HarrisDemocratic23.3%3,421TrumpRepublican74.2%10,887KennedyIndependent1.8%258
R+50.9- Lead
- 7,466
- Total
- 14,672
- vs nation
- R+49.4
- Turnout
- 62.7%
Akashiccounty
Meade County, SD
Office (updates table and map)
President margin by year
Place winner margin
Boundary by 2024 margin · Precinct returns · VEST · MIT Election Lab
President results by year
2024 turnout 62.7% of 23,805 citizens 18+
BidenDemocratic24.0%3,285TrumpRepublican72.2%9,875JorgensenLibertarian3.7%510
R+48.2- Lead
- 6,590
- Total
- 13,670
- vs nation
- R+52.7
- Turnout
- 64.1%
ClintonDemocratic19.1%2,223TrumpRepublican72.6%8,441JohnsonLibertarian7.2%832
R+53.5- Lead
- 6,218
- Total
- 11,621
- vs nation
- R+55.6
- Turnout
- 58.6%
ObamaDemocratic27.1%2,928RomneyRepublican69.9%7,566OtherAll other candidates3.0%323
R+42.9- Lead
- 4,638
- Total
- 10,817
- vs nation
- R+46.7
- Turnout
- —
ObamaDemocratic32.3%3,751McCainRepublican64.8%7,515OtherAll other candidates2.9%340
R+32.4- Lead
- 3,764
- Total
- 11,606
- vs nation
- R+39.7
- Turnout
- —
KerryDemocratic25.6%2,941BushRepublican72.6%8,347OtherAll other candidates1.9%216
R+47.0- Lead
- 5,406
- Total
- 11,504
- vs nation
- R+44.5
- Turnout
- —
GoreDemocratic24.2%2,267BushRepublican73.4%6,870OtherAll other candidates2.4%229
R+49.1- Lead
- 4,603
- Total
- 9,366
- vs nation
- R+49.7
- Turnout
- —
ClintonDemocratic32.3%2,960DoleRepublican54.3%4,984PerotReform12.3%1,133
R+22.1- Lead
- 2,024
- Total
- 9,176
- vs nation
- R+30.6
- Turnout
- —
Key facts
- 2024 presidential margin
- R+50.9MIT Election Lab
- Population
- 30,5462024 5-year
- Median household income
- $74,7902024 5-year
- White (non-Hispanic)
- 85.0%2024 5-year
- Black
- 1.7%2024 5-year
- Hispanic / Latino
- 4.9%2024 5-year
- Peak Democratic margin
- D+43.7 in 1912MIT Election Lab
- Peak Republican margin
- R+53.5 in 2016MIT Election Lab
- Most similar
- Butte County, SD · twin score 89.8
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
- 62.7%14,919 participants ÷ 23,805 CVAP
- 2020→2022 drop-off
- +10.2 ptsVolatile
- Drop-off versus state
- -2.0 ptsPositive means a larger decline than the statewide pattern
- Mechanical 2026 scenario
- 52.4%–52.9%Recent-cycle and two-cycle persistence scenarios; not a forecast
| Election | Participants | CVAP | Turnout | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 · Presidential | 11,846 | 20,221 | 58.6% | A/A |
| 2018 · Midterm | 10,228 | 20,720 | 49.4% | C/A |
| 2020 · Presidential | 13,791 | 21,528 | 64.1% | A/A |
| 2022 · Midterm | 12,472 | 23,175 | 53.8% | C/A |
| 2024 · Presidential | 14,919 | 23,805 | 62.7% | 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 159, denominator source 157; top ticket votes; canonical-complete-contest-floor-v1; allocation share 0.0%; series 150/138.
- 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.
Precinct data
Results by precinct
71 precincts · 14,672 votes
Precinct boundaries and identifiers are cycle-specific. This table does not join rows across years without a validated crosswalk.
