State House District 8 State House District (SD) — Elections 1876–2024

South Dakota 8th State House District, South Dakota: Republican loyalist district. In 2024, voted R+26%. Republican peak: R+60 in 1904.

Key facts

2024 presidential margin: R+26MIT Election Lab
Political archetype: Republican loyalistAkashic typology
Population: 48,6562024 5-year
Median household income: $72,2422024 5-year
White (non-Hispanic): 89.3%2024 5-year
Black: 0.9%2024 5-year
Hispanic / Latino: 4.4%2024 5-year
Peak Democratic margin: D+35 in 1912MIT Election Lab
Peak Republican margin: R+60 in 1904MIT Election Lab

2024 results by constituent county

4 counties · 0 D · 4 R

R+60

D+60

One cell per constituent county. Ordered by 2024 D-vs-R margin (bluest first). Hover for county-level numbers.

38 presidential elections

Source · MIT Election Lab · ICPSR · VEST (precinct-level 2024).
Year	Won	Margin	Democratic	Republican	Total
2024	R	−25.5%	8,146	13,906	22,573
2020	R	−21.2%	8,431	13,142	22,173
2016	R	−22.0%	7,464	12,126	21,166
2012	R	−7.4%	9,244	10,765	20,541
2008	D	+2.6%	11,034	10,458	21,989
2004	R	−16.3%	8,899	12,446	21,780
2000	D	+13.9%	10,296	7,736	18,407
1996	D	+3.9%	8,897	8,147	19,075
1992	D	+3.6%	8,238	7,506	20,397
1988	R	−1.2%	9,112	9,341	18,544
1984	R	−19.3%	7,931	11,738	19,751
1980	R	−18.9%	7,417	11,372	20,916
1976	D	+0.9%	9,789	9,619	19,499
1972	R	−4.5%	9,668	10,579	20,306
1968	R	−13.7%	7,572	10,066	18,223
1964	D	+8.0%	9,979	8,502	18,481
1960	R	−24.6%	7,540	12,462	20,002
1956	R	−25.8%	7,139	12,095	19,234
1952	R	−49.2%	4,939	14,494	19,433
1948	R	−15.0%	7,058	9,570	16,797
1944	R	−31.5%	5,376	10,326	15,701
1940	R	−33.8%	6,809	13,767	20,575
1936	R	−7.5%	8,954	10,483	20,280
1932	D	+14.0%	10,597	7,943	18,917
1928	R	−34.8%	5,839	12,127	18,055
1924	R	−39.8%	1,753	9,008	18,234
1920	R	−52.2%	1,895	8,225	12,133
1916	D	+9.9%	4,969	4,034	9,423
1912	O	+34.8%	2,628	0	7,541
1908	R	−31.4%	2,527	5,154	8,359
1904	R	−59.7%	1,294	6,268	8,332
1900	R	−15.4%	3,272	4,515	8,090
1896	D	+5.0%	3,736	3,378	7,193
1892	R	−34.1%	770	3,023	6,598
1888	—	No data	—	—	—
1884	—	No data	—	—	—
1880	—	No data	—	—	—
1876	—	No data	—	—	—

Demographics

Race, ethnicity, and ancestry

Click any group to see the ancestries typically reported within it.

German

37.8%

Irish

10.7%

English

7.3%

American

2.6%

French

1.2%

Polish

1.0%

Scottish

0.9%

Source · American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2024 release. Hispanic/Latino is an ethnicity that overlaps the race categories, so these shares can total more than 100%. Ancestry is a self-reported, multiple-response item; ancestry percentages do not sum to the parent race percentage.

Age distribution by sex

Median age: 33.9 in this county, 39.1 nationally

Male

Age

Female

0.8%

85+

1.4%

2.3%

75–84

2.3%

5.4%

65–74

5.2%

5.6%

55–64

5.4%

4.5%

45–54

4.1%

5.4%

35–44

5.4%

7.0%

25–34

5.1%

9.4%

18–24

9.3%

8.0%

5–17

7.9%

2.6%

2.7%

Source · American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2024 release.

Median household income

2024 inflation-adjusted dollars

$72,242

State House District 8 ranks near the middle of US counties.

State House District 8$72,242

South Dakota$75,081

United States$80,734

Source · American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2024 release.

Poverty rate

All persons below federal poverty line

11.8%

Child poverty is below the national average.

Children under 188.2%

Working age (18–64)12.9%

Seniors (65+)11.8%

Source · American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2024 release.

Language at home

Population aged 5 and older

92.4%

speak English only

Other Indo-European3.1%

Spanish3.0%

Asian & Pacific Islander0.9%

Other languages0.5%

Source · ACS 5-year estimates, 2024.

Religious adherents

Adherents per capita by tradition

Mainline Protestant

29.1%

Catholic & Orthodox

12.1%

Other Christian

6.6%

Pentecostal & Holiness

4.4%

Methodist

3.4%

Non-Christian

0.3%

Baptist

0.2%

Source · 2020 US Religion Census. Remaining 43.8% of residents not counted as adherents by any reporting body.

With a 2024 presidential margin exceeding 36 points, this district consistently delivers outsized Republican margins, reflecting the rural, small-town character common to much of western South Dakota.

The Republican margin in South Dakota 8th State House District reached its widest at sixty points in 1904. The margin in 2024 was twenty-six points, in line with the district's deep historical pattern.

Its loyalty is rooted in its place. Median household income of $72,242, a 89% non-Hispanic-white share, and a population of 48,656 together describe a district whose political habits are deeply settled.

Compare two places, side by side

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Cite this page

All citations released under CC BY 4.0. Attribution: Akashic Intelligence.

State House District 8, South Dakota. Akashic. https://akashic.app/sld-lower/46008/. Accessed May 20, 2026. License: CC BY 4.0.

License: CC BY 4.0

Frequently asked questions

How did State House District 8, South Dakota vote in 2024?

In 2024, State House District 8, South Dakota voted Republican by 25.5 points (R+26), carried by the Republican candidate. Out of 22,573 votes cast, 8,146 went Democratic and 13,906 went Republican.

What is State House District 8, South Dakota's political archetype?

Akashic classifies State House District 8, South Dakota as a "Republican loyalist" district based on its long-arc presidential voting pattern. Across 38 elections in the dataset, the district has voted Democratic 9 times, Republican 24 times, and other 1 times.

When did State House District 8, South Dakota last vote Democratic?

The most recent presidential election in which State House District 8, South Dakota voted Democratic was 2008.

How many people live in State House District 8, South Dakota?

State House District 8, South Dakota has a population of 48,656 according to the 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates from the US Census Bureau.

What is the median household income in State House District 8, South Dakota?

Median household income in State House District 8, South Dakota is $72,242 — below the national median of $80,734. The South Dakota state median is $75,081.

What is the political history of State House District 8, South Dakota?

Akashic tracks 38 presidential elections in State House District 8, South Dakota from 1876 to 2024. Of those, 9 went Democratic and 24 went Republican. The district's archetype — "Republican loyalist" — captures the overall trajectory of that voting record.

South Dakota 8th State House District delivered R+26 in 2024 — Republican for decades.

Key facts

Demographics

Compare two places, side by side

Frequently asked questions