Census-designated place · South Dakota
Wounded Knee, South Dakota
Wounded Knee, census-designated place, in Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota. Wounded Knee had 364 residents in the 2020 Census, a full count; the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 524 (±518). GEOID 4672900.
Residents, 2020 Census
364
Census count or controlled total
ACS 2020-2024 estimate: 524 ±518
Median household income
$2,500 or less
The survey's top or bottom value; no margin is published
South Dakota: $75,081
Median home value
not published
South Dakota: $257,400
Median gross rent
not published
South Dakota: $946
Where is Wounded Knee and what county is it in?
Wounded Knee is a census-designated place: an unincorporated community the Census Bureau draws for counting, with no city government of its own, in Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota. It covers 1.1 square miles of land, 340 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 Wounded Knee, and is it growing?
The 2020 Census counted 364 residents in Wounded Knee, a full count rather than a sample. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a sample, estimates 524 (±518).
The Census Bureau publishes yearly population estimates for incorporated places only; Wounded Knee is a census-designated place, so its figures come from the ACS and the 2020 Census.
| Measure | Wounded Knee | Oglala Lakota County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 524 ±518 | 13,491 | – |
| Households | 121 ±118 | 2,923 | – |
| Average household size | 4.33 ±1.88 | 4.46 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 121 ±118 | 3,470 | – |
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 Wounded Knee?
The largest group is non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native residents at 100.0%.
| Measure | Wounded Knee | Oglala Lakota County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 22.5 ±15.2 | 28.2 | – |
| Under 18 years | 42.7% ±20.4 pts | 35.4% | – |
| 65 years and over | 0.0% ±4.7 pts | 7.5% | – |
| Male | 67.0% ±9.0 pts | 47.9% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 0.0% ±4.7 pts | 1.9% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±4.7 pts | 7.0% | – |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±4.7 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±4.7 pts | 0.0% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 100.0% ±4.7 pts | 90.8% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±4.7 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±4.7 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±4.7 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 0.0% ±4.7 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 18.9% ±30.9 pts | 14.6% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 0.0% ±8.0 pts | 3.6% | – |
| With a disability | 0.0% ±4.7 pts | 10.7% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 70.6% ±39.8 pts | 44.6% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 16.9% ±11.0 pts | 74.4% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 0.0% ±10.5 pts | 11.8% | – |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 0.0% ±10.5 pts | 3.4% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 100.0% ±5.1 pts | 96.2% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.0% ±5.1 pts | 0.6% | – |
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 Wounded Knee earn?
Half of Wounded Knee's 121 households earn less than $2,500 or less a year (), against $41,417 in Oglala Lakota County and $75,081 in South Dakota. 100.0% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Wounded Knee | Oglala Lakota County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $2,500 or less | $41,417 | – |
| Per capita income | $915 ±$1,389 | $11,771 | – |
| People below the poverty line | 100.0% ±4.7 pts | 57.6% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 100.0% ±10.6 pts | 60.1% | no clear change |
| Households receiving SNAP | 100.0% ±18.6 pts | 49.5% | – |
| Households with a computer | 68.6% ±44.0 pts | 83.8% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 16.5% ±29.0 pts | 70.2% | – |
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 Wounded Knee?
| Measure | Wounded Knee | Oglala Lakota County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 100.0% ±58.2 pts | 21.4% | no clear change |
| Owner-occupied homes | 31.4% ±44.0 pts | 51.5% | – |
| Renter-occupied homes | 68.6% ±44.0 pts | 48.5% | – |
| Housing units | 121 ±118 | 3,470 | – |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±42.2 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±25.6 pts | 1.3% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 52.1% ±52.1 pts | 69.0% | – |
| Mobile homes | 31.4% ±44.0 pts | 28.0% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±18.6 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 16.5% ±29.0 pts | 4.8% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 0.0% ±18.6 pts | 4.6% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 16.5% ±29.0 pts | 22.5% | – |
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 do people in Wounded Knee work and get to work?
The Census Bureau publishes Wounded Knee's work and commute figures below; most carry wide margins.
| Measure | Wounded Knee | Oglala Lakota County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 40.0% ±26.6 pts | 33.8% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 100.0% ±18.7 pts | 16.4% | 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 Wounded Knee?
No census tract lies mostly in Wounded Knee; 2 tracts reach into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9411Oglala Lakota County | 5,905 | $23,659 |
| Tract 9410Oglala Lakota County | 6,102 | $52,397 |
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 Wounded Knee) · Census block assignment files
How does Wounded Knee compare with other places in South Dakota?
Wounded Knee 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.
Wounded Knee's figures with every place in South Dakota (CSV)
Every place in South Dakota, sortable · Compare Wounded Knee 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 Wounded Knee?
32 of the 47 figures for Wounded Knee 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 Wounded Knee 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' school search.