City · South Dakota
Alcester, South Dakota
Alcester, city, in Union County, South Dakota. Alcester had 776 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 5.9% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 820 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 989 (±199). GEOID 4600700.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
776
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 820 · ACS 2020-2024: 989 ±199
Median household income
$57,000
±$5,520 (90% margin)
South Dakota: $75,081
Median home value
$125,800
±$41,016 (90% margin)
South Dakota: $257,400
Median gross rent
$688
±$75 (90% margin)
South Dakota: $946
Where is Alcester and what county is it in?
Alcester is a city in Union County, South Dakota. It covers 0.7 square miles of land, 1,117 residents per square mile in 2020.
Alcester is in the Sioux City, IA-NE-SD metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 3 counties (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Alcester, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 776 people lived in Alcester on July 1, 2025, down 5.9% since 2020, while South Dakota grew 5.5%. The 2020 Census counted 820 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 989 (±199).
| Measure | Alcester | Union County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 989 ±199 | 17,081 | no clear change |
| Households | 374 ±67 | 7,310 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.46 ±0.41 | 2.32 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 402 ±68 | 7,588 | no clear change |
Alcester's population since 2000
From 880 in 2000 to 776 in 2025: down 11.8%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Alcester as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Alcester?
The median resident of Alcester is 44.4 years old; 27.8% are under 18 and 31.9% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 82.0%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 11.9%.
| Measure | Alcester | Union County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 44.4 ±14.9 | 41.5 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 27.8% ±9.9 pts | 24.1% | – |
| 65 years and over | 31.9% ±8.1 pts | 19.5% | – |
| Male | 46.9% ±5.7 pts | 51.6% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 1.4% ±1.7 pts | 4.8% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 82.0% ±10.6 pts | 88.4% | −16.0 pts |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.5 pts | 0.9% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 2.9% ±3.8 pts | 1.1% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 1.4% ±1.3 pts | 0.7% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.5 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 11.9% ±11.2 pts | 3.7% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.3% ±0.5 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 3.2% ±3.9 pts | 2.0% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 4.0% ±3.8 pts | 3.0% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 8.8% ±3.7 pts | 7.6% | – |
| With a disability | 21.9% ±6.6 pts | 10.8% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 5.2% ±3.9 pts | 5.1% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 89.1% ±5.1 pts | 95.7% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 20.3% ±5.2 pts | 37.0% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 7.6% ±3.3 pts | 13.3% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 92.6% ±4.2 pts | 88.6% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 2.6% ±2.4 pts | 4.8% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Alcester earn?
Half of Alcester's 374 households earn less than $57,000 a year (±$5,520), against $89,636 in Union County and $75,081 in South Dakota. In 2015-2019 it was $63,757 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 12.4% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Alcester | Union County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $57,000 ±$5,520 | $89,636 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $66,613 ±$8,115 | $124,814 | – |
| Per capita income | $26,935 ±$3,788 | $53,834 | −$6,825 |
| People below the poverty line | 12.4% ±7.2 pts | 6.2% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 10.0% ±12.4 pts | 3.3% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 16.8% ±9.6 pts | 4.1% | – |
| Households with a computer | 93.0% ±4.2 pts | 95.0% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 86.4% ±5.6 pts | 89.5% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Alcester?
Owners occupy 69.3% of Alcester's occupied homes and renters 30.7%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $125,800 by its owner (±$41,016). The median renter pays $688 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Alcester | Union County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $125,800 ±$41,016 | $301,100 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $688 ±$75 | $1,069 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 13.5% ±10.1 pts | 25.3% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,016 ±$114 | $1,758 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 69.3% ±7.6 pts | 73.1% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 30.7% ±7.6 pts | 26.9% | – |
| Housing units | 402 ±68 | 7,588 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±9.2 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 1.7% ±2.9 pts | 1.7% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 76.4% ±7.3 pts | 72.0% | – |
| Mobile homes | 6.2% ±6.3 pts | 4.2% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±6.0 pts | 1.2% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 0.7% ±1.0 pts | 16.1% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 26.1% ±9.5 pts | 16.0% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 6.1% ±3.4 pts | 3.7% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How many new homes is Alcester building?
Builders took permits for 1 new housing units in Alcester in 2025 (1 in single-family houses), 1.3 per 1,000 residents against 5.7 across South Dakota.
Counts of units in permits a local office issued; not every permitted unit is built. A year marked with months was reported for part of the year.
Source: Building Permits Survey, annual place files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey
How do people in Alcester work and get to work?
73.0% of Alcester's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 14.9 minutes.
| Measure | Alcester | Union County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 56.8% ±7.6 pts | 68.4% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 1.2% ±1.3 pts | 3.0% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 73.0% ±8.3 pts | 82.6% | – |
| Carpooled | 14.0% ±7.3 pts | 6.8% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±6.0 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Walked | 7.4% ±4.6 pts | 1.3% | – |
| Worked from home | 4.7% ±4.2 pts | 7.9% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 14.9 min ±4.4 | 17.7 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Alcester?
No census tract lies mostly in Alcester; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 201Union County | 4,229 | $77,825 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Alcester) · Census block assignment files
How does Alcester compare with other places in South Dakota?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Alcester is the 11,354th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 81st-most populous of 310 in South Dakota.
Alcester is not ranked by income or the other survey measures: those rankings include places of 1,000 or more residents (2020 Census) with a reliable estimate.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 81st | 310 |
Alcester's figures with every place in South Dakota (CSV)
Every place in South Dakota, sortable · Compare Alcester with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Alcester?
21 of the 57 figures for Alcester on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Alcester are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Alcester.