1st Advantage MortgageLawrence County households have a median income of $73,384 and median rent of $938 a month (ACS 2020 to 2024). Your income, debts and credit decide what you qualify for. Get offers in writing, compare the total repaid, and never pay a fee up front.
On this page
- Lawrence County by the numbers
- Household income in Lawrence County
- How Lawrence County residents earn a living
- Renting and owning in Lawrence County
- Towns and communities in Lawrence County
- Lawrence County and the counties next door
- Lawrence County households compared
- Reading the Lawrence County data as a borrower
- Budget math at the Lawrence County median
- Licensing and complaints for Lawrence County
- Checklist for Lawrence County applicants
- Related local guides
- Frequently asked questions
Lawrence County by the numbers
Lawrence County is home to about 27,233 people, according to the Census Bureau's 2020 to 2024 American Community Survey, which makes it the 8th most populous of 66 county-level areas in South Dakota. It covers 800 square miles of land, or about 34 people per square mile. It sits outside every metropolitan statistical area in the July 2023 OMB delineation. Spearfish is the biggest of its 10 Census places, at roughly 12,930 people (47% of the county total).
Household income in Lawrence County
Lawrence County households have a median income of $73,384 (ACS 2020 to 2024), which ranks 30th of 66 in South Dakota.
| Yearly household income | Lawrence County | Gap to South Dakota |
|---|---|---|
| Under $35,000 | 24.3% | +3.4 pts |
| $35,000 to $99,999 | 43.8% | +0.2 pts |
| $100,000 to $199,999 | 24.3% | -3.0 pts |
| $200,000 or more | 7.6% | -0.5 pts |
Some 24% of households here live on less than $35,000 a year; 32% have six-figure incomes. The poverty rate is 11.6%, the same as the state's 11.9%. Income inequality, measured by the Gini index, comes to 0.456 here. Income from any regular source can count, including Social Security, pensions and disability benefits, as long as you can document it.
How Lawrence County residents earn a living
By the Census industry count, 21% of employed Lawrence County residents work in arts, lodging and food service and 20% in education and health care. The sharpest difference from the state is in arts, lodging and food service, at 21% locally and 8% for South Dakota. ACS puts five-year average unemployment at 1.7% in Lawrence County. Long commutes are the exception here: 12% of workers spend 45 minutes or longer getting to work. 4.8% of households have no vehicle.
| Industry | Share of Lawrence County workers | vs South Dakota |
|---|---|---|
| Arts, lodging and food service | 20.8% | +12.4 pts |
| Education and health care | 20.4% | -4.6 pts |
| Retail trade | 12.8% | +1.3 pts |
| Professional and administrative services | 7.7% | +0.6 pts |
| Construction | 7.1% | -0.6 pts |
| Manufacturing | 5.8% | -3.9 pts |
A lender verifies what your own job pays. The county's industry mix tells you about the local economy, not about your application.
Renting and owning in Lawrence County
Renters in Lawrence County pay a median of $938 a month, in line with South Dakota's $946. Rent takes 30% or more of income for 34% of renter households here. With a median value of $346,500, a typical Lawrence County house costs 4.7 times what the median household earns in a year. Owners occupy 65% of homes.
| Housing | Lawrence County | South Dakota statewide | Typical U.S. county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median gross rent | $938/mo | $946/mo | $877/mo |
| Median home value | $346,500 | $257,400 | $185,300 |
| Owners | 65% | 69% | 75% |
| Rent-burdened renters | 34% | 40% | 45% |
| Burdened owners | 29% | 23% | n/a |
| Vacant units | 19% | 11% | n/a |
Towns and communities in Lawrence County
The table lists the 10 largest of 10 Census places in Lawrence County, by population. Together all 10 hold about 21,565 people, so roughly 21% of residents live outside any named place. Incomes vary by place: $77,500 at the median in Whitewood, $40,179 in Deadwood. Rent is cheapest in Deadwood ($702) and steepest in North Spearfish ($1,264). This guide covers each of the 10 places and the rural areas around them.
| Town or CDP | Type | People | Median household income | Median gross rent | Miles from center |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spearfish | city | 12,930 | $65,688 | $963 | 10 mi |
| Lead | city | 3,006 | $73,047 | $835 | 2 mi |
| North Spearfish | CDP | 1,858 | $76,809 | $1,264 | 12 mi |
| Deadwood | city | 1,209 | $40,179 | $702 | 5 mi |
| Whitewood | city | 912 | $77,500 | $946 | 11 mi |
| Boulder Canyon | CDP | 841 | $74,281 | n/a | 11 mi |
| Mountain Plains | CDP | 350 | $248,558 | n/a | 9 mi |
| Crook City | CDP | 279 | $139,926 | n/a | 10 mi |
| Central City | city | 140 | $47,000 | n/a | 2 mi |
| St. Onge | CDP | 40 | n/a | n/a | 14 mi |
CDPs are unincorporated communities the Census Bureau defines for counting.
