E.g., 11/30/2023
E.g., 11/30/2023
State Language Data - SD
 

South Dakota

Language & Education
2021
2000
1990
English Proficiency

Note: The term limited English proficient (LEP) refers to any person age 5 and older who reported speaking English "not at all," "not well," or "well" on their survey questionnaire. Persons who speak only English or who report speaking English "very well" are considered proficient in English.

Note: The term "foreign born" refers to people residing in the United States at the time of the population survey who were not U.S. citizens at birth. The foreign-born population includes naturalized U.S. citizens, lawful permanent immigrants (or green-card holders), refugees and asylees, certain legal nonimmigrants (including those on student, work, or some other temporary visas), and persons residing in the country without authorization.

Foreign Born
English Proficiency (age 5 and older) (%) 30,243
Speak only English 26.3%
Speak English "very well" 38.2%
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 35.5%
Limited English Proficient (LEP) Population: Change over Time  
% change: 2000-2021 105.4%
% change: 1990-2000 221.7%
English Proficiency of the Foreign Born by U.S. Citizenship Status (age 5 and older)*

Note: The term limited English proficient (LEP) refers to any person age 5 and older who reported speaking English "not at all," "not well," or "well" on their survey questionnaire. Persons who speak only English or who report speaking English "very well" are considered proficient in English. Data for Alaska, Maine, Mississippi, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming are from the Census Bureau's pooled 2017-2021 American Community Survey (ACS). Data for the United States overall and for the remaining states are from the 2021 ACS.

 
Naturalized citizens 13,531
Speak only English 36%
Speak English "very well" 39.6%
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 24.4%
Noncitizens 19,691
Speak only English 17.7%
Speak English "very well" 41.3%
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 41.0%

Note: The term "U.S. born" refers to people residing in the United States who were U.S. citizens in one of three categories: people born in one of the 50 states or the District of Columbia; people born in U.S. Insular Areas such as Puerto Rico or Guam; or people who were born abroad to at least one U.S. citizen parent.

U.S. Born
English Proficiency (age 5 and older) (%) 807,054
Speak only English 96.5%
Speak English ""very well"" 3.0%
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 0.5%
Limited English Proficient (LEP) Population: Change over Time  
% change: 2000-2011 -62.0%
% change: 1990-2000 10.3%
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
Foreign Born
English Proficiency (age 5 and older) (%) 13,065
Speak only English 29.1%
"Speak English ""very well"" 31.0%
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 40.0%
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
U.S. Born
English Proficiency (age 5 and older) (%) 690,755
Speak only English 94.7%
"Speak English ""very well"" 3.6%
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 1.6%
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
Foreign Born
English Proficiency (age 5 and older) (%) 7,273
Speak only English 45.6%
"Speak English ""very well"" 32.0%
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 22.3%
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
U.S. Born
English Proficiency (age 5 and older) (%) 632,802
Speak only English 94.1%
"Speak English ""very well"" 4.3%
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 1.6%
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 
Population (age 5 and older)
 
 
Language Spoken at Home (by age and English proficiency)

Note: The term limited English proficient (LEP) refers to any person age 5 and older who reported speaking English "not at all," "not well," or "well" on their survey questionnaire. Persons who speak only English or who report speaking English "very well" are considered proficient in English.

Number
Ages 5-17 162,542
Speak only English 152,823
Speak language other than English 9,719
Speak English "very well"
7,207
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP)
2,512
Speak Spanish 3,705
Speak English "very well"
3,023
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP)
682
Ages 18-64 516,872
Speak only English 481,372
Speak language other than English 35,500
Speak English "very well"
24,331
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP)
11,169
Speak Spanish 12,521
Speak English "very well"
7,283
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP)
5,238
65 and Older 157,883
Speak only English 152,345
Speak language other than English 5,538
Speak English "very well"
4,250
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP)
1,288
Speak Spanish 1,280
Speak English "very well"
710
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP)
570
%
65 and Older 100%
Speak only English 94.0%
Speak language other than English 6.0%
Speak English "very well" 4.4%
Speak English less than "very well" (LEP) 1.5%
Speak Spanish 2.3%
Speak English "very well" 1.9%
Speak English less than "very well" (LEP) 0.4%
Ages 18-64 100%
Speak only English 93.1%
Speak language other than English 6.9%
Speak English "very well" 4.7%
Speak English less than "very well" (LEP) 2.2%
Speak Spanish 2.4%
Speak English "very well" 1.4%
Speak English less than "very well" (LEP) 1.0%
Ages 5-17 100%
Speak only English 96.5%
Speak language other than English 3.5%
Speak English "very well" 2.7%
Speak English less than "very well" (LEP) 0.8%
Speak Spanish 0.8%
Speak English "very well" 0.4%
Speak English less than "very well" (LEP) 0.4%
 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 
Population (age 5 and older)
 
