Personal loans in Deadwood, SD
Deadwood, South Dakota — home to about 1,343 people — is a small community, so the terms you are offered follow South Dakota law rather than any local rule.
Deadwood is home to roughly 1,343 people and stands 45th by size out of 309 Census places in South Dakota. A larger market lies at Lead, SD about 3 miles away. A 2020-to-2023 comparison shows Deadwood up by about 16.5%. A single loan can carry different costs on either side of a state line, and Deadwood sits on the South Dakota side of that line. Pull your credit reports and line up at least three offers before you apply from Deadwood.
Deadwood by the numbers
Most of what governs a Deadwood loan is written in South Dakota law rather than in the city; the sourced notes below make that split concrete.
- Population: the Census counts 1,343 residents in Deadwood (Vintage 2023 subcounty estimate), the 45th-largest figure among South Dakota's 309 places.
- Population trend: Roughly 16.5% more residents than the 2020 Census counted.
- Change in people: the 2020-to-2023 comparison is a gain of about 190 residents.
- Size percentile: with 1,343 residents, Deadwood is larger than about 85% of South Dakota's Census places.
- Density: the Census land area of 4.9 sq mi holds about 272 people per square mile.
- Land area rank: Deadwood's 4.9 square miles rank 15th of 309 places in South Dakota.
- State share: roughly 0.2% of South Dakota's residents live in Deadwood (1,343 people).
- National rank: Deadwood is the 9,124th most populous of the 19,457 Census places covered here.
- Growth rank: Deadwood ranks 5th among South Dakota's 309 places for the 2020-to-2023 change.
- Versus South Dakota: the state average change is +0.9%, while Deadwood moved 16.5%.
- Density in South Dakota: Deadwood ranks 219th by people per square mile.
- Density in context: Deadwood's 272 people per square mile sit against a South Dakota median of 581.
- Location: latitude 44.3870, longitude -103.7207 (Census Gazetteer).
- Nearest larger cities: Lead (3 mi); Spearfish (9 mi); Sturgis (11 mi); Belle Fourche (20 mi); Summerset (23 mi). Any of them may have more branches, but statewide rules and your credit still set the price.
- Smaller communities close by: Central City (3 mi); Whitewood (7 mi); Fruitdale (20 mi), each with its own Census population profile.
- Within a 50-mile radius: 13 smaller Census places.
- Within 100 miles: 12 places are larger than Deadwood.
Deadwood on the map
Deadwood covers about 4.9 square miles of land (Census Gazetteer); no significant water area is recorded inside its boundaries. With 1,343 residents, the land area yields roughly 272 people per square mile. For the state's biggest city, Sioux Falls, the distance is roughly 352 miles. Deadwood has 9 larger places within a 50-mile radius. The 100-mile radius contains 12 larger places.
Deadwood in state context
Deadwood is the 45th-largest of 309 Census places in South Dakota and contains about 0.2% of the state's people. For population change between 2020 and 2023, Deadwood ranks 5th of 309 in South Dakota (about the 98th percentile). Its roughly 272 residents per square mile place it 219th among South Dakota's places. The population moved by about 190 people between 2020 and 2023, a 16.5% shift.
What shapes a Deadwood personal loan
In Deadwood, a small community of about 1,343, the amount is advanced up front and repaid in fixed installments; the city's size does not change the pricing. A lender serving Deadwood's 1,343 residents must disclose the APR and finance charge in writing before you sign. Shortening the term on a Deadwood loan raises the monthly payment but cuts the interest; lengthening it does the reverse.
The South Dakota lending rules that reach Deadwood
This table holds the South Dakota rate and licensing rules for consumer loans made to Deadwood's 1,343 residents.
| Rule | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| State lending regulator | South Dakota Division of Banking (Department of Labor and Regulation) Source says: "The Division of Banking is charged with the regulation and supervision of state chartered and licensed financial institutions." | South Dakota Division of Banking (Department of Labor and Regulation) as of 2026-09-16 |
| Payday lending status | Legal for licensed money lenders (including payday and title lenders) but capped at 36% APR including all fees and charges; violations are a Class 1 misdemeanor and loans are void. Source says: "no licensee may contract for or receive finance charges pursuant to a loan in excess of an annual rate of thirty-six percent" (SDCL 54-4-44); "A violation of this section is a Class 1 misdemeanor. Any loan made in violation of this section is void and uncollectible" (54-4-44). | South Dakota Legislature (South Dakota Codified Laws) as of 2026-09-16 |
| Small-loan / installment lender licensing | Money Lender license (SDCL ch. 54-4) required for anyone lending money or creating/holding/purchasing retail installment contracts; payday and title lenders are licensed as money