HarrisDemocratic26.1%1,567TrumpRepublican71.9%4,313KennedyIndependent1.4%85
R+45.8- Lead
- 2,746
- Total
- 6,001
- vs nation
- R+44.3
- Turnout
- 80.3%
Akashiccounty
Custer County, SD
Contests in this Place (84 available)
President34 · 1892–2024 · 3 mapped
▦ precinct · ▥ counties · ▢ no spatial detail
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 80.3% of 7,604 citizens 18+
BidenDemocratic27.7%1,522TrumpRepublican70.1%3,852JorgensenLibertarian2.2%120
R+42.4- Lead
- 2,330
- Total
- 5,494
- vs nation
- R+46.9
- Turnout
- 74.3%
ClintonDemocratic23.7%1,121TrumpRepublican69.8%3,293JohnsonLibertarian5.4%256
R+46.0- Lead
- 2,172
- Total
- 4,721
- vs nation
- R+48.1
- Turnout
- 69.6%
ObamaDemocratic29.5%1,335RomneyRepublican67.7%3,062OtherAll other candidates2.7%123
R+38.2- Lead
- 1,727
- Total
- 4,520
- vs nation
- R+42.1
- Turnout
- —
ObamaDemocratic32.7%1,475McCainRepublican64.5%2,909OtherAll other candidates2.7%123
R+31.8- Lead
- 1,434
- Total
- 4,507
- vs nation
- R+39.1
- Turnout
- —
KerryDemocratic29.6%1,272BushRepublican67.9%2,922OtherAll other candidates2.6%110
R+38.3- Lead
- 1,650
- Total
- 4,304
- vs nation
- R+35.9
- Turnout
- —
GoreDemocratic26.7%955BushRepublican69.8%2,495OtherAll other candidates3.4%123
R+43.1- Lead
- 1,540
- Total
- 3,573
- vs nation
- R+43.6
- Turnout
- —
ClintonDemocratic33.4%1,122DoleRepublican51.8%1,740PerotReform12.5%418
R+18.4- Lead
- 618
- Total
- 3,357
- vs nation
- R+26.9
- Turnout
- —
Key facts
- 2024 presidential margin
- R+45.8MIT Election Lab
- Population
- 8,8922024 5-year
- Population density
- 5.7 / sq mi2024 5-year · TIGER/Line
- Land area
- 1,557 sq miTIGER/Line
- Median household income
- $84,1122024 5-year
- White (non-Hispanic)
- 87.7%2024 5-year
- Black
- 0.3%2024 5-year
- Hispanic / Latino
- 3.1%2024 5-year
- Peak Democratic margin
- D+45.9 in 1912MIT Election Lab
- Peak Republican margin
- R+46.0 in 2016MIT Election Lab
- Most similar
- Meagher County, MT · twin score 91.3
Turnout and midterm durability
Participation measured against the same-year citizen voting-age population. Audited cycles count total general-election participants — ballots or participating voters, not presidential candidate votes. Cycles before 2016 predate that series and are derived from the certified presidential returns instead; they are marked everywhere they appear and are excluded from the figures below.
2004–20248 cycles · 5 audited
- 2024 turnout
- 80.3%6,108 participants ÷ 7,604 CVAP
- 2020→2022 drop-off
- +1.9 ptsHigh-turnout, durable
- Drop-off vs state
- -10.4 ptsPositive means a larger decline than the statewide pattern
- Mechanical 2026
- 75.8%–78.5%Recent-cycle and two-cycle persistence scenarios; not a forecast
Participation by cycle
Presidential Midterm Derived, pre-2016
Select a presidential cycle to show it on the map and results ledger above.
| Cycle | Participants | CVAP | Turnout | Series | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6,108 | 7,604 ± 173 | 80.3% | Audited | A/A | |
| 2022Mid | 5,307 | 7,325 ± 161 | 72.5% | Audited | C/A |
| 5,553 | 7,473 ± 140 | 74.3% | Audited | A/A | |
| 2018Mid | 4,433 | 7,110 ± 133 | 62.3% | Audited | A/A |
| 4,823 | 6,927 ± 147 | 69.6% | Audited | A/A | |
| 4,520 | 6,583 | 68.7% | Derived | — | |
| 4,507 | 6,410 | 70.3% | Derived | — | |
| 4,304 | 6,237 extrapolated | 69.0% | Derived | — |
Sources and methods
Audited cycles (2016, 2018, 2020, 2022, 2024) count total general-election participants against the same-year CVAP special tabulation, each cell carrying its own numerator and denominator quality grade. Derived cycles (2004, 2008, 2012) come from the certified presidential returns on this page over the ACS 5-year CVAP series, so they measure presidential votes cast rather than ballots — a floor on participation. Where a derived cycle predates the ACS its denominator is extrapolated rather than read, and says so on its own line below. They are shown for the longer arc and are excluded from the drop-off, excess-drop-off, and 2026 scenario figures above.