 
Language Spoken at Home (detailed, by English proficiency)

Note: 1) The term limited English proficient (LEP) refers to any person age 5 and older who reported speaking English "not at all," "not well," or "well" on their survey questionnaire. Persons who speak only English or who report speaking English "very well" are considered proficient in English. 2) Data for Alaska, Arkansas, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Idaho, Maine, Mississippi, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming are from the U.S. Census Bureau's pooled 2017-2021 American Community Survey (ACS). Data for the United States overall and for the remaining states are from the 2021 ACS.

Number
Total Household Population, Age 5 and Older 822,247
Speak only English 769,781
Speak language other than English 52,466
Spanish 17,785
Speak English "very well" 11,288
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 6,497
French (Including Cajun) 955
Speak English "very well" 742
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 213
Haitian 62
Speak English "very well" 62
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) N
Italian 123
Speak English "very well" 123
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) N
Portuguese 215
Speak English "very well" 207
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 8
German 4,912
Speak English "very well" 4,115
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 797
Yiddish, Pennsylvania Dutch or Other West Germanic Languages 608
Speak English "very well" 541
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 67
Russian 1,225
Speak English "very well" 882
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 343
Polish 87
Speak English "very well" 65
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 22
Other Slavic Languages 1,265
Speak English "very well" 774
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 491
Armenian 4
Speak English "very well" N
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 4
Persian (including Farsi, Dari) 170
Speak English "very well" 125
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 45
Gujarati 74
Speak English "very well" 42
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 32
Hindi 378
Speak English "very well" 273
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 105
Urdu 234
Speak English "very well" 221
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 13
Punjabi N
Speak English "very well" N
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) N
Bengali 94
Speak English "very well" 94
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) N
Nepali, Marathi, or Other Indic Languages 1,605
Speak English "very well" 889
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 716
Other Indo-European Languages 418
Speak English "very well" 270
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 148
Telugu 279
Speak English "very well" 203
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 76
Tamil 37
Speak English "very well" 37
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) N
Malayalam, Kannada, or Other Dravidian Languages 114
Speak English "very well" 65
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 49
Chinese (including Mandarin, Cantonese) 909
Speak English "very well" 622
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 287
Japanese 186
Speak English "very well" 140
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 46
Korean 591
Speak English "very well" 373
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 218
Hmong 81
Speak English "very well" N
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 81
Vietnamese 422
Speak English "very well" 193
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 229
Khmer 157
Speak English "very well" 16
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 141
Thai, Lao, or Other Tai-Kadai Languages 560
Speak English "very well" 337
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 223
Other Languages of Asia 1,283
Speak English "very well" 263
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 1,020
Tagalog (including Filipino) 1,398
Speak English "very well" 845
