Where Do South Dakota’s Native American Population Numbers Rank Nationally?

Of the more than 5 million Native Americans who live in the United States, not surprisingly, a large number call South Dakota home.

According to a Newsweek examination of the latest numbers from the United States Census Bureau, the state is home to just over 75,000 Native Americans, which is eighth-most in the country.

STATES WITH HIGHEST NATIVE AMERICAN POPULATIONS (U.S. Census Bureau) 

1. Arizona - 332,273
2. California - 321,112
3. Oklahoma - 316,929
4. New Mexico - 199,341
5. Texas - 144,993
6. North Carolina - 126,708
7. Alaska - 115,544
8. Washington - 103,882
9. South Dakota - 75,809
10. New York - 73,560

Broken down by percentages, South Dakota's Native American numbers are even more significant.

The state's 8.6% proportion of Native Americans is the third highest in the nation, trailing only Alaska (15.8%) and New Mexico (9.5%).

In South Dakota, the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation ranks among the nation's largest in area, encompassing more than two million acres (7th largest).

Currently, there are 574 federally recognized and 63 state-recognized tribes across America.

The number of Native Americans in the country is expected to grow by more than 10 million in the next 40 years.

The latest census revealed that about half of Native Americans live on one of the 326 reservations nationwide, which make up approximately 56 million acres of land.