Internet Access in South Dakota

Updated September 11, 2026
Professional portrait of Sarah Sellars

Sarah Sellars

Assistant Professor & SDSU Extension Sustainable Farm & Food Systems Specialist

Color-coded map showing rural and urban counties in South Dakota. For a detailed description, please call SDSU Extension at 605-688-4792.
Figure 1. Rural and Urban Counties in South Dakota. (Source: U.S. Census Bureau)

Written collaboratively by Sarah Sellars and Whoi Cho.

South Dakota is a majority rural state, with a total population of 935,094 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2025a). Using the U.S. Bureau of Census definition of rural as settlements with fewer than 2,000 housing units and 5,000 residents (U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, n.d.), 15 counties contain a city that qualifies them as urban, and 51 qualify as rural (Figure 1).

Broadband Subscriptions

According to the U.S. Census Bureau (2025a), 90% of households in South Dakota had a broadband internet subscription from 2020 to 2024, which is only 1% lower than the national average of 91% (U.S. Census Bureau, 2025b). While South Dakota is in line with the national average overall, there are coverage gaps and internet access disparities across the state compared to other states. Challenges with internet access, such as affordability, availability, and speed, in rural areas have affected the internet subscription rate in South Dakota. Although the percentage of South Dakotans without an internet subscription is declining, the subscription rate remains below the national average in many parts of the state (Figure 2).

The percentage of the population without an internet subscription varies considerably across South Dakota.While most residents in the Sioux Falls and Rapid City areas subscribe to internet service, 40-45% of residents in Oglala Lakota and Bennett counties remain without internet subscriptions.

The regional disparities observed in South Dakota are consistent with a previous USDA report showing lower household internet subscription rates in counties with persistently high poverty rates (Dobis and Thomas, 2022). As shown in Figure 3, South Dakota counties with higher poverty rates tend to have lower internet subscription rates, with a correlation coefficient of -0.79.

 

Line graph showing Households Without an Internet Subscription in South Dakota comparted to the United States. For a detailed description, please call SDSU Extension at 605-688-4792.
Figure 2. Households Without an Internet Subscription: South Dakota vs. United States, 2020–2024.* (Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020–2024 ACS 5-Year Estimates, Table S2801)
Color-coded map of South Dakota showing Five-Year Estimates without an Internet Subscription at the County Level. For a detailed description, please call SDSU Extension at 605-688-4792.
Figure 3. Five-Year Estimates without an Internet Subscription County Level, 2020-2024.* (Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020–2024 ACS 5-Year Estimates, Table S2801; county-level)

Another possible reason for these regional disparities is differences in internet connection speeds. Reliable, high-speed internet service is not available in all areas of South Dakota. Many of South Dakota’s rural areas do not meet the FCC standard of 25 MBps download or greater (Figure 4).

Plot chart showing Relationship Between Poverty Rates and Broadband Subscription Rates Across South Dakota Counties. For a detailed description, please call SDSU Extension at 605-688-4792.
Figure 4. Relationship Between Poverty Rates and Broadband Subscription Rates Across South Dakota Counties.
Color-coded map showing Broadband Download Speeds Across South Dakota. For a detailed description, please call SDSU Extension at 605-688-4792.
Figure 5. Broadband Download Speeds Across South Dakota. (Source: Map taken directly from South Dakota Governor's Office of Economic Development State Broadband Plan, 2020)

Rural Libraries Hotspot Lending Program

Map of South Dakota showing Rural Hotspot Lending Program Locations. For a detailed description, please call SDSU Extension at 605-688-4792.
Figure 6. Rural Hotspot Lending Program Locations.

The Rural Libraries Hotspot Lending Program was launched in 2026 to help address disparities in internet access in rural areas of South Dakota. The program aims to provide rural libraries in need with 8 mobile hotspot devices to lend to their patrons. The patron can check out the device just like a physical book and access the internet at home or on the go. The device can typically be borrowed for one to two weeks, depending on each library’s lending policy. The device can be used so the patron can access the internet at home, opening the door to job applications, virtual doctor visits, remote learning, and entertainment.

The Rural Libraries Hotspot Lending Program is a partnership between SDSU Ness School of Management and Economics, SDSU Extension, AARP South Dakota, and the South Dakota Community Foundation. The current Rural Libraries Hotspot Location is shown in Figure 6, and the program will expand to 5 new locations in 2026.

References

*Note: Figure 2 and Figure 3 created with the assistance of Claude AI.

Related Topics

Community and Economic Development

Related Content

Young man and woman reviewing information on a tablet and laptop computer.

Building on Success: A New Approach to Grant Writing Training

Grant writing is one of the most effect ways to secure resources that support positive community change. But how do you start? One of the easiest ways is to familiarize yourself with the core fundamentals of grant writing is to take a training course.

A group of people listening to a presentation
Nov 05

Good Neighbor AI Symposium

SDSU Extension, the South Dakota Water Resources Institute, the South Dakota Economic Development Professionals Association and the Center for AI Innovation and Emergent Technologies at SDSU will host an artificial intelligence symposium on November 5 from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at McCrory Gardens (631 22nd Ave, Brookings, SD 57007).

Aerial view of Sioux Falls, South Dakota

Ness School to Convene Sioux Falls Metro Economic Briefing

August 25, 2026

SDSU Extension and the Ness School of Management and Economics at South Dakota State University will convene the Sioux Falls Metro Economic Briefing, a new forum for the region’s business and civic leaders.