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 553
Ilocano, Samoan, Hawaiian, or Other Austronesian Languages 460
Speak English "very well" 130
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 330
Arabic 951
Speak English "very well" 724
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 227
Hebrew 25
Speak English "very well" 25
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) N
Amharic, Somali, or Other Afro-Asiatic Languages 2,708
Speak English "very well" 1,668
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 1,040
Yoruba, Twi, Igbo, or Other Languages of Western Africa 349
Speak English "very well" 281
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 68
Swahili or Other Languages of Central, Eastern, and Southern Africa 2,547
Speak English "very well" 1,805
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 742
Native Languages of North America 8,727
Speak English "very well" 7,988
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 739
Other and Unspecified Languages 468
Speak English "very well" 235
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 233
%
Field 306 100%
Field 307 93.6%
Field 308 6.4%
Field 310 100%
Field 310 63.5%
Field 310 36.5%
Field 313 100%
Field 314 77.7%
Field 315 22.3%
Field 316 100%
Field 316 100.0%
Field 316 N
Field 319 100%
Field 319 100.0%
Field 319 N
Field 322 100%
Field 322 96.3%
Field 322 3.7%
Field 325 100%
Field 325 83.8%
Field 325 16.2%
Field 328 100%
Field 328 89.0%
Field 328 11.0%
Field 331 100%
Field 331 72.0%
Field 331 28.0%
Field 334 100%
Field 334 74.7%
Field 334 25.3%
Field 337 100%
Field 337 61.2%
Field 337 38.8%
Field 340 100%
Field 340 N
Field 340 100.0%
Field 343 100%
Field 343 73.5%
Field 343 26.5%
Field 346 100%
Field 346 56.8%
Field 346 43.2%
Field 349 100%
Field 349 72.2%
Field 349 27.8%
Field 352 100%
Field 352 94.4%
Field 352 5.6%
Field 355 100%
Field 355 N
Field 355 N
Field 358 100%
Field 358 100.0%
Field 358 N
Field 361 100%
Field 361 55.4%
Field 361 44.6%
Field 364 100%
Field 364 64.6%
Field 364 35.4%
Field 367 100%
Field 367 72.8%
Field 367 27.2%
Field 370 100%
Field 370 100.0%
Field 370 N
Field 373 100%
Field 373 57.0%
Field 373 43.0%
Field 376 100%
Field 376 68.4%
Field 376 31.6%
Field 379 100%
Field 379 75.3%
Field 379 24.7%
Field 382 100%
Field 382 63.1%
Field 382 36.9%
Field 385 100%
Field 385 N
Field 385 100.0%
Field 388 100%
Field 388 45.7%
Field 388 54.3%
Field 391 100%
Field 391 10.2%
Field 391 89.8%
Field 394 100%
Field 394 60.2%
Field 394 39.8%
Field 397 100%
Field 397 20.5%
Field 397 79.5%
Field 400 100%
Field 400 60.4%
Field 400 39.6%
Field 403 100%
Field 403 28.3%
Field 403 71.7%
Field 406 100%
Field 406 76.1%
Field 406 23.9%
Field 409 100%
Field 409 100.0%
Field 409 N
Field 412 100%
Field 412 61.6%
Field 412 38.4%
Field 415 100%
Field 415 80.5%
Field 415 19.5%
Field 418 100%
Field 418 70.9%
Field 418 29.1%
Field 421 100%
Field 421 91.5%
Field 421 8.5%
Field 424 100%
Field 424 50.2%
Field 424 49.8%
 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
Educational Attainment Foreign Born
Population (age 25 and older) 22,710
Less than high school diploma 22.2%
High school diploma or GED 28.6%
Some college or associate's degree 14.1%
Bachelor's degree 18.2%
Graduate or professional degree 16.9%
% Foreign Born among Adults with  
Less than high school diploma 12.3%
Bachelor's degree or higher 4.3%
Educational Attainment: Change over Time  
Adults with no high school diploma  
% change: 2000-2021 37.8%
% change: 1990-2000 33.5%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher  
% change: 2000-2021 224.6%
% change: 1990-2000 115.2%
Educational Attainment by U.S. Citizenship Status (foreign-born adults, age 25 and older)

Note: 1) Data for Alaska, Maine, Mississippi, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming are from the U.S. Census Bureau's pooled 2017-2021 American Community Survey (ACS). Data for the United States overall and for the remaining states are from the 2021 ACS. 2) The letter N Indicates that a number could not be provided by the Census Bureau because the number of sample cases was too small for this state.

