HarrisDemocratic35.7%12,981TrumpRepublican62.2%22,621KennedyIndependent1.5%564
R+26.5- Lead
- 9,640
- Total
- 36,393
- vs nation
- R+25.0
- Turnout
- 73.6%
Akashiccounty
Lincoln County, SD
Office (updates table and map)
President margin by year
Place winner margin
Boundary by 2024 margin · Precinct returns · VEST · MIT Election Lab
The precinct map shows the 2024 presidential vote; the timeline scrubs the county’s overall result across 1892–2024.
President results by year
2024 turnout 73.6% of 50,439 citizens 18+
BidenDemocratic37.0%11,981TrumpRepublican60.6%19,617JorgensenLibertarian2.5%798
R+23.6- Lead
- 7,636
- Total
- 32,396
- vs nation
- R+28.0
- Turnout
- 79.7%
ClintonDemocratic32.0%8,076TrumpRepublican61.4%15,499JohnsonLibertarian5.6%1,413
R+29.4- Lead
- 7,423
- Total
- 25,231
- vs nation
- R+31.5
- Turnout
- 71.5%
ObamaDemocratic36.4%7,982RomneyRepublican62.0%13,611OtherAll other candidates1.6%359
R+25.6- Lead
- 5,629
- Total
- 21,952
- vs nation
- R+29.5
- Turnout
- —
ObamaDemocratic41.6%8,642McCainRepublican56.8%11,803OtherAll other candidates1.6%322
R+15.2- Lead
- 3,161
- Total
- 20,767
- vs nation
- R+22.5
- Turnout
- —
KerryDemocratic33.4%5,703BushRepublican65.4%11,161OtherAll other candidates1.2%202
R+32.0- Lead
- 5,458
- Total
- 17,066
- vs nation
- R+29.5
- Turnout
- —
GoreDemocratic36.4%3,844BushRepublican62.0%6,546OtherAll other candidates1.6%166
R+25.6- Lead
- 2,702
- Total
- 10,556
- vs nation
- R+26.1
- Turnout
- —
ClintonDemocratic42.4%3,643DoleRepublican48.9%4,201PerotReform7.9%682
R+6.5- Lead
- 558
- Total
- 8,587
- vs nation
- R+15.0
- Turnout
- —
Key facts
- 2024 presidential margin
- R+26.5MIT Election Lab
- Population
- 70,6382024 5-year
- Population density
- 122 / sq mi2024 5-year · TIGER/Line
- Land area
- 577 sq miTIGER/Line
- Median household income
- $99,1662024 5-year
- White (non-Hispanic)
- 89.0%2024 5-year
- Black
- 2.3%2024 5-year
- Hispanic / Latino
- 3.2%2024 5-year
- Peak Democratic margin
- D+28.5 in 1912MIT Election Lab
- Peak Republican margin
- R+68.2 in 1904MIT Election Lab
- Most similar
- Yellowstone County, MT · twin score 80.2
Midterm durability
Total general-election participants divided by same-year citizen voting-age population. These are total ballots or participating voters—not presidential candidate votes.
- 2024 total turnout
- 73.6%37,126 participants ÷ 50,439 CVAP
- 2020→2022 drop-off
- +17.6 ptsVolatile
- Drop-off versus state
- +5.3 ptsPositive means a larger decline than the statewide pattern
- Mechanical 2026 scenario
- 56.1%–60.6%Recent-cycle and two-cycle persistence scenarios; not a forecast
| Election | Participants | CVAP | Turnout | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 · Presidential | 25,802 | 36,096 | 71.5% | A/A |
| 2018 · Midterm | 24,304 | 38,566 | 63.0% | A/A |
| 2020 · Presidential | 32,737 | 41,050 | 79.7% | A/A |
| 2022 · Midterm | 28,892 | 46,454 | 62.2% | C/A |
| 2024 · Presidential | 37,126 | 50,439 | 73.6% | A/A |
Sources and methods
- 2016: numerator source 158, denominator source 157; total voters participating; eavs-f1a-v1:observed:native; allocation share 0.0%; series 293/111.
- 2018: numerator source 158, denominator source 157; total voters participating; eavs-f1a-v1:observed:native; allocation share 0.0%; series 297/138.
- 2020: numerator source 158, denominator source 157; total voters participating; eavs-f1a-v1:observed:native; allocation share 0.0%; series 301/2.
- 2022: numerator source 159, denominator source 157; top ticket votes; canonical-complete-contest-floor-v1; allocation share 0.0%; series 154/183.
- 2024: numerator source 158, denominator source 157; total voters participating; eavs-f1a-v1:observed:native; allocation share 0.0%; series 311/228.
presidential history
Party record book
Lincoln County, SD · the strongest Democratic and Republican presidential performances recorded here, measured three ways.
1892–2024 · 34 presidential cycles
Highest vote share
Largest share of the presidential candidate vote cast here.
Democratic
Franklin D. Roosevelt1932
59.4%
3,300 votes · D+20.5
Runner-up · Lyndon B. Johnson, 1964 · 50.9%
Republican
Theodore Roosevelt1904
80.5%
2,471 votes · R+68.2
Runner-up · Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1952 · 78.4%
Most votes
Largest number of votes cast for the party’s presidential nominee here.
Democratic
Kamala Harris2024
12,981votes
35.7% of the vote · R+26.5
Runner-up · Joe Biden, 2020 · 11,981 votes
Republican
Donald Trump2024
22,621votes
62.2% of the vote · R+26.5
Runner-up · Donald Trump, 2020 · 19,617 votes
Best relative to the U.S.
