RAL Market ScoutMarketsSouth Dakota
RAL MARKET SCOUT Top assisted livingmarkets in South Dakota 178 licensed homes · Minnehaha County is #1 ralmarketscout.com
South Dakota · RAL Market Report

Best places to open an assisted living home in South Dakota

The top markets for residential assisted living in South Dakota, ranked by demand versus supply — plus the cities where the homes are.

Updated July 2026
The top markets for assisted living in South Dakota right now are Minnehaha, Pennington, Lincoln counties — ranked by RAL Market Scout's opportunity score, which weighs 75+ demand and projected senior growth against current bed supply. Statewide there are 178 licensed assisted living homes serving 63,534 residents aged 75+, at a median cost of about $4,900/mo.
Licensed homes
178
state roster
Population 75+
63,534
ACS
Median AL cost
$4,900/mo
below the national median
Bed supply
72.4/1k
saturated supply

Top 10 markets for assisted living in South Dakota

RAL Market Scout's opportunity score blends 75+ demand and projected senior growth against current bed supply — a saturated market is scored down even when demand is high. Higher means more room for a new small home.

  1. Minnehaha Countyopportunity 6.0/10 (Moderate); 9,824 seniors 75+, growing 3.2%, with 26 licensed homes.
  2. Pennington Countyopportunity 5.7/10 (Moderate); 8,199 seniors 75+, growing 8.6%, with 14 licensed homes.
  3. Lincoln Countyopportunity 4.8/10 (Moderate); 3,974 seniors 75+, growing 50.0%, with 11 licensed homes.
  4. Lawrence Countyopportunity 4.4/10 (Thin); 2,415 seniors 75+, growing 10.7%, with 7 licensed homes.
  5. Custer Countyopportunity 4.2/10 (Thin); 1,039 seniors 75+, growing 14.4%, with 1 licensed homes.
  6. Meade Countyopportunity 4.1/10 (Thin); 1,872 seniors 75+, growing 17.0%, with 6 licensed homes.
  7. Brookings Countyopportunity 3.6/10 (Thin); 1,962 seniors 75+, growing 11.8%, with 5 licensed homes.
  8. Hughes Countyopportunity 3.5/10 (Thin); 1,308 seniors 75+, growing 4.2%, with 2 licensed homes.
  9. Yankton Countyopportunity 3.4/10 (Thin); 2,120 seniors 75+, growing 9.9%, with 7 licensed homes.
  10. Union Countyopportunity 3.3/10 (Thin); 1,246 seniors 75+, growing 13.0%, with 3 licensed homes.

All South Dakota counties by market opportunity

CountyPop 75+DemandHomesMarketBand
Minnehaha9,8242.8266.0Moderate
Pennington8,1994.4145.7Moderate
Lincoln3,9745.3114.8Moderate
Lawrence2,4155.074.4Thin
Custer1,0394.614.2Thin
Meade1,8724.364.1Thin
Brookings1,9624.353.6Thin
Hughes1,3083.623.5Thin
Yankton2,1204.473.4Thin
Union1,2465.633.3Thin
Brown2,8482.183.2Thin
Davison1,8713.873.2Thin
Codington2,3923.863.2Thin
Beadle1,5233.143.1Thin
Ziebach841.30
McCook4313.54
Miner2333.12
Aurora2342.81
Clark3904.83
Perkins3983.32
Walworth5142.60
Jackson1962.30
Butte8232.83
Kingsbury5212.22
McPherson3402.93
Turner7493.44
Deuel3912.20
Roberts9083.43
Fall River8695.21
Lake8653.03
Edmunds3894.60
Douglas3544.93
Grant8005.82
Hand3413.42
Clay7393.62
Spink6964.22
Tripp6694.02
Bon Homme6903.12
Day6213.42
Charles Mix7852.82
Faulk2543.71
Brule5134.83
Marshall4012.61
Bennett2173.00
Hutchinson7343.43
Moody5223.01
Haakon2092.61
Gregory4712.82
Todd2521.10
Oglala Lakota3681.70
Dewey1381.81
Potter3575.40
Jerauld2253.80
Mellette1041.70
Hamlin3712.84
Hyde1483.11
Sanborn1703.10
Jones992.20
Corson1591.10
Lyman2543.10
Stanley3535.51
Sully1331.80
Buffalo674.70
Campbell2266.61
Hanson1331.10
Harding332.80

Top cities for assisted living in South Dakota

Where the homes actually are. Each linked city has its own page with local supply and market context.

CityCountyHomesBedsAvg size
Sioux FallsMinnehaha251,74669.8
Rapid CityPennington1460643.3
AberdeenBrown727639.4
MitchellDavison728140.1
YanktonYankton724735.3
SpearfishLawrence731044.3
WatertownCodington628146.8
HuronBeadle517334.6
SturgisMeade513226.4

Frequently asked questions

What are the top markets for assisted living in South Dakota?
The strongest South Dakota markets on RAL Market Scout's opportunity scoring are Minnehaha, Pennington, Lincoln, Lawrence, Custer counties — based on 75+ demand and projected senior growth versus current bed supply.
Which South Dakota city has the most assisted living homes?
Sioux Falls has the most, with 25 licensed assisted living homes (about 1,746 beds).
How much does assisted living cost in South Dakota?
The median assisted living cost in South Dakota is about $4,900 per month — below the national median.
How many assisted living homes are in South Dakota?
South Dakota has approximately 178 licensed assisted living homes serving 63,534 residents aged 75 and older.

See the full South Dakota picture

RAL Market Scout scores every county and ZIP in South Dakota on demand, supply gaps, and referral capacity — and builds a site-level report for any address you're evaluating.

Sources: Licensed-home and city counts from South Dakota state licensing rosters (RAL Market Scout data pipeline). 75+ population and growth from U.S. Census ACS. Bed supply from NIC MAP / state surveys. Cost figures are market medians. Data snapshot: 2026-07. Informational only — not legal, financial, or investment advice.