| Precinct -SUMMERSET 10SUMMERSET 10 | 297 | 885 | 26 | 1,208 | 24.6% | 73.3% | R+48.7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Precinct -PIEDMONT SE 13PIEDMONT SE 13 | 235 | 753 | 42 | 1,030 | 22.8% | 73.1% | R+50.3 |
| Precinct -PIEDMONT CENTRAL 11APIEDMONT CENTRAL 11A | 199 | 640 | 10 | 849 | 23.4% | 75.4% | R+51.9 |
| Precinct -BLACK HAWK CENTRAL 19BLACK HAWK CENTRAL 19 | 223 | 598 | 24 | 845 | 26.4% | 70.8% | R+44.4 |
| Precinct -TILFORD 6TILFORD 6 | 175 | 615 | 21 | 811 | 21.6% | 75.8% | R+54.3 |
| Precinct -PIEDMONT NE 12PIEDMONT NE 12 | 145 | 645 | 20 | 810 | 17.9% | 79.6% | R+61.7 |
| Precinct -EAST ELK VALE 21AEAST ELK VALE 21A | 116 | 510 | 16 | 642 | 18.1% | 79.4% | R+61.4 |
| Precinct -BASE 23BASE 23 | 210 | 413 | 13 | 636 | 33.0% | 64.9% | R+31.9 |
| Precinct -STURGIS SE 2STURGIS SE 2 | 162 | 393 | 14 | 569 | 28.5% | 69.1% | R+40.6 |
| Precinct -STURGIS RURAL 7STURGIS RURAL 7 | 143 | 411 | 8 | 562 | 25.4% | 73.1% | R+47.7 |
| Precinct -STURGIS NW 5STURGIS NW 5 | 136 | 355 | 30 | 521 | 26.1% | 68.1% | R+42.0 |
| Precinct -PIEDMONT W 11PIEDMONT W 11 | 110 | 376 | 12 | 498 | 22.1% | 75.5% | R+53.4 |
| Precinct -BLACK HAWK RURAL 15BLACK HAWK RURAL 15 | 98 | 360 | 8 | 466 | 21.0% | 77.3% | R+56.2 |
| Precinct -EAST PIEDMONT 12AEAST PIEDMONT 12A | 68 | 349 | 7 | 424 | 16.0% | 82.3% | R+66.3 |
| Precinct -HARMONY 8HARMONY 8 | 89 | 304 | 10 | 403 | 22.1% | 75.4% | R+53.3 |
| Precinct -STURGIS S 2ASTURGIS S 2A | 119 | 273 | 10 | 402 | 29.6% | 67.9% | R+38.3 |
| Precinct -BLACK HAWK W 16BLACK HAWK W 16 | 103 | 252 | 5 | 360 | 28.6% | 70.0% | R+41.4 |
| Precinct -BLACK HAWK 14BLACK HAWK 14 | 98 | 249 | 11 | 358 | 27.4% | 69.6% | R+42.2 |
| Precinct -STURGIS SW 4ASTURGIS SW 4A | 101 | 207 | 5 | 313 | 32.3% | 66.1% | R+33.9 |
| Precinct -STURGIS E 1STURGIS E 1 | 86 | 197 | 12 | 295 | 29.2% | 66.8% | R+37.6 |
| Precinct -STURGIS CENTRAL 3STURGIS CENTRAL 3 | 108 | 161 | 8 | 277 | 39.0% | 58.1% | R+19.1 |
| Precinct -ELK VALE W 24ELK VALE W 24 | 56 | 202 | 6 | 264 | 21.2% | 76.5% | R+55.3 |
| Precinct -FAITH 31FAITH 31 | 23 | 233 | 2 | 258 | 8.9% | 90.3% | R+81.4 |
| Precinct -STURGIS 5ASTURGIS 5A | 81 | 156 | 6 | 243 | 33.3% | 64.2% | R+30.9 |
| Precinct -STURGIS W 4STURGIS W 4 | 66 | 135 | 7 | 208 | 31.7% | 64.9% | R+33.2 |
| Precinct -STURGIS NE 1-ASTURGIS NE 1-A | 54 | 115 | 7 | 176 | 30.7% | 65.3% | R+34.7 |
| Precinct -BEAR BUTTE 9BEAR BUTTE 9 | 26 | 138 | 8 | 172 | 15.1% | 80.2% | R+65.1 |
| Precinct -ALKALI 6AALKALI 6A | 21 | 143 | 4 | 168 | 12.5% | 85.1% | R+72.6 |
| Precinct -CHALK BUTTE 27CHALK BUTTE 27 | 10 | 112 | 2 | 124 | 8.1% | 90.3% | R+82.3 |
| Precinct -VIEWFIELD 17VIEWFIELD 17 | 5 | 109 | 1 | 115 | 4.3% | 94.8% | R+90.4 |
| Precinct -ELM SPRINGS 18ELM SPRINGS 18 | 12 | 83 | 0 | 95 | 12.6% | 87.4% | R+74.7 |
| Precinct -PINE 33PINE 33 | 7 | 80 | 0 | 87 | 8.0% | 92.0% | R+83.9 |
| Precinct -RED OWL 30RED OWL 30 | 3 | 80 | 0 | 83 | 3.6% | 96.4% | R+92.8 |
| Precinct -ELK VALE 21ELK VALE 21 | 7 | 73 | 1 | 81 | 8.6% | 90.1% | R+81.5 |
| Precinct -HEREFORD 20HEREFORD 20 | 9 | 51 | 2 | 62 | 14.5% | 82.3% | R+67.7 |
| Precinct -MARCUS 41MARCUS 41 | 0 | 52 | 2 | 54 | 0.0% | 96.3% | R+96.3 |
| Precinct -SULPHUR 35SULPHUR 35 | 0 | 48 | 2 | 50 | 0.0% | 96.0% | R+96.0 |
| Precinct -WHITE OWL 25WHITE OWL 25 | 2 | 47 | 0 | 49 | 4.1% | 95.9% | R+91.8 |
| Precinct -FAIRPOINT 29FAIRPOINT 29 | 5 | 32 | 0 | 37 | 13.5% | 86.5% | R+73.0 |
| Precinct -FORT MEADE 1AFORT MEADE 1A | 7 | 28 | 0 | 35 | 20.0% | 80.0% | R+60.0 |
| Precinct -UNION 40UNION 40 | 6 | 24 | 2 | 32 | 18.8% | 75.0% | R+56.3 |
| VTD - Rural BlackHawk15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | No votes |
