City · South Dakota
Tea, South Dakota
Tea, city, in Lincoln County, South Dakota. Tea had 8,019 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 42.7% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 5,598 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 6,786 (±17). GEOID 4663100.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
8,019
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 5,598 · ACS 2020-2024: 6,786 ±17
Median household income
$120,139
±$19,287 (90% margin)
South Dakota: $75,081
Median home value
$351,100
±$25,796 (90% margin)
South Dakota: $257,400
Median gross rent
$1,220
±$260 (90% margin)
South Dakota: $946
Where is Tea and what county is it in?
Tea is a city in Lincoln County, South Dakota. It covers 3.8 square miles of land, 1,478 residents per square mile in 2020.
Tea is in the Sioux Falls, SD-MN metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 5 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 Tea, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 8,019 people lived in Tea on July 1, 2025, up 42.7% since 2020, faster than South Dakota (+5.5%). The 2020 Census counted 5,598 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 6,786 (±17).
| Measure | Tea | Lincoln County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 6,786 ±17 | 70,638 | +1,389 |
| Households | 2,171 ±132 | 27,879 | +512 |
| Average household size | 3.13 ±0.19 | 2.52 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 2,336 ±166 | 28,710 | +643 |
Tea's population since 2000
From 1,742 in 2000 to 8,019 in 2025: up 360.3%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Tea 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 Tea?
The median resident of Tea is 30.6 years old; 36.3% are under 18 and 5.5% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 89.4%, then non-Hispanic Black residents at 5.4%.
| Measure | Tea | Lincoln County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 30.6 ±2.2 | 35.9 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 36.3% ±2.8 pts | 26.5% | – |
| 65 years and over | 5.5% ±2.1 pts | 14.7% | – |
| Male | 52.8% ±3.4 pts | 49.4% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 0.7% ±0.7 pts | 3.2% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 89.4% ±5.2 pts | 89.0% | −6.0 pts |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 5.4% ±3.8 pts | 2.3% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 1.4% ±2.2 pts | 1.7% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.1% ±0.2 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.4 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 3.0% ±2.4 pts | 3.0% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.4 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 0.4% ±0.6 pts | 4.9% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 1.2% ±1.0 pts | 5.8% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 9.7% ±4.5 pts | 6.1% | – |
| With a disability | 5.2% ±2.2 pts | 9.2% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 3.0% ±1.9 pts | 4.1% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 98.7% ±1.4 pts | 96.5% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 47.1% ±7.1 pts | 44.4% | +12.0 pts |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 13.8% ±5.1 pts | 14.5% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 89.9% ±4.8 pts | 87.2% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 3.7% ±3.3 pts | 2.7% | – |
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 Tea earn?
Half of Tea's 2,171 households earn less than $120,139 a year (±$19,287), against $99,166 in Lincoln County and $75,081 in South Dakota. In 2015-2019 it was $102,347 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart.
| Measure | Tea | Lincoln County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $120,139 ±$19,287 | $99,166 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $129,684 ±$14,138 | $132,275 | – |
| Per capita income | $41,840 ±$3,884 | $52,585 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 4.7% ±3.9 pts | 5.6% | – |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 5.7% ±6.7 pts | 6.9% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 4.1% ±4.6 pts | 3.3% | – |
| Households with a computer | 98.4% ±1.9 pts | 97.3% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 97.7% ±2.7 pts | 95.7% | – |
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 Tea?
Owners occupy 79.7% of Tea's occupied homes and renters 20.3%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $351,100 by its owner (±$25,796). The median renter pays $1,220 a month including utilities, and 24.6% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Tea | Lincoln County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $351,100 ±$25,796 | $348,300 | +$105,823 |
| Median gross rent | $1,220 ±$260 | $1,260 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 24.6% ±15.2 pts | 25.1% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,993 ±$232 | $1,937 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 79.7% ±6.8 pts | 71.2% | +13.3 pts |
| Renter-occupied homes | 20.3% ±6.8 pts | 28.8% | – |
| Housing units | 2,336 ±166 | 28,710 | +643 |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 3.2% ±3.7 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 16.2% ±18.8 pts | 3.4% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 73.8% ±7.8 pts | 61.0% | – |
| Mobile homes | 0.0% ±1.1 pts | 1.4% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 14.9% ±5.4 pts | 6.1% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 25.3% ±7.0 pts | 29.8% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 2.5% ±2.6 pts | 8.3% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 0.0% ±1.1 pts | 2.1% | – |
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 Tea building?
Builders took permits for 61 new housing units in Tea in 2025 (61 in single-family houses), 7.6 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 Tea work and get to work?
74.6% of Tea's workers drive alone and 19.7% work from home. The average trip to work takes 20.2 minutes.
| Measure | Tea | Lincoln County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 87.5% ±3.7 pts | 75.6% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 2.0% ±1.9 pts | 1.7% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 74.6% ±6.1 pts | 80.1% | – |
| Carpooled | 3.6% ±2.4 pts | 5.6% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±0.7 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Walked | 1.1% ±1.1 pts | 1.3% | – |
| Worked from home | 19.7% ±5.8 pts | 12.3% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 20.2 min ±3.7 | 19.3 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 Tea?
No census tract lies mostly in Tea; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 101.15Lincoln County | 8,265 | $121,292 |
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 Tea) · Census block assignment files
How does Tea compare with other places in South Dakota?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Tea is the 3,738th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 15th-most populous of 310 in South Dakota.
Tea ranks 9th 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 | 15th | 310 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 2nd | 73 |
| Residents per square mile | 16th | 84 |
| Median household income | 9th | 82 |
| Per capita income | 26th | 83 |
| Median home value | 12th | 81 |
| Median gross rent | 8th | 72 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 7th | 81 |
| Median age | 70th | 83 |
| Owner-occupied share | 22nd | 84 |
| Work from home | 4th | 44 |
| Travel time to work | 21st | 84 |
Tea's figures with every place in South Dakota (CSV)
Every place in South Dakota, sortable · Compare Tea 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 Tea?
22 of the 57 figures for Tea 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 Tea 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 Tea.