South Dakota 3rd State Senate District, South Dakota: Republican loyalist district. In 2024, voted R+27%. Republican peak: R+52 in 1924.
Key facts
- 2024 presidential margin
- R+27MIT Election Lab
- Political archetype
- Republican loyalistAkashic typology
- Population
- 8062024 5-year
- Median household income
- $70,8982024 5-year
- White (non-Hispanic)
- 85.4%2024 5-year
- Black
- 1.5%2024 5-year
- Hispanic / Latino
- 4.7%2024 5-year
- Peak Democratic margin
- D+51 in 1912MIT Election Lab
- Peak Republican margin
- R+52 in 1924MIT Election Lab
Constituent county margins for State Senate District 3, SDOne cell per constituent county, colored by 2024 presidential margin from deep red (Republican) through neutral to deep blue (Democratic), ordered bluest first.
R+60D+60
One cell per constituent county. Ordered by 2024 D-vs-R margin (bluest first). Hover for county-level numbers.
38 presidential elections
| Year | Won | Margin | Democratic | Republican | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R | 129 | 227 | 363 | ||
| R | 139 | 225 | 373 | ||
| R | 116 | 205 | 343 | ||
| R | 154 | 177 | 342 | ||
| D | 192 | 172 | 371 | ||
| R | 169 | 221 | 396 | ||
| D | 193 | 153 | 352 | ||
| D | 168 | 145 | 350 | ||
| D | 160 | 142 | 384 | ||
| D | 185 | 182 | 368 | ||
| R | 146 | 224 | 372 | ||
| R | 129 | 225 | 383 | ||
| D | 189 | 162 | 354 | ||
| D | 175 | 173 | 350 | ||
| D | 155 | 142 | 310 | ||
| D | 194 | 118 | 311 | ||
| R | 168 | 171 | 339 | ||
| R | 153 | 174 | 327 | ||
| R | 131 | 204 | 335 | ||
| D | 152 | 120 | 276 | ||
| D | 135 | 119 | 255 | ||
| D | 171 | 140 | 312 | ||
| D | 195 | 96 | 298 | ||
| D | 185 | 99 | 289 | ||
| R | 108 | 155 | 267 | ||
| R | 8 | 58 | 96 | ||
| R | 29 | 119 | 210 | ||
| O | 57 | 57 | 125 | ||
| D | 53 | 0 | 104 | ||
| R | 38 | 56 | 101 | ||
| R | 21 | 58 | 88 | ||
| R | 37 | 47 | 86 | ||
| D | 40 | 34 | 75 | ||
| R | 6 | 31 | 68 | ||
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Demographics
Race, ethnicity, and ancestry
Click any group to see the ancestries typically reported within it.
German
42.7%
English
7.8%
Irish
7.2%
American
4.5%
French
2.2%
Polish
1.0%
Scottish
1.0%
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: 37.8 in this county, 39.1 nationally
Male
Age
Female
85+
75–84
65–74
55–64
45–54
35–44
25–34
18–24
5–17
<5
Source · American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2024 release.
Median household income
2024 inflation-adjusted dollars
$70,898
State Senate District 3 ranks near the middle of US counties.
State Senate District 3$70,898
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
11.7%
Child poverty is below the national average.
Children under 1812.2%
Working age (18–64)11.6%
Seniors (65+)11.3%
Source · American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2024 release.
Language at home
Population aged 5 and older
93.4%
speak English only
Spanish2.6%
Asian & Pacific Islander2.1%
Other Indo-European1.8%
Source · ACS 5-year estimates, 2024.
Religious adherents
Adherents per capita by tradition
Source · 2020 US Religion Census. Remaining 24.8% of residents not counted as adherents by any reporting body.
With a 2024 presidential margin of R+54.1, this sparsely populated district in South Dakota ranks among the most one-sided in the state, reflecting the deep Republican alignment typical of rural northern Plains constituencies.
The Republican margin in South Dakota 3rd State Senate District reached its widest at fifty-two points in 1924. The margin in 2024 was twenty-seven points, in line with the district's deep historical pattern.
Its loyalty is rooted in its place. Median household income of $70,898, a 85% non-Hispanic-white share, and a population of 806 together describe a district whose political habits are deeply settled.
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.
State Senate District 3, South Dakota. Akashic. https://akashic.app/sld-upper/46003/. Accessed May 20, 2026. License: CC BY 4.0.
License: CC BY 4.0
Frequently asked questions
How did State Senate District 3, South Dakota vote in 2024?
In 2024, State Senate District 3, South Dakota voted Republican by 27.0 points (R+27), carried by the Republican candidate. Out of 363 votes cast, 129 went Democratic and 227 went Republican.
What is State Senate District 3, South Dakota's political archetype?
Akashic classifies State Senate District 3, 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 16 times, Republican 17 times, and other 1 times.
When did State Senate District 3, South Dakota last vote Democratic?
The most recent presidential election in which State Senate District 3, South Dakota voted Democratic was 2008.
How many people live in State Senate District 3, South Dakota?
State Senate District 3, South Dakota has a population of 806 according to the 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates from the US Census Bureau.
What is the median household income in State Senate District 3, South Dakota?
Median household income in State Senate District 3, South Dakota is $70,898 — below the national median of $80,734. The South Dakota state median is $75,081.
What is the political history of State Senate District 3, South Dakota?
Akashic tracks 38 presidential elections in State Senate District 3, South Dakota from 1876 to 2024. Of those, 16 went Democratic and 17 went Republican. The district's archetype — "Republican loyalist" — captures the overall trajectory of that voting record.