| VTD-precinct 11 - Piedmont11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | No votes |
| VTD-precinct 13 - SEPiedmont13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | No votes |
| VTD-precinct 14 BlackHawk14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | No votes |
| VTD-precinct 16 - W.BlackHawk16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | No votes |
| VTD-precinct 17 - Viewfield17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | No votes |
| VTD-precinct 18 - ElmSprings18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | No votes |
| VTD-precinct 19 - CentralBlackHawk19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | No votes |
| VTD-precinct 20 - Hereford20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | No votes |
| VTD-precinct 21 - ElkVale21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | No votes |
| VTD-precinct 24 W.ElkVale24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | No votes |
| VTD-precinct 25 - WhiteOwl25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | No votes |
| VTD-precinct 27 - ChalkButte27 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | No votes |
| VTD-precinct 29 - Fairpoint29 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | No votes |
| VTD-precinct 30 - RedOwl30 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | No votes |
| VTD-precinct 31 - Faith31 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | No votes |
| VTD-precinct 33 - Pine33 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | No votes |
| VTD-precinct 35 - Sulphur35 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | No votes |
| VTD-precinct 40 - Union40 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | No votes |
| VTD-precinct 41 - Marcus41 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | No votes |
| VTD-precinct 6 - Tilford6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | No votes |
| VTD-precinct 6A - Alkali6A | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | No votes |
| VTD-precinct 8 - Harmony8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | No votes |
| VTD-precinct 9 - BearButte9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | No votes |
| VTD-precinct EllsworthAirBase22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | No votes |
| VTD-precinct-12 - E.Piedmont12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | No votes |
| VTD-Sturgis city ward 1S1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | No votes |
| VTD-Sturgis city ward 2S2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | No votes |
| VTD-Sturgis city ward 3S3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | No votes |
| VTD-Sturgis city ward 4S4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | No votes |
presidential history
Presidential margin, 1892–2024
Democratic minus Republican, by election
| Year | Margin (D minus R) |
|---|---|
| 1892 | −25.6% |
| 1896 | +17.8% |
| 1900 | +1.3% |
| 1904 | −42.4% |
| 1908 | −8.7% |
| 1912 | +43.7% |
| 1916 | +16.3% |
| 1920 | −30.8% |
| 1924 | −34.9% |
| 1928 | −32.6% |
| 1932 | +20.7% |
| 1936 | +5.2% |
| 1940 | −14.0% |
| 1944 | −24.3% |
| 1948 | −9.9% |
| 1952 | −40.0% |
| 1956 | −19.6% |
| 1960 | −15.8% |
| 1964 | +4.1% |
| 1968 | −20.4% |
| 1972 | −35.1% |
| 1976 | −10.9% |
| 1980 | −48.1% |
| 1984 | −47.4% |
| 1988 | −23.3% |
| 1992 | −20.1% |
| 1996 | −22.1% |
| 2000 | −49.1% |
| 2004 | −47.0% |
| 2008 | −32.4% |
| 2012 | −42.9% |
| 2016 | −53.5% |
| 2020 | −48.2% |
| 2024 | −50.9% |
DemocraticRepublican
Federal and statewide elections · 3 House · 37 Senate · 12 governor
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.
