Jacob Boomsma // Shutterstock
1 / 20#20. Deuel County and Hamlin County
- Deuel County population: 4,354
- Hamlin County population: 6,451
- Social connectedness index: 11,432,841
Most socially connected counties in South Dakota
In today's digital age, social media platforms enable people to bridge geographic distances and connect with their friends, family, and community, no matter where they are. According to a 2022 Gallup and Meta study, at least 1 in 3 people across seven countries, including the U.S., said they used social media to interact with others at least once a day in the past week.
While social media has its drawbacks—such as pulling attention away from other tasks or fostering a problematic comparison culture—it remains a vital tool for helping people stay connected.
A majority of students in grades 3 to 12 said social media helped them develop relationships, learn social skills, and make a positive impact in their community, according to a 2024 report from The Social Institute.
Spokeo compiled a ranking of the most socially connected counties in South Dakota using 2021 data from Facebook, based on a national analysis. County pairs were ranked by their social connectedness index, which measures the relative probability that two individuals across two locations are friends with each other on Facebook. The social connectedness index is a scaled value up to a billion. Larger indexes indicate a greater share of Facebook friends between county pairs.
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2 / 20#19. Hutchinson County and Bon Homme County
- Hutchinson County population: 7,394
- Bon Homme County population: 7,065
- Social connectedness index: 12,147,370
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3 / 20#18. Butte County and Harding County
- Butte County population: 10,863
- Harding County population: 1,324
- Social connectedness index: 15,929,789
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4 / 20#17. Lake County and Miner County
- Lake County population: 11,031
- Miner County population: 2,280
- Social connectedness index: 16,279,079
vagabond54 // Shutterstock
5 / 20#16. Marshall County and Day County
- Marshall County population: 4,390
- Day County population: 5,451
- Social connectedness index: 17,245,868
vagabond54 // Shutterstock
6 / 20#15. Bennett County and Oglala Lakota County
- Bennett County population: 3,305
- Oglala Lakota County population: 13,434
- Social connectedness index: 18,037,301
SevenMaps // Shutterstock
7 / 20#14. Davison County and Hanson County
- Davison County population: 19,922
- Hanson County population: 3,471
- Social connectedness index: 19,938,350
Jacob Boomsma // Shutterstock
8 / 20#13. Faulk County and Spink County
- Faulk County population: 2,151
- Spink County population: 6,166
- Social connectedness index: 22,195,803
Jacob Boomsma // Shutterstock
9 / 20#12. Gregory County and Tripp County
- Gregory County population: 4,018
- Tripp County population: 5,621
- Social connectedness index: 27,649,946
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10 / 20#11. Hughes County and Stanley County
- Hughes County population: 17,624
- Stanley County population: 3,043
- Social connectedness index: 29,750,951
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11 / 20#10. McPherson County and Edmunds County
- McPherson County population: 2,334
- Edmunds County population: 4,057
- Social connectedness index: 29,816,841
SevenMaps // Shutterstock
12 / 20#9. Douglas County and Aurora County
- Douglas County population: 2,838
- Aurora County population: 2,782
- Social connectedness index: 30,643,129
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13 / 20#8. Campbell County and Walworth County
- Campbell County population: 1,340
- Walworth County population: 5,269
- Social connectedness index: 40,004,595
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14 / 20#7. Buffalo County and Lyman County
- Buffalo County population: 1,884
- Lyman County population: 3,705
- Social connectedness index: 55,367,123
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15 / 20#6. Ziebach County and Dewey County
- Ziebach County population: 2,322
- Dewey County population: 5,208
- Social connectedness index: 55,659,157
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16 / 20#5. Jones County and Mellette County
- Jones County population: 855
- Mellette County population: 1,851
- Social connectedness index: 58,396,289
Jacob Boomsma // Shutterstock
17 / 20#4. Sully County and Potter County
- Sully County population: 1,494
- Potter County population: 2,413
- Social connectedness index: 58,545,849
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18 / 20#3. Jackson County and Haakon County
- Jackson County population: 2,776
- Haakon County population: 1,851
- Social connectedness index: 59,980,007
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19 / 20#2. Jerauld County and Sanborn County
- Jerauld County population: 1,660
- Sanborn County population: 2,399
- Social connectedness index: 61,194,868
SevenMaps // Shutterstock
20 / 20#1. Hand County and Hyde County
- Hand County population: 3,107
- Hyde County population: 1,186
- Social connectedness index: 69,326,387
This story features data reporting by Karim Noorani, writing by Kayla Zhu, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 46 states.