Lawrence County and the counties next door
The six counties whose centers lie closest to Lawrence County's, from 41 to 57 miles away. Income ranges from $74,517 in Pennington County to $89,509 in Weston County; all six of these neighbors top Lawrence County's median. The list crosses into Wyoming, where different lending rules and regulators apply.
| County | Distance | Median income | Median rent | Owners |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lawrence County | - | $73,384 | $938/mo | 65% |
| Butte County, SD | 41 mi | $75,652 | $972/mo | 76% |
| Crook County, WY | 41 mi | $79,637 | $852/mo | 78% |
| Custer County, SD | 49 mi | $84,112 | $1,112/mo | 86% |
| Weston County, WY | 51 mi | $89,509 | $698/mo | 87% |
| Pennington County, SD | 54 mi | $74,517 | $1,120/mo | 69% |
| Meade County, SD | 57 mi | $74,790 | $1,264/mo | 73% |
Lawrence County households compared
College graduates make up 33% of the adult population. The uninsured rate is 8.9%, against 9.0% for South Dakota.
| Indicator | Lawrence County | All of South Dakota | U.S. county median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 44.8 | 38.0 | 41.5 |
| Bachelor's or higher | 32.9% | 31.9% | 22.2% |
| No high school diploma | 4.6% | 6.8% | n/a |
| No health insurance | 8.9% | 9.0% | 7.8% |
| No vehicle | 4.8% | 5.2% | 5.4% |
| Work from home | 6.5% | 9.7% | 8.7% |
| Poverty rate | 11.6% | 11.9% | 13.2% |
| Unemployment (ACS) | 1.7% | 2.9% | 4.4% |
| Commute length | Lawrence County |
|---|---|
| Under 15 min | 53.6% |
| 15 to 29 min | 24.7% |
| 30 to 44 min | 9.3% |
| 45 to 59 min | 5.4% |
| 60+ min | 7.1% |
Reading the Lawrence County data as a borrower
Based on the Lawrence County data above, these borrowing questions are most likely to matter locally.
- Check your file. An error fixed before you apply can change the offers a Lawrence County borrower sees (free reports).
- Advance-fee offers. No legitimate lender asks a Lawrence County borrower to pay first (scam signs).
- Combining balances. It helps when total cost falls and the cards stay paid down (consolidation).
Budget math at the Lawrence County median
How much room does a median Lawrence County budget have? Take median income, subtract median rent, and check what is left under a few common debt-to-income limits.
- $6,115 a month: gross income for a household at the Lawrence County median
- Rent at the median, $938, takes 15% of that
- $1,264: what a 36% ratio leaves once rent is paid
- Under a 43% cap, $2,630 total minus rent leaves $1,692
Two-income households and single earners in Lawrence County land in very different places on this math, so run it for your own budget.
Licensing and complaints for Lawrence County
The South Dakota Division of Banking is the place to verify any lender's South Dakota license. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau accepts complaints nationwide. The South Dakota guide covers state rules in more detail.
Checklist for Lawrence County applicants
Four checks before you sign anything:
- Size the loan to the bill, not to the most a lender offers.
- Prequalify with soft pulls where offered, then compare in writing.
- Confirm the lender is licensed in South Dakota.
- Never pay a fee up front to get a loan.
Related local guides
The South Dakota guide covers the whole state.
Frequently asked questions
How much do households in Lawrence County earn?
The median is $73,384; 32% earn $100,000 or more and 24% under $35,000. A lender uses your own documented income, not this figure.
How does Lawrence County rent compare with South Dakota?
$938 locally, close to the state figure.
Which towns does the Lawrence County guide cover?
Every community in the county, unincorporated areas included. The largest of its 10 Census places: Spearfish, Lead, North Spearfish, Deadwood, Whitewood.
Are Lawrence County applicants treated differently?
No. Everyone answers the same questions and is screened on the same objective points; lending partners set their own criteria under fair-lending laws.
Is there a Lawrence County office that licenses lenders?
No, licensing is statewide. In South Dakota it is the South Dakota Division of Banking.