Bennett County Population Highlights

• From 1990 to 2000, Bennett County gained 368 residents which was an 11.5% increase in its total population.

• From 1990 to 2000, Bennett County lost 14 residents to out-migration.  This is a .4% decrease in its total population.

• From the population pyramid we can tell that Bennett County has a relatively young population.  36.26% of its residents are 18 years old or younger.  This compares with 11.14% of the total population aged 65+.

• Bennett County’s sex ratio is 98.34, meaning that there are about 98 males for every 100 females.  This is comparable to both Jackson and Shannon counties.

• The median age in Bennett County is 29.2, which is younger than Jackson County, but older than Shannon County.

• Bennett County’s fertility rate is 93.1 births for every 1,000 women aged 15-44.  This is lower than both Jackson and Shannon counties.

Race/Ethnicity in Bennett County

Bennett County Agriculture in 2002

• Bennett County had 231 farms which was a 9.4 decrease from1997

• Bennett County’s average farm size was 3148 acres.  This is smaller than both Jackson and Shannon counties.

• Bennett County’s average farm net income was $24,769.  This was higher than both Jackson and Shannon counties.

Bennett County Economics in 2000

• The per capita income for Bennett County was $10,106.  This is higher than both Jackson and Shannon counties.

• The median household income for Bennett County was $25,313.  This is lower than Jackson County, but higher than Shannon County. 

• 12.7% of Bennett County residents had completed a B.S. degree or higher.  This is slightly lower than Jackson, but comparable with Shannon.

• 3.1% of workers in Bennett County commute in from another county.  This is the lower than both Jackson and Shannon counties.

• 39.23% of Bennett County’s residents were living at or below the official poverty line.  This compares with 36.50% for Jackson County and 52.32% for Shannon County. This also compares with 13.18% for the state of South Dakota.

• 53.25% of Bennett County’s children under the age of 5 were living below the official poverty line.  This compares with 42.57% for Jackson County and 62.86% for Shannon County.

Bennett County Employment by Industry

Income Distribution

Data compiled by:

W. Trevor Brooks

Rural Life and Census Data Center

South Dakota State University

Sources:

South Dakota Data Center (Vermillion, SD)

South Dakota Labor Market

U.S. Census of Agriculture (2002)

U.S. Census Bureau (2000)