HARRISBURG, S.D. (AP) — This bedroom community just south of Sioux Falls transformed over the past couple of decades into the fastest-growing South Dakota city of more than 5,000 people, according to the most recent U.S. Census Bureau and Population Division report.
Harrisburg’s population ballooned by 37.8%, or more than 2,500 residents, between July 1, 2020, and July 1, 2023, the report said. Nearby Tea was just behind with 29.9% growth followed by Box Elder, just east of Rapid City, with a 16.2% increase over the time frame.
After teaching first grade for 14 years in Brookings, Julie LeFebvre needed a fresh start and found it in Harrisburg.
“I applied for a job down here, and I got it right away,” LeFebvre said. “With the way that things transitioned so smoothly, I felt like it was meant to be.”
Eighteen cities in the state now have populations of at least 5,000, but not all grew between 2020 and 2023. Brandon, just east of Sioux Falls, saw a slight decrease in its population, as did Aberdeen, Madison, Mitchell, Pierre and Sturgis, the Census said.
