Custer County, South Dakota

2024 results by precinct

10 precincts · 6,001 votes cast

Trump · R+46

Harris +50

Trump +50

Real precinct boundaries. Hover for vote totals.

38 presidential elections

Year	Won	Margin	Democratic	Republican	Total
2024	R	−45.8%	1,567	4,313	6,001
2020	R	−42.4%	1,522	3,852	5,494
2016	R	−46.0%	1,121	3,293	4,721
2012	R	−38.2%	1,335	3,062	4,520
2008	R	−31.8%	1,475	2,909	4,507
2004	R	−38.3%	1,272	2,922	4,304
2000	D	+43.1%	2,495	955	3,573
1996	R	−18.4%	1,122	1,740	3,357
1992	R	−10.2%	1,078	1,422	3,363
1988	R	−20.6%	1,180	1,806	3,036
1984	R	−43.3%	858	2,183	3,063
1980	R	−45.7%	708	2,057	2,955
1976	R	−15.7%	995	1,373	2,405
1972	R	−29.6%	798	1,476	2,289
1968	R	−20.2%	727	1,143	2,064
1964	D	+1.5%	1,176	1,142	2,318
1960	R	−27.2%	878	1,533	2,411
1956	R	−27.9%	853	1,514	2,367
1952	R	−45.1%	652	1,725	2,377
1948	R	−14.0%	917	1,217	2,148
1944	R	−28.8%	712	1,288	2,000
1940	R	−21.9%	1,151	1,796	2,947
1936	D	+5.3%	1,519	1,365	2,912
1932	D	+22.2%	1,548	977	2,568
1928	R	−34.2%	715	1,464	2,190
1924	R	−38.2%	236	833	1,561
1920	R	−31.1%	383	784	1,289
1916	R	−10.3%	392	488	931
1912	D	+45.9%	419	0	913
1908	R	−6.0%	428	487	986
1904	R	−37.7%	228	536	818
1900	R	−7.5%	415	483	905
1896	D	+9.1%	515	429	947
1892	R	−33.0%	166	503	1,021
1888	—	No data	—	—	—
1884	—	No data	—	—	—
1880	—	No data	—	—	—
1876	—	No data	—	—	—

Demographics

Race, ethnicity, and ancestry

Click any group to see the ancestries typically reported within it.

American

100.0%

Sample size too small to break out by ancestry reliably.

Multiple ancestry combinations reported; no single grouping above 1%.

Sample size too small to break out by ancestry reliably.

American Indian, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander combined.

Source · American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2024 release. Ancestry is a self-reported, multiple-response item; ancestry percentages do not sum to the parent race percentage.

Age distribution by sex

Median age: 57.6 in this county, 39.1 nationally

Male

Age

Female

0.4%

85+

1.6%

5.2%

75–84

4.5%

11.3%

65–74

10.7%

9.2%

55–64

9.7%

5.5%

45–54

6.1%

5.8%

35–44

5.0%

3.5%

25–34

3.8%

1.8%

18–24

2.1%

4.7%

5–17

5.5%

1.6%

2.0%

Source · American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2024 release.

Median household income

2024 inflation-adjusted dollars

$84,112

Custer County ranks in the top 25% of US counties.

Custer County$84,112

South Dakota$75,081

United States$80,734

Source · American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2024 release.

Poverty rate

All persons below federal poverty line

9.0%

Children face moderate poverty.

Children under 1818.0%

Working age (18–64)100.0%

Seniors (65+)18.0%

Source · American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2024 release.

Language at home

Population aged 5 and older

0.0%

speak English only

Source · ACS 5-year estimates, 2024.

Religious adherents

Adherents per capita by tradition

Mainline Protestant

19.0%

Other Christian

15.6%

Catholic & Orthodox

4.3%

Methodist

1.2%

Baptist

0.7%

Non-Christian

0.1%

Source · 2020 US Religion Census. Remaining 59.1% of residents not counted as adherents by any reporting body.

Custer County's economy revolves around tourism, forestry, and ranching in the Black Hills, producing one of South Dakota's most lopsided Republican presidential margins — a pattern consistent across the past several election cycles.

The unraveling was not abrupt. The Democratic margin in Custer County peaked at forty-six points in 1912; it narrowed steadily over the late twentieth century. The 2004 election delivered the county to the Republican party for the first time in many years, by a margin of thirty-eight points. By 2024, the margin had widened further.

The economic and demographic context is severe. Custer County's median household income of $84,112 is among the lowest of any county in the United States; 9% of residents live below the federal poverty line. The county's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of Butte County and Meade County.

Most similar counties

Custer County changed its political identity.