U.S. Senate
Each row shows U.S. Senate votes counted inside this Place. “Vote lead” is the local lead here, not necessarily the winner of the full contest.
Governor
Each row shows Governor votes counted inside this Place. “Vote lead” is the local lead here, not necessarily the winner of the full contest.
voter registration
Registered voters
By party of registration, over time
Party registration · 2026R+51.5
Presidential vote · 2024R+50.9
Registration and the presidential vote track closely here — within 0.7 points.
20,846 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
−168 net domestic migration · 2025
20112025
Net +2,262 over 2011–2025 · gain loss
Arrivals reported $57,368 in average income, against $77,776 for residents who stayed — 26% lower. (IRS SOI, 2022–23)
The places arrivals came from lean R+28.4 on average — 22 points more Democratic-leaning than Meade County, SD itself (R+50.9).
Where arrivals came from lean of each source
- Pennington County, SD564R+26.4
- Lawrence County, SD108R+31.3
- Butte County, SD25R+60.6
Where departures went households, 2022–23
- Pennington County, SD612
- Lawrence County, SD86
- Butte County, SD30
- Minnehaha County, SD23
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 | −120 |
| 2012 | +64 |
| 2013 | +362 |
| 2014 | +149 |
| 2015 | −115 |
| 2016 | +410 |
| 2017 | +536 |
| 2018 | +239 |
| 2019 | +87 |
| 2021 | +348 |
| 2022 | +352 |
| 2023 | +199 |
| 2024 | −81 |
| 2025 | −168 |
Meade County, home to Ellsworth Air Force Base and vast ranch lands west of the Missouri River, has delivered Republican presidential margins above 50 points for multiple cycles, reflecting a heavily rural, military-adjacent electorate with little urban counterweight.
Across the recorded series it reached a Democratic high of 43.7 points in 1912 and a Republican high of 53.5 points in 2016. Between 2020 and 2024 the county moved 2.7 points toward the Republican candidate; the 2024 margin was 50.9 points.
A population of 30,546, a 85% non-Hispanic-white share, and a median household income of $74,790 describe the county. The county's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of Butte County and Kosciusko County.
Political twins — counties
The counties whose fingerprint — 2000–2024 trajectory, demographics, ancestry, religion — sits closest to this one, and why.
Butte County
South Dakota
89.8twin score
2000–2012 trajectoryelasticity
Kosciusko County
Indiana
86.9twin score
2000–2016 trajectory≠ Norwegian ancestry
Stanton County
Nebraska
86.0twin score
2000–2016 trajectory≠ population scale
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.
Meade County, South Dakota. Akashic. https://akashic.app/county/46093/. Accessed May 20, 2026. License: CC BY 4.0.
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Cities & towns in Meade County
South Dakota at the ballot boxAll elections →
Frequently asked questions
How did Meade County, South Dakota vote in 2024?
In 2024, Meade County, South Dakota voted Republican by 50.9 points (R+50.9), carried by the Republican candidate. Out of 14,672 votes cast, 3,421 went Democratic and 10,887 went Republican.
When did Meade County, South Dakota last vote Democratic?
The most recent presidential election in which Meade County, South Dakota voted Democratic was 1964.
How many people live in Meade County, South Dakota?
Meade County, South Dakota has a population of 30,546 according to the 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates from the US Census Bureau.
What is the median household income in Meade County, South Dakota?
Median household income in Meade County, South Dakota is $74,790 — below the national median of $80,734. The South Dakota state median is $75,081.
What is the political history of Meade County, South Dakota?
Akashic tracks 38 presidential elections in Meade County, South Dakota from 1876 to 2024. Of those, 6 went Democratic and 26 went Republican.