- 2024: numerator source 158, denominator source 157; total voters participating; eavs-f1a-v1:observed:native; allocation share 0.0%; series 311/228.
- 2022: numerator source 159, denominator source 157; top ticket votes; canonical-complete-contest-floor-v1; allocation share 0.0%; series 154/183.
- 2020: numerator source 158, denominator source 157; total voters participating; eavs-f1a-v1:observed:native; allocation share 0.0%; series 301/2.
- 2018: numerator source 158, denominator source 157; total voters participating; eavs-f1a-v1:observed:native; allocation share 0.0%; series 297/138.
- 2016: numerator source 158, denominator source 157; total voters participating; eavs-f1a-v1:observed:native; allocation share 0.0%; series 293/111.
- 2012 (derived): Certified presidential returns · ACS 5-year CVAP (B05003); presidential votes cast — a floor on participation, not a ballot count.
- 2008 (derived): Certified presidential returns · ACS 5-year CVAP (B05003); presidential votes cast — a floor on participation, not a ballot count.
- 2004 (derived): Certified presidential returns · extrapolated CVAP denominator; presidential votes cast — a floor on participation, not a ballot count; 2004 predates the ACS, so the denominator is a linear back-extrapolation from the 2008 and 2012 CVAP values, not a read figure.
Interactive election map
One map. Every available contest.
The map and local result cover Custer County only. The complete contest result is shown below for comparison.
Custer County result
0 precinct units · 0 candidate votes
Dusty Johnson0—
Jon Hansen0—
Larry Rhoden0—
Toby Doeden0—
Governor contest result
Loading the complete contest result…
Explore precinct resultsSearch, sort, compare years, or export CSV · 20 precincts
Precinct data
Results by precinct
20 precincts · 6,001 votes
Precinct boundaries and identifiers are cycle-specific. This table does not join rows across years without a validated crosswalk.
| Precinct -BEAR ROCK #9BEAR ROCK #9 | 400 | 1,068 | 28 | 1,496 | 26.7% | 71.4% | R+44.7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Precinct -HERMOSA #1HERMOSA #1 | 265 | 975 | 23 | 1,263 | 21.0% | 77.2% | R+56.2 |
| Precinct -SENTINEL HILL #5SENTINEL HILL #5 | 205 | 560 | 17 | 782 | 26.2% | 71.6% | R+45.4 |
| Precinct -PRINGLE #4PRINGLE #4 | 134 | 487 | 8 | 629 | 21.3% | 77.4% | R+56.1 |
| Precinct -CUSTER CITY #8 WARD IIICUSTER CITY #8 WARD III | 189 | 303 | 5 | 497 | 38.0% | 61.0% | R+22.9 |
| Precinct -CUSTER CITY #6 WARD ICUSTER CITY #6 WARD I | 154 | 259 | 20 | 433 | 35.6% | 59.8% | R+24.2 |
| Precinct -CUSTER CITY #7 WARD IICUSTER CITY #7 WARD II | 94 | 181 | 6 | 281 | 33.5% | 64.4% | R+31.0 |
| Precinct -BUFFALO GAP #3BUFFALO GAP #3 | 62 | 155 | 3 | 220 | 28.2% | 70.5% | R+42.3 |
| Precinct -ELK MOUNTAIN #10ELK MOUNTAIN #10 | 37 | 176 | 3 | 216 | 17.1% | 81.5% | R+64.4 |
| Precinct -FAIRBURN #2FAIRBURN #2 | 27 | 149 | 8 | 184 | 14.7% | 81.0% | R+66.3 |
| VTD Custer City precinct 6 ward 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | No votes |
| VTD Custer City precinct 7 ward 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | No votes |
| VTD Custer City precinct 8 ward 33 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | No votes |
| VTD precinct Bear RockBR | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | No votes |
| VTD precinct Buffalo GapBG | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | No votes |
| VTD precinct Elk MountainEM | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | No votes |
| VTD precinct FairBurnFB | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | No votes |
| VTD precinct HermosaHE | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | No votes |
| VTD precinct PringlePR | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | No votes |
| VTD precinct SenthillSE | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | No votes |
presidential history
Party record book
Custer 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
60.3%
1,548 votes · D+22.2
Runner-up · William J. Bryan, 1896 · 54.4%
Republican
Dwight D. Eisenhower1952
72.6%
1,725 votes · R+45.1
Runner-up · Donald Trump, 2024 · 71.9%
Most votes
Largest number of votes cast for the party’s presidential nominee here.
