Potter County Population Trends

Potter County Population Trends
1920	1940	1960	1980	1990	2000	2010	2020
4,382	4,614	4,926	3,674	3,190	2,693	2,263	1,900

Where People Live in 2000 (by percent)
	South Dakota	Potter	Faulk	Sully
Urban	51.92	0	0	0
Rural-Farm	7.72	12.29	24.92	16.07
Rural-Non farm	40.36	87.71	75.08	83.93

Potter County Population Highlights

From 1990 to 2000, Potter County lost 497 residents, which was a 15.6% decrease in its total population.

From 1990 to 2000, Potter County lost 365 residents to out-migration, which was an 11.4% decrease in its total population.

From the population pyramid, we can see that Potter County is losing many of its residents aged 20-34 to out-migration.

23.02% of Potter County’s residents are under the age of 18, while 25.03% are aged 65+.

Potter County’s median age is 45.8. This is older than both Faulk and Sully counties.

Potter County’s sex ratio is 96.71, meaning there are about 97 males for every 100 females. This is lower than both Faulk and Sully counties, possibly due to the out-migration of young females.

Potter County’s fertility rate is 62.6 births for every 1,000 females aged 15-44. This is higher than Faulk, but higher than Sully.

Race/Ethnicity in Potter County

Potter County Agriculture in 2002

Potter County’s average farm size was 1,769 acres. This is smaller than both Faulk and Sully counties.

Potter County’s average net farm income was $37,955. This was lower than Faulk, but higher than Sully.

Potter County Economics in 2000

Potter County’s per capita income was $17,417. This is higher than both Faulk and Sully counties.

Potter County’s median household income was $30,086. This is lower than both Faulk and Sully counties.

16.2% of Potter County’s residents aged 25+ had received a B.S. degree or higher. This is higher than Faulk, but lower than Sully.

12.57% of Potter County’s are living at or below the official poverty line. This compares with 13.18% for the state of South Dakota, 18.06% for Faulk County, and 12.06% for Sully County.

23.53% of Potter County’s children under the age of 5 are living at or below the official poverty line. This compares with 19.77% for the state of South Dakota, 39.33% for Faulk County, and 7.78% for Sully County.

7.7% of Potter County’s working aged population commute to another county to work. This is lower than both Faulk and Sully counties.

Potter County Employment by Industry

Top Industries (in terms of numbers)	Percentage	Number
Educational, health, and social services	21.30	275
Agriculture	21.22	274
Retail	12.24	158
Construction	7.44	96
Public Administration	5.19	67
Manufacturing	4.49	58
Total		1,291

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)