This Place’s margin against the national margin in the same election — positive when it leaned toward the party more than the country did.
Democratic
George McGovern1972
+13.1pts D vs U.S.
Place R+10.0 · U.S. R+23.2
Runner-up · Woodrow Wilson, 1912 · +9.0 pts
Republican
Theodore Roosevelt1904
+48.5pts R vs U.S.
Place R+68.2 · U.S. R+19.7
Runner-up · Benjamin Harrison, 1892 · +47.1 pts
U.S. House elections · 1 House
Senate and governor results are in the Office selector at the top of this page.
U.S. House
Each row shows U.S. House votes counted inside this Place. “Vote lead” is the local lead here, not necessarily the winner of the full contest.
| Year | Vote lead | Democratic | Republican | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | R | 0.0%0 | 100.0%25,298 | 25,298 |
voter registration
Registered voters
By party of registration, over time
Party registration · 2026R+34.6
Presidential vote · 2024R+26.5
Registration leans Republican; the presidential vote runs 8.1 points more Democratic than the rolls.
50,832 registered voters · 2026
domestic migration
Who moves in and out
Net migration over time, and who arrivals are — where they came from and what those places vote
+1,563 net domestic migration · 2025
20112025
Net +19,828 over 2011–2025 · gain loss
Arrivals reported $73,166 in average income, against $147,022 for residents who stayed — 50% lower. (IRS SOI, 2022–23)
The places arrivals came from lean R+16.7 on average — 9.8 points more Democratic-leaning than Lincoln County, SD itself (R+26.5).
Where arrivals came from lean of each source
- Minnehaha County, SD1,899R+12.7
- Union County, SD71R+40.7
- Brookings County, SD57R+17.4
- Turner County, SD50R+51.3
- Davison County, SD41R+37.8
- Sioux County, IA39R+70.7
Where departures went households, 2022–23
- Minnehaha County, SD1,664
- Hennepin County, MN42
- Union County, SD41
- Turner County, SD40
- Maricopa County, AZ32
- Douglas County, NE26
Migration is one input to a place’s political change, not its cause — a shift can also come from residents changing their minds, generational turnover, or turnout. These figures describe the places people moved between; they do not measure how any mover voted.
| Year | Net domestic migration |
|---|---|
| 2011 | +1,070 |
| 2012 | +937 |
| 2013 | +893 |
| 2014 | +1,057 |
| 2015 | +816 |
| 2016 | +1,043 |
| 2017 | +1,532 |
| 2018 | +1,548 |
| 2019 | +1,727 |
| 2021 | +2,011 |
| 2022 | +2,274 |
| 2023 | +1,575 |
| 2024 | +1,782 |
| 2025 | +1,563 |
Lincoln County has been one of South Dakota's fastest-expanding counties by population, driven by Sioux Falls metro spillover. Despite that growth, its presidential margins have held firmly in the mid-to-high double digits for Republicans across successive cycles.
Across the recorded series it reached a Democratic high of 28.5 points in 1912 and a Republican high of 68.2 points in 1904. Between 2020 and 2024 the county moved 2.9 points toward the Republican candidate; the 2024 margin was 26.5 points.
A population of 70,638, a 89% non-Hispanic-white share, and a median household income of $99,166 describe the county. The county's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of Yellowstone County and Sarpy County.
Political twins — counties
The counties whose fingerprint — 2000–2024 trajectory, demographics, ancestry, religion — sits closest to this one, and why.
Yellowstone County
Montana
80.2twin score
elasticity% unaffiliated12-yr trend≠ median income
Sarpy County
Nebraska
79.8twin score
elasticitycollege sharemedian income≠ Norwegian ancestry
Sherburne County
Minnesota
76.7twin score
median income% unaffiliatedmedian age≠ elasticity
Twin score (0–100) = weighted cosine between tier-standardized fingerprints: presidential margins 2000–2024 with 12-yr trend and elasticity, ACS income, age, education, population and race, top reported ancestries, and religious adherence — chips name the closest-shared dimensions and the widest gap. Re-weight the groups in the twins explorer.
Browse places by community — income, education, race & ethnicity, language — all community cuts →
Compare two places, side by side
Twelve curated comparisons line up election history, demographics, and the divergence story for two places at a glance. Browse all comparisons →
Cite this page
All citations released under CC BY 4.0. Attribution: Akashic Intelligence.
Lincoln County, South Dakota. Akashic. https://akashic.app/county/46083/. Accessed May 20, 2026. License: CC BY 4.0.
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Cities & towns in Lincoln County
South Dakota at the ballot boxAll elections →
Frequently asked questions
How did Lincoln County, South Dakota vote in 2024?
In 2024, Lincoln County, South Dakota voted Republican by 26.5 points (R+26.5), carried by the Republican candidate. Out of 36,393 votes cast, 12,981 went Democratic and 22,621 went Republican.
When did Lincoln County, South Dakota last vote Democratic?
The most recent presidential election in which Lincoln County, South Dakota voted Democratic was 1964.
How many people live in Lincoln County, South Dakota?
Lincoln County, South Dakota has a population of 70,638 according to the 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates from the US Census Bureau.
What is the median household income in Lincoln County, South Dakota?
Median household income in Lincoln County, South Dakota is $99,166 — above the national median of $80,734. The South Dakota state median is $75,081.
What is the political history of Lincoln County, South Dakota?
Akashic tracks 38 presidential elections in Lincoln County, South Dakota from 1876 to 2024. Of those, 2 went Democratic and 30 went Republican.