New Americans in South Dakota

The Economic Power of Immigrants, Latinos, and Asians in the Mount Rushmore State (Updated January 2012)

Download the Fact Sheet (2010 Census Data)

Download the Previous Fact Sheet (2008 Census Data)

Immigrants and their children are growing shares of South Dakota’s population.

The foreign-born share of South Dakota’s population rose from 1.1% in 1990, to 1.8% in 2000, to 2.7% in 2010, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. South Dakota was home to 22,238 immigrants in 2010.

40.8% of immigrants (or 9,083 people) in South Dakota were naturalized U.S. citizens in 2010—meaning that they are eligible to vote.

1.3% (or 5,742) of registered voters in South Dakota were “New Americans”—naturalized citizens or the U.S.-born children of immigrants who were raised during the current era of immigration from Latin America and Asia which began in 1965—according to an analysis of 2008 Census Bureau data by Rob Paral & Associates.

Nearly 30,000 South Dakotans are Latino or Asian.

The Latino share of South Dakota’s population grew from 0.8% in 1990 to 1.4% in 2000, to 2.7% (or 22,119 people) in 2010. The Asian share of the population grew 0.4% in 1990, to 0.6% in 2000, to 0.9% (or 7,610 people) in 2010, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

In South Dakota, 91.2% of children with immigrant parents were U.S. citizens in 2009, according to data from the Urban Institute.

In 2009, 95.7% of children in Latino families in South Dakota were U.S. citizens.

Latino and Asian entrepreneurs and consumers add hundreds of millions of dollars and hundreds of jobs to South Dakota’s economy.

The 2010 purchasing power of Latinos in South Dakota totaled $548.5 million—an increase of 1,162.2% since 1990. Asian buying power totaled $260.4 million—an increase of 811.3% since 1990, according to the Selig Center for Economic Growth at the University of Georgia.

South Dakota’s 595 Latino-owned businesses had sales and receipts of $317.4 million and employed 1,206 people in 2007, the last year for which data is available. The state’s 452 Asian-owned businesses had sales and receipts of $203.8 million and employed 2,837 people in 2007, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Survey of Business Owners.

Immigrants contribute to South Dakota’s economy as workers.

Immigrants comprised 2.2% of the state’s workforce in 2008 (or 9,950 workers), according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Unauthorized immigrants are important to South Dakota’s economy as workers and consumers.

Unauthorized immigrants comprised less than 1.5% of the state’s workforce (or fewer than 10,000 workers) in 2010, according to a report by the Pew Hispanic Center.

If all unauthorized immigrants were removed from South Dakota, the state would lose $190.5 million in economic activity, $84.6 million in gross state product, and approximately 1,440 jobs, even accounting for adequate market adjustment time, according to a report by the Perryman Group.

Immigrants are important to South Dakota’s economy as students.

South Dakota’s 1,089 foreign students contributed $15.4 million to the state’s economy in tuition, fees, and living expenses for the 2009-2010 academic year, according to NAFSA: Association of International Educators.

Naturalized citizens excel educationally.

In South Dakota, 27.1% of foreign-born persons who were naturalized U.S. citizens in 2009 had a bachelor’s or higher degree, compared to 22.8% of noncitizens. At the same time, only 27.6% of naturalized citizens lacked a high-school diploma, compared to 30.8% of noncitizens.

The number of immigrants in South Dakota with a college degree increased by 58.6% between 2000 and 2009, according to data from the Migration Policy Institute.

In South Dakota, 88.4% of children with immigrant parents were considered “English proficient” as of 2009, according to data from the Urban Institute.