Map the Block › Places › South Dakota › Meade County
What are the crime rate and median income in Meade County, South Dakota?
Meade County averaged 1.8 reported violent crimes per 1,000 residents a year in 2021-2025, 48% lower than the South Dakota rate (3.5). Median household income is $74,790 and the unemployment rate was 2.1% in August 2026. Population: about 30,546 (Census, 2020-2024).
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 Meade County?
Over 2021-2025, the county's police agencies sent the FBI reports of about 47 violent and 319 property crimes per year. That is 1.8 violent crimes per 1,000 residents, 48% lower than the South Dakota rate (3.5), and 50% lower than the U.S. rate (3.7). Property crime ran at 12.5 per 1,000, against 15.8 statewide. Most violent crimes here are aggravated assaults (79%).
| Offense (yearly average, 2021-2025) | Meade County | Per 1,000 | South Dakota per 1,000 | U.S. per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 47 | 1.8 | 3.5 | 3.7 |
| Murder | 0 | 0.00 | 0.04 | 0.06 |
| Rape | 10 | 0.39 | 0.53 | 0.40 |
| Robbery | 1 | 0.04 | 0.21 | 0.62 |
| Aggravated assault | 37 | 1.4 | 2.7 | 2.6 |
| Property crime | 319 | 12.5 | 15.8 | 18.1 |
| Burglary | 79 | 3.1 | 2.2 | 2.4 |
| Larceny-theft | 212 | 8.3 | 11.5 | 13.0 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 28 | 1.1 | 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 (3 agencies; 84% of residents covered).
What is the median household income in Meade County?
Half of households in Meade County make more than $74,790 and half make less; across South Dakota the midpoint is $75,081. Owner-occupied homes have a median value of $310,900, and the median rent is $1,264 a month. 5.9% of households received SNAP benefits in the past year (state: 7.9%). The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 2.1% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 344 people out of work and looking.
| Census ACS 2020-2024 | Meade County | South Dakota | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 30,546 | 907,428 | 334,922,499 |
| Median household income | $74,790 | $75,081 | $80,734 |
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $310,900 | $250,000+ | $332,700 |
| Median gross rent | $1,264 | $946 | $1,413 |
| Unemployment rate (2020-2024 average) | 3.2% | 2.9% | 5.2% |
| People below the poverty line | 7.1% | 11.9% | 12.5% |
| Households receiving SNAP (food stamps) | 5.9% | 7.9% | 12.1% |
| Adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher | 27.8% | 31.9% | 35.7% |
| Homeowner households | 72.9% | 68.6% | 65.2% |
| Median age | 37.3 | 38.0 | 38.9 |
| Households with broadband internet | 93.4% | 89.6% | 91.0% |
| People without health insurance | 9.4% | 9.0% | 8.4% |
What natural hazards and environmental sites are in Meade County?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the overall natural-hazard risk for Meade County as “Relatively Low”. 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
1 Superfund site is on or proposed for EPA's National Priorities List in Meade County: Ellsworth Air Force Base. 1 other site has finished cleanup and been taken off the list. A listing means EPA is managing a long-term cleanup; it does not by itself mean anyone is exposed today.
High-hazard dams
Meade County has 5 dams classed as high hazard in the National Inventory of Dams. 1 is rated Poor or Unsatisfactory in condition, 4 Satisfactory or Fair. The two tallest are Red Owl (36 ft) and Durkee (32 ft). “High hazard” describes what lies downstream (people would probably die if the dam failed), not how likely the dam is to fail.
Industrial chemical releases
1 facility in the county filed Toxics Release Inventory reports for 2024, together reporting 302 pounds of listed chemicals released on site. Reported releases are legal permitted amounts in most cases.
Disasters, air and water
Meade County was covered by 3 federal major disaster declarations from 2016 through 2025 (Severe Storm 2, Flood 1), not counting COVID-19. EPA air monitors logged 7 days in 2024 when the air quality index reached “unhealthy for sensitive groups” or worse. Of 43 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). NHTSA counted 7 traffic deaths in the county in 2024.
Is there road construction in Meade County?
South Dakota does not publish an open highway work-zone feed that we can read yet, so road construction in Meade 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 Meade County?
Meade County has 16 public schools (2024-25) and 0 private schools (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 12 fire or EMS stations and 3 police or sheriff stations. 1 state park or recreation area: Bear Butte State Park.
What tribal lands and sacred sites are in Meade County?
1 ancient or sacred site is on the map here: Bear Butte. Many are sacred to living communities, so visit respectfully and follow posted rules.
See them on the map: sacred sites →
Gun shops, liquor stores and Planned Parenthood in Meade County
Gun shops
2 gun shops with a public storefront are on the map in Meade County, plus 19 more licensed dealers without a public storefront (not shown). One of them is a pawnshop licensed to sell guns. On the ATF list: Long Rifles INC (Sturgis) and Sturgis Guns (Sturgis).
Liquor stores
One liquor store is on the map in Meade County: Sturgis Liquor (Sturgis). 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 Meade County on the map.
See them on the map: gun shops · 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 Meade County?
Meade County averaged 47 reported violent crimes a year in 2021-2025, or 1.8 per 1,000 residents, 48% lower than the South Dakota rate (3.5). The property-crime rate was 12.5 per 1,000 (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting).
What is the median household income in Meade County?
$74,790 (Census American Community Survey, 2020-2024 average), compared with $75,081 for South Dakota and $80,734 nationally.
What is the unemployment rate in Meade County?
The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 2.1% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 344 people out of work and looking.
What natural hazards affect Meade County?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the overall natural-hazard risk for Meade County as “Relatively Low”. None of the seven hazards on our map (floods, wildfire, tornadoes, heat, earthquakes, hurricanes) is rated above “Relatively Moderate” here.
Are there Superfund sites in Meade County?
1 Superfund site is on or proposed for EPA's National Priorities List in Meade County: Ellsworth Air Force Base. 1 other site has finished cleanup and been taken off the list.
How many nursing homes are in Meade County?
1 Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing homes (CMS provider data, September 2026).
How does Meade County compare with neighboring counties?
| County | Population | Violent crimes per 1,000 (2021-25) | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Butte County | 10,676 | 1.5 | $75,652 |
| Haakon County | 1,722 | – | $65,625 |
| Lawrence County | 27,233 | 2.0 | $73,384 |
| Pennington County | 113,512 | 6.3 | $74,517 |
| Perkins County | 3,001 | 0.54 | $66,908 |
| 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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