South Dakota's Population Growth Outpaces The National Average

If you feel like there are more and more people in South Dakota these days you're not imagining hings.

The Mount Rushmore State contuinuies to see a steady increase in population which, according to the Dakota Institute can be attributed to three main factors:

Domestic Migration
Urban Expansion
Higher Birth Rates

That's fueled one of the South Dakota's biggest population influxes over a 25-year period, with the state adding more than 180,000 residents since 2000.

At that pace, South Dakota is expected to top one million residents sometime in the next five to ten years.

But what about the numbers long term?

The U.S. population is projected to add roughly 21.5 million people between 2025 and 2040, an increase of 6.3%, but South Dakota's share is expected to exceed that in a big way.

According to research from the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service at the University of Virginia, benchmarked to the 2020 U.S. Census and 2025 population estimates, the starte's population is expected to grow by nearly 11 percent, with an additional 100,460 people calling South Dakota home in the next 14 years. That's projected to be the 16th highest growth rate amomg the 50 states.

That would push the state's population to 1,035,000 by 2040.

South Dakota Population by Decade

1890: 348,600
1900: 401,570 (+15.2%)
1910: 583,888 (+45.4%)
1920: 636,547 (+9.0%)
1930: 692,849 (+8.8%)
1940: 642,961 (-7.2%)
1950: 652,740 (+1.5%)
1960: 680,514 (+4.3%)
1970: 665,507 (−2.2%)
1980: 690,768 (+3.8%)
1990: 696,004 (+0.8%)
2000: 754,844 (+8.5%)
2010: 814,180 (+7.9%)
2020: 886,667 (+8.9%)
2025: 935,094 (+5.5%)

Nationally, Idaho is predicted to have the biggest population growth by 2024, an increase of 24.1 percent.

On the other end of the spectrum, West Virginia is one of 14 states expected to lose residents during that time frame, dropping 8.4 percent of its population.

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Most Expensive South Dakota Related Things on eBay

In South Dakota, we've always prided ourselves on having one of the most reasonable cost of living rates in America.

But that doesn't mean that you can't spend a pretty penny when it comes to Mount Rushmore-related items.

All you've got to do is head to eBay where, in and among the 98,751 search results for South Dakota, you'll find some things that will set you back plenty.

Gallery Credit: Jeff Harkness

10 Weird Habits Every South Dakotan Will Defend To The Death

10 Weird Habits Every South Dakotan Will Defend To The Death

Gallery Credit: 10 Weird Habits Every South Dakotan Will Defend To The Death-Getty Thinkstock

From Frybread to Pheasants - Here are South Dakota's Official State Things

Every state in our nation has chosen things that represent the state in one way or another to be official state things. Like a flower, or animal. South Dakota is no different.

The Mount Rushmore has a state flower. But did you know we also have a state tree and a state fish? Yes, we even have a state code.

Here is what we have so far in Wyoming. Thanks to the South Dakota Secretary of State's Office for the info:

Source: South Dakota Expects 100,000 More Residents By 2040, Ranking 16th Nationally