatisfactory; 2 are rated Satisfactory or Fair. The two tallest are Brueschke Dam (31 ft) and Isabel (30 ft). “High hazard” describes what lies downstream (people would probably die if the dam failed), not how likely the dam is to fail.
Disasters, air and water
Dewey County was covered by 2 federal major disaster declarations from 2016 through 2025 (Flood 1, Severe Storm 1), not counting COVID-19. Of 5 community water systems, none had an open health-based drinking-water violation in EPA's records (September 2026). EPA puts the county in radon zone 2 (moderate).
Is there road construction in Dewey County?
South Dakota does not publish an open highway work-zone feed that we can read yet, so road construction in Dewey County is not on our map. Check the state's 511 traveler site for current closures.
See today's work zones on the map →
How many schools, nursing homes and parks are in Dewey County?
Dewey County has 10 public schools (2024-25) and 1 private school (2023-24) in federal school lists. 1 nursing home is certified by Medicare or Medicaid here; star ratings for each are on the map and on Medicare's Care Compare. USGS mapping shows 3 fire or EMS stations and 3 police or sheriff stations. 2 state parks or recreation areas: Foster Bay Recreation Area and Little Moreau Recreation Area.
What tribal lands and sacred sites are in Dewey County?
Census tribal areas that reach into Dewey County: Cheyenne River Reservation and Off-Reservation Trust Land.
Tribal areas are Census statistical boundaries, shown for reference; they are not legal boundaries.
See them on the map: tribal lands →
Gun shops, liquor stores and Planned Parenthood in Dewey County
Gun shops
No gun shops or licensed gun dealers are on the map in Dewey County.
Liquor stores
One liquor store is on the map in Dewey County: Mini Mart. South Dakota has no complete public liquor licence list we can use, so this count also draws on OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps and may miss some stores or include closed ones.
Planned Parenthood
There is no Planned Parenthood health center in Dewey County on the map.
See them on the map: liquor stores →
Sources: ATF licensee list (Sept 2026); state liquor licence lists, OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps (non-official; partial in some states); HHS Title X directory and CMS NPPES.
Common questions
What is the crime rate in Dewey County?
Dewey County averaged 79 reported violent crimes a year in 2021-2025, or 0.36 per 1,000 residents, 90% lower than the South Dakota rate (3.5). The property-crime rate was 0.42 per 1,000 (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting).
What is the median household income in Dewey County?
$54,104 (Census American Community Survey, 2020-2024 average), compared with $75,081 for South Dakota and $80,734 nationally.
What is the unemployment rate in Dewey County?
The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 5.1% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 103 people out of work and looking.
What natural hazards affect Dewey County?
Dewey County carries a “Relatively Low” overall rating in FEMA's National Risk Index. None of the seven hazards on our map (floods, wildfire, tornadoes, heat, earthquakes, hurricanes) is rated above “Relatively Moderate” here.
How many nursing homes are in Dewey County?
1 Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing homes (CMS provider data, September 2026).
How does Dewey County compare with neighboring counties?
| County | Population | Violent crimes per 1,000 (2021-25) | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corson County | 3,806 | 1.8 | $46,406 |
| Haakon County | 1,722 | – | $65,625 |
| Potter County | 2,388 | 0.00 | $72,045 |
| Stanley County | 3,015 | 1.2 | $87,712 |
| Sully County | 1,526 | – | $72,578 |
| Walworth County | 5,271 | 1.5 | $65,026 |
| Ziebach County | 2,377 | – | $53,958 |
More: South Dakota statewide numbers · Sex-offender registry search (U.S. Justice Department, NSOPW)
Where do these numbers come from?
- Crime: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting 2021-2025 (agency level, Return A), averaged and summed by county by Map the Block; Census population; state and national rates: FBI estimated crimes 2021-2025.
- Income, housing, education: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year, table B19013 (median household income) and related tables.
- Monthly unemployment: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS), county data, not seasonally adjusted. Public domain.
- Hazards: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), county scores; disasters: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
- Superfund: U.S. EPA, Superfund site boundaries and NPL status (October 2026). Dams: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, National Inventory of Dams (public map service, October 2026). Chemical releases: U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory, reporting year 2024 (basic data file).
- Air and water: U.S. EPA AirData, annual AQI by county 2024; EPA Air Quality Design Values 2023-2025 (June 2026); U.S. EPA SDWIS via ECHO drinking-water download (September 30, 2026). Traffic deaths: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 2024; Census population.
- Work zones: State departments of transportation, via the U.S. DOT Work Zone Data Exchange (WZDx) and state 511 feeds; refreshed every morning (snapshot October 11, 2026).
- Schools: National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE public school locations 2024-25; budgets: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2024; National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE Private School geocodes (Private School Survey 2023-24). Nursing homes: U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Nursing Home Provider Information and Penalties (September 2026). Stations: U.S. Geological Survey, National Structures Dataset (Fire Stations/EMS Stations), October 2026 pull.
- Parks: USGS Protected Areas Database of the U.S. (PAD-US 4.1); state park agencies' open data (CA, NY, PA, TN, TX, FL, NJ, KY, HI, UT, MT and others); OpenStreetMap contributors for some hours, phones, fees and camping; U.S. National Park Service: unit boundaries (Land Resources Division), Acreage Report (Sept 30, 2026), park pages on nps.gov (hours, fees), Visitor Use Statistics (2025).
Map the Block shows public statistics about places, not people, and does not rate or rank neighborhoods as places to live. Figures are as published by each source; check the source before relying on a number.
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