akashic
1876–2024
State Senate District 20·South Dakota

South Dakota 20th State Senate District has voted Republican in six straight presidential cycles.

One of South Dakota's most reliably Republican legislative districts

1876 — 2024·38 elections
SD
Latest
R+40
in 2024
Archetype
Republican loyalist
since the recent cycles
Population
24,540
2024 ACS

South Dakota 20th State Senate District, South Dakota: Republican loyalist district. In 2024, voted R+40%. Republican peak: R+49 in 1904.

Key facts

2024 presidential margin
R+40MIT Election Lab
Political archetype
Republican loyalistAkashic typology
Population
24,5402024 5-year
Median household income
$68,1472024 5-year
White (non-Hispanic)
90.3%2024 5-year
Black
0.6%2024 5-year
Hispanic / Latino
5.2%2024 5-year
Peak Democratic margin
D+42 in 1912MIT Election Lab
Peak Republican margin
R+49 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).
YearWonMarginDemocraticRepublicanTotal
R
−40.2%
3,3338,00311,607
R
−38.2%
3,2357,38710,859
R
−37.5%
2,9136,75710,242
R
−20.7%
3,9736,10210,306
R
−12.2%
4,7106,05410,996
R
−23.7%
4,4477,26611,890
D
+2.7%
5,4575,16910,841
D
+15.9%
6,0854,26111,456
D
+11.5%
5,2833,95611,562
R
−3.2%
5,4065,76611,245
R
−21.3%
4,5827,06411,677
R
−21.2%
4,4877,16012,582
D
+8.8%
6,6235,54812,232
D
+6.3%
6,8656,04712,949
R
−4.7%
5,5236,09212,033
D
+23.1%
7,5784,73612,314
R
−2.4%
6,4686,78413,252
R
−3.2%
6,4026,83213,235
R
−25.5%
5,0038,42513,428
D
+8.1%
6,2455,29511,664
R
−4.6%
5,1565,64910,806
R
−3.9%
6,8047,36214,167
D
+25.5%
8,6325,01914,183
D
+41.3%
9,8444,02714,078
R
−16.8%
5,1787,28912,537
R
−38.7%
1,1915,22710,438
R
−31.4%
2,1025,0429,367
D
+0.0%
3,0293,0276,324
O
+41.6%
2,41505,810
R
−13.8%
2,1332,8765,383
R
−49.3%
1,0003,3934,856
R
−4.1%
1,8201,9803,945
D
+5.3%
1,7021,5303,270
R
−37.8%
3151,5523,276
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Demographics

Race, ethnicity, and ancestry
Click any group to see the ancestries typically reported within it.
German
36.9%
Irish
9.6%
English
7.6%
American
7.6%
French
2.5%
Scottish
1.6%
Polish
1.2%
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: 40.3 in this county, 39.1 nationally
Male
Age
Female
1.0%
85+
2.1%
2.6%
75–84
3.7%
6.2%
65–74
5.9%
6.2%
55–64
6.6%
5.7%
45–54
4.9%
6.2%
35–44
5.6%
6.1%
25–34
5.7%
4.2%
18–24
3.6%
8.7%
5–17
8.8%
2.8%
<5
3.5%
Source · American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2024 release.
Median household income
2024 inflation-adjusted dollars
$68,147
State Senate District 20 ranks near the middle of US counties.
State Senate District 20$68,147
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
10.7%
Child poverty is below the national average.
Children under 1810.1%
Working age (18–64)11.3%
Seniors (65+)8.1%
Source · American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2024 release.
Language at home
Population aged 5 and older
96.5%
speak English only
Spanish2.4%
Other languages0.4%
Other Indo-European0.4%
Asian & Pacific Islander0.3%
Source · ACS 5-year estimates, 2024.
Religious adherents
Adherents per capita by tradition
Catholic & Orthodox
22.1%
Mainline Protestant
20.9%
Other Christian
9.5%
Methodist
5.2%
Pentecostal & Holiness
4.0%
Baptist
0.2%
Source · 2020 US Religion Census. Remaining 38.1% of residents not counted as adherents by any reporting body.

With a 2024 presidential margin exceeding 40 points, this district of roughly 24,000 residents ranks among the state's most one-sided, leaving legislative contests largely uncompetitive at the general election stage.

The Republican margin in South Dakota 20th State Senate District reached its widest at forty-nine points in 1904. The margin in 2024 was forty points, in line with the district's deep historical pattern.

Its loyalty is rooted in its place. Median household income of $68,147, a 90% non-Hispanic-white share, and a population of 24,540 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 20, South Dakota. Akashic. https://akashic.app/sld-upper/46020/. Accessed May 20, 2026. License: CC BY 4.0.
License: CC BY 4.0

Frequently asked questions

How did State Senate District 20, South Dakota vote in 2024?
In 2024, State Senate District 20, South Dakota voted Republican by 40.2 points (R+40), carried by the Republican candidate. Out of 11,607 votes cast, 3,333 went Democratic and 8,003 went Republican.
What is State Senate District 20, South Dakota's political archetype?
Akashic classifies State Senate District 20, 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 11 times, Republican 22 times, and other 1 times.
When did State Senate District 20, South Dakota last vote Democratic?
The most recent presidential election in which State Senate District 20, South Dakota voted Democratic was 2000.
How many people live in State Senate District 20, South Dakota?
State Senate District 20, South Dakota has a population of 24,540 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 20, South Dakota?
Median household income in State Senate District 20, South Dakota is $68,147 — below the national median of $80,734. The South Dakota state median is $75,081.
What is the political history of State Senate District 20, South Dakota?
Akashic tracks 38 presidential elections in State Senate District 20, South Dakota from 1876 to 2024. Of those, 11 went Democratic and 22 went Republican. The district's archetype — "Republican loyalist" — captures the overall trajectory of that voting record.