 
Naturalized citizens (%) 10,819
Less than high school diploma 17.8%
High school diploma or GED 28.6%
Some college or associate's degree 23.2%
Bachelor's degree 18.5%
Graduate or professional degree 11.8%
Noncitizens (%) 14,600
Less than high school diploma 29%
High school diploma or GED 28.6%
Some college or associate's degree 12.1%
Bachelor's degree 18.3%
Graduate or professional degree 11.9%
U.S. Born
Population (age 25 and older) 567,667
Less than high school diploma 6.3%
High school diploma or GED 29.3%
Some college or associate's degree 32.8%
Bachelor's degree 21.7%
Graduate or professional degree 9.8%
% Foreign Born among Adults with  
Nothing  
Nothing  
Educational Attainment: Change over Time  
Adults with no high school diploma  
% change: 2000-2011 -48.7%
% change: 1990-2000 -27.6%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher  
% change: 2000-2011 77.7%
% change: 1990-2000 41.2%
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
Foreign Born
Population (age 25 and older) 10,394
Less than high school diploma 35.1%
High school diploma or GED 22.9%
Some college or associate's degree 18.4%
Bachelor's degree 10.9%
Graduate or professional degree 12.7%
% Foreign Born among Adults with  
Less than high school diploma 5.0%
Bachelor's degree or higher 2.4%
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
U.S. Born
Population (age 25 and older) 465,549
Less than high school diploma 15.1%
High school diploma or GED 33.2%
Some college or associate's degree 30.2%
Bachelor's degree 15.8%
Graduate or professional degree 5.9%
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
Foreign Born
Population (age 25 and older) 6,221
Less than high school diploma 44.0%
High school diploma or GED 18.4%
Some college or associate's degree 19.3%
Bachelor's degree 9.6%
Graduate or professional degree 8.7%
% Foreign Born among Adults with  
Less than high school diploma 2.7%
Bachelor's degree or higher 1.6%
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
U.S. Born
Population (age 25 and older) 421,391
Less than high school diploma 23.0%
High school diploma or GED 34.1%
Some college or associate's degree 26.0%
Bachelor's degree 12.3%
Graduate or professional degree 4.6%
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Sources: Migration Policy Institute tabulations of the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS) and Decennial Census. Unless stated otherwise, 2021 data are from the one-year ACS file. For information about ACS definitions, click here. For ACS methodology, sampling error, and nonsampling error, click here. Estimates from 1990 and 2000 Decennial Census data as well as ACS microdata are from Steven Ruggles, Sarah Flood, Ronald Goeken, Megan Schouweiler and Matthew Sobek. IPUMS USA: Version 12.0 [dataset]. Minneapolis, MN: IPUMS, 2022. https://doi.org/10.18128/D010.V12.0.

Definitions

  • The term "foreign born" refers to people residing in the United States at the time of the population survey who were not U.S. citizens at birth. The foreign-born population includes naturalized U.S. citizens, lawful permanent immigrants (or green-card holders), refugees and asylees, certain legal nonimmigrants (including those on student, work, or some other temporary visas), and persons residing in the country without authorization.
  • The term "U.S. born" refers to people residing in the United States who were U.S. citizens in one of three categories: people born in one of the 50 states or the District of Columbia; people born in U.S. Insular Areas such as Puerto Rico or Guam; or people who were born abroad to at least one U.S. citizen parent.
  • The term limited English proficient (LEP) refers to any person age 5 and older who reported speaking English “not at all,” “not well,” or “well” on their survey questionnaire. Persons who speak only English or who report speaking English “very well” are considered proficient in English.

Data-related notes

  • The letter N indicates that an estimate could not be provided by the Census Bureau because the number of sample cases was too small for this state.
  • For “English proficiency of the foreign born by U.S. citizenship status” and “Educational Attainment by U.S. Citizenship Status”: Data for Alaska, Maine, Mississippi, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming are from the Census Bureau's pooled 2017-2021 American Community Survey (ACS). Data for the United States overall and for the remaining states are from the 2021 ACS. 
  • For “Language Spoken at Home (detailed, by English proficiency)”: Data for Alaska, Arkansas, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Idaho, Maine, Mississippi, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming are from the U.S. Census Bureau's pooled 2017-2021 American Community Survey (ACS). Data for the United States overall and for the remaining states are from the 2021 ACS.