Democratic
Kamala Harris2024
1,567votes
26.1% of the vote · R+45.8
Runner-up · Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1932 · 1,548 votes
Republican
Donald Trump2024
4,313votes
71.9% of the vote · R+45.8
Runner-up · Donald Trump, 2020 · 3,852 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
Woodrow Wilson1912
+26.3pts D vs U.S.
Place D+45.9 · U.S. D+19.5 · a third-party candidate carried the Place
Runner-up · William J. Bryan, 1896 · +15.2 pts
Republican
Donald Trump2016
+48.1pts R vs U.S.
Place R+46.0 · U.S. D+2.1
Runner-up · Donald Trump, 2020 · +46.9 pts
current representation
Current officeholders
RAmber HulseState Senate · 30
RTim GoodwinState House · 30
RTrish LadnerState House · 30
Seats representing Custer County, SD. A county elects none of these itself — they are the members for the 1 congressional, 1 state senate and 1 state house districts it falls inside, so parts of the county are represented by different members.
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%4,336 | 4,336 |
voter registration
Registered voters
By party of registration, over time
Party registration · 2026R+53.6
Presidential vote · 2024R+45.8
Registration leans Republican; the presidential vote runs 7.8 points more Democratic than the rolls.
8,148 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
+122 net domestic migration · 2025
20112025
Net +1,927 over 2011–2025 · gain loss
Arrivals reported $107,786 in average income, against $85,464 for residents who stayed — 26% higher. (IRS SOI, 2022–23)
The places arrivals came from lean R+32.1 on average — 14 points more Democratic-leaning than Custer County, SD itself (R+45.8).
Where arrivals came from lean of each source
- Pennington County, SD93R+26.4
- Fall River County, SD31R+49.3
Where departures went households, 2022–23
- Pennington County, SD96
- Fall River 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 | +78 |
| 2012 | −8 |
| 2013 | +104 |
| 2014 | +21 |
| 2015 | +36 |
| 2016 | +191 |
| 2017 | +83 |
| 2018 | +71 |
| 2019 | +183 |
| 2021 | +357 |
| 2022 | +364 |
| 2023 | +98 |
| 2024 | +227 |
| 2025 | +122 |
Custer County's economy revolves around tourism, forestry, and ranching in the Black Hills, producing one of South Dakota's most lopsided Republican presidential margins — a pattern consistent across the past several election cycles.
Across the recorded series it reached a Democratic high of 45.9 points in 1912 and a Republican high of 46.0 points in 2016. Between 2020 and 2024 the county moved 3.3 points toward the Republican candidate; the 2024 margin was 45.8 points.
A population of 8,892, a 88% non-Hispanic-white share, and a median household income of $84,112 describe the county. The county's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of Meagher County and Custer County.
Political twins — counties
The counties whose fingerprint — 2000–2024 trajectory, demographics, ancestry, religion — sits closest to this one, and why.
Meagher County
Montana
91.3twin score
median age2000–2012 trajectory≠ American ancestry
Custer County
Colorado
86.8twin score
median age2000–2008 trajectory≠ college share
Fall River County
South Dakota
86.3twin score
median age2016 marginpopulation scale≠ Swedish ancestry
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.
Custer County, South Dakota. Akashic. https://akashic.app/county/46033/. Accessed May 20, 2026. License: CC BY 4.0.
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Frequently asked questions
How did Custer County, South Dakota vote in 2024?
In 2024, Custer County, South Dakota voted Republican by 45.8 points (R+45.8), carried by the Republican candidate. Out of 6,001 votes cast, 1,567 went Democratic and 4,313 went Republican.
When did Custer County, South Dakota last vote Democratic?
The most recent presidential election in which Custer County, South Dakota voted Democratic was 1964.
How many people live in Custer County, South Dakota?
Custer County, South Dakota has a population of 8,892 according to the 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates from the US Census Bureau.
What is the median household income in Custer County, South Dakota?
Median household income in Custer County, South Dakota is $84,112 — above the national median of $80,734. The South Dakota state median is $75,081.
What is the political history of Custer County, South Dakota?
Akashic tracks 38 presidential elections in Custer County, South Dakota from 1876 to 2024. Of those, 5 went Democratic and 28 went Republican.