▁people ; ▁hundreds ▁have ▁fewer ▁than ▁ 1 0 0 0 . ▁Between ▁ 1 9 9 6 ▁and ▁ 2 0 0 4 , ▁almost ▁half ▁a ▁million ▁people , ▁nearly ▁half ▁with ▁college ▁degrees , ▁left ▁the ▁six ▁states . ▁" R ural ▁flight " ▁as ▁it ▁is ▁called ▁has ▁led ▁to ▁offers ▁of ▁free ▁land ▁and ▁tax ▁breaks ▁as ▁ent ic ements ▁to ▁new com ers . ▁ ▁The ▁effect ▁of ▁rural ▁flight ▁has ▁not ▁been ▁spread ▁even ly ▁through ▁South ▁Dak ota , ▁however . ▁Although ▁most ▁rural ▁count ies ▁and ▁small ▁towns ▁have ▁lost ▁population , ▁the ▁Si oux ▁F alls ▁area ▁and ▁the ▁Black ▁Hills ▁have ▁gained ▁population . ▁In ▁fact , ▁Lincoln ▁County , ▁near ▁Si oux ▁F alls , ▁is ▁the ▁nin th - fast est - g row ing ▁county ▁( by ▁percentage ) ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁The ▁growth ▁in ▁these ▁areas ▁has ▁compens ated ▁for ▁losses ▁in ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁the ▁state , ▁and ▁South ▁Dak ota ' s ▁total ▁population ▁continues ▁to ▁increase ▁stead ily , ▁al beit ▁at ▁a ▁slower ▁rate ▁than ▁the ▁national ▁average . ▁ ▁B irth ▁data ▁Note : ▁B irth s ▁in ▁table ▁don ' t ▁add ▁up , ▁because ▁His pan ics ▁are ▁counted ▁both ▁by ▁their ▁eth nic ity ▁and ▁by ▁their ▁race , ▁giving ▁a ▁higher ▁overall ▁number . ▁ ▁Since ▁ 2 0 1 6 , ▁data ▁for ▁birth s ▁of ▁White ▁His pan ic ▁origin ▁are ▁not ▁collected , ▁but