City · South Dakota
Belle Fourche, South Dakota
Belle Fourche, city, in Butte County, South Dakota. Belle Fourche had 5,791 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 2.9% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 5,617 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 5,804 (±18). GEOID 4604380.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
5,791
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 5,617 · ACS 2020-2024: 5,804 ±18
Median household income
$65,071
±$22,044 (90% margin)
South Dakota: $75,081
Median home value
$222,500
±$31,779 (90% margin)
South Dakota: $257,400
Median gross rent
$983
±$94 (90% margin)
South Dakota: $946
Where is Belle Fourche and what county is it in?
Belle Fourche is a city in Butte County, South Dakota. It covers 9.0 square miles of land, 624 residents per square mile in 2020.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Belle Fourche, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 5,791 people lived in Belle Fourche on July 1, 2025, up 2.9% since 2020, slower than South Dakota (+5.5%). The 2020 Census counted 5,617 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 5,804 (±18).
| Measure | Belle Fourche | Butte County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 5,804 ±18 | 10,676 | +188 |
| Households | 2,455 ±162 | 4,306 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.31 ±0.15 | 2.44 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 2,625 ±140 | 4,783 | no clear change |
Belle Fourche's population since 2000
From 4,565 in 2000 to 5,791 in 2025: up 26.9%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Belle Fourche 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 Belle Fourche?
The median resident of Belle Fourche is 38.3 years old; 24.1% are under 18 and 19.2% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 89.5%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 5.2%.
| Measure | Belle Fourche | Butte County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 38.3 ±3.8 | 40.2 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 24.1% ±2.9 pts | 24.8% | – |
| 65 years and over | 19.2% ±2.9 pts | 20.1% | – |
| Male | 49.2% ±2.3 pts | 50.2% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 5.2% ±1.6 pts | 4.3% | no clear change |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 89.5% ±2.7 pts | 88.0% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.4 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.4 pts | 0.5% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.6% ±0.8 pts | 1.1% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.3% ±0.5 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 4.2% ±2.2 pts | 5.9% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.2% ±0.3 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 0.1% ±0.2 pts | 1.3% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 4.7% ±2.3 pts | 2.7% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 8.4% ±2.5 pts | 7.0% | – |
| With a disability | 16.7% ±3.9 pts | 15.4% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 14.1% ±5.5 pts | 11.5% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 84.7% ±5.4 pts | 89.4% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 17.1% ±5.0 pts | 19.9% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 3.5% ±2.4 pts | 5.2% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 88.8% ±4.6 pts | 91.2% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 2.1% ±1.8 pts | 2.0% | – |
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 Belle Fourche earn?
Half of Belle Fourche's 2,455 households earn less than $65,071 a year (±$22,044), against $75,652 in Butte County and $75,081 in South Dakota. In 2015-2019 it was $57,182 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 10.6% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Belle Fourche | Butte County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $65,071 ±$22,044 | $75,652 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $88,227 ±$16,368 | $96,122 | – |
| Per capita income | $38,513 ±$6,677 | $38,718 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 10.6% ±4.4 pts | 8.6% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 11.0% ±7.9 pts | 8.2% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 8.6% ±3.9 pts | 7.5% | – |
| Households with a computer | 92.8% ±4.4 pts | 92.3% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 91.2% ±4.3 pts | 89.8% | – |
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 Belle Fourche?
Owners occupy 65.5% of Belle Fourche's occupied homes and renters 34.5%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $222,500 by its owner (±$31,779). The median renter pays $983 a month including utilities, and 34.0% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Belle Fourche | Butte County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $222,500 ±$31,779 | $244,600 | +$60,664 |
| Median gross rent | $983 ±$94 | $972 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 34.0% ±12.7 pts | 33.7% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,597 ±$93 | $1,694 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 65.5% ±5.7 pts | 76.1% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 34.5% ±5.7 pts | 23.9% | – |
| Housing units | 2,625 ±140 | 4,783 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±1.5 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 3.1% ±5.1 pts | 2.9% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 57.5% ±5.6 pts | 60.0% | – |
| Mobile homes | 15.6% ±4.3 pts | 24.1% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.9% ±1.2 pts | 0.7% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 8.6% ±4.1 pts | 11.0% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 15.5% ±5.7 pts | 15.6% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 5.9% ±4.5 pts | 5.6% | – |
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 Belle Fourche building?
Builders took permits for 21 new housing units in Belle Fourche in 2025 (17 in single-family houses), 3.6 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 Belle Fourche work and get to work?
78.4% of Belle Fourche's workers drive alone and 4.3% work from home. The average trip to work takes 25.8 minutes.
| Measure | Belle Fourche | Butte County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 68.2% ±4.9 pts | 69.4% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 2.6% ±2.4 pts | 1.8% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 78.4% ±6.6 pts | 75.4% | – |
| Carpooled | 14.9% ±5.5 pts | 10.9% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.5% ±0.8 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Walked | 1.0% ±1.4 pts | 4.6% | – |
| Worked from home | 4.3% ±2.4 pts | 7.8% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 25.8 min ±5.4 | 24.5 min | +10.5 min |
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 Belle Fourche?
2 census tracts lie mostly in Belle Fourche, and 1 more reaches into it (2020 census blocks). Their median household incomes run from $44,615 (Tract 9677.02) to $93,438 (Tract 9677.01).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9677.01Butte County | 5,142 | $93,438 |
| Tract 9677.02Butte County | 2,790 | $44,615 |
| Tract 9676Butte County | 2,744 | $68,523 |
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 Belle Fourche) · Census block assignment files
How does Belle Fourche compare with other places in South Dakota?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Belle Fourche is the 4,515th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 18th-most populous of 310 in South Dakota.
Belle Fourche ranks 52nd of 82 places in South Dakota with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 18th | 310 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 25th | 73 |
| Residents per square mile | 63rd | 84 |
| Median household income | 52nd | 82 |
| Per capita income | 39th | 83 |
| Median home value | 43rd | 81 |
| Median gross rent | 17th | 72 |
| Poverty rate | 30th | 55 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 71st | 81 |
| Median age | 50th | 83 |
| Owner-occupied share | 57th | 84 |
| Work from home | 40th | 44 |
| Travel time to work | 4th | 84 |
Belle Fourche's figures with every place in South Dakota (CSV)
Every place in South Dakota, sortable · Compare Belle Fourche 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 Belle Fourche?
16 of the 57 figures for Belle Fourche 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 Belle Fourche 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 Belle Fourche.