Sioux Falls Hits Nearly 230K Residents in 2025 Growth Surge

In the 1880 census, Sioux Falls had a population of 2,164. Then the railroads came to town, and a decade later, the Queen City had ballooned to 10,177. From its incorporation in 1876, our little city has been a boomtown of sorts. Since then, Sioux Falls has experienced population growth in every census. This is the place to be.

Historic Growth: Sioux Falls Then and Now

Thursday, the City of Sioux Falls announced that in 2025, we welcomed 5,615 new residents to town. Those new neighbors contributed to a 2.3% growth in population, getting us just shy of a quarter million residents. The total: 224,676.

RELATED: Why Sioux Falls and Rapid City Are Growing So Quickly

Sioux Falls is still the most populous city in South Dakota. Minnehaha and Lincoln Counties, the two counties the city is in, have the most people in the state. Since 2018, 42,176 people moved to Sioux Falls.

South Dakota’s Population Trend

South Dakota continues its march toward a million residents. As of July 2024, South Dakota's estimated population was 924,669. In a report from South Dakota News Watch, U.S. Census Bureau data showed that half of the state's population lives in Sioux Falls or Rapid City.

Future Projections for Sioux Falls

From the looks of things, Sioux Falls boomtown status isn't going away. Some estimates say we could hit half a million or more by the end of the century.