Lawrence County is the smallest in the region with only 800.04 square miles. As of July 1, 2011, the county's population was 24,312, according to estimates by the U.S. Census. This total represented a 0.5 percent increase over the previous year. Lawrence County has the second highest population density in the region, about 30.1 people per square mile. Nearly half of the population lives in the county seat of Spearfish.

Lawrence County has the best-educated population in the region: 92.7 percent of its citizens have graduated from high school and 33.3 percent from college. This may be due to Black Hills State University in Spearfish, with an undergraduate student body of nearly 5,000.

The University and relatively young population may also account for Lawrence County having the second lowest home ownership rate it the region, about 66.8 percent.

Race

Lawrence County has the least diverse population in the region with 94.4 percent of its residents claiming Caucasian background in the 2010 Census. The remainder is primarily Hispanic and Native American.

Poverty

According to the South Dakota Kids Count project, the estimated percentage of children under the age of 18 in poverty in Lawrence County hovered around 18 percent between 2005 and 2009.

Looking for Census information on demographics and housing in your neighborhood? The Federal Financial Institutions Council, an agency of the federal government, provides a site where you can enter your street address and access census data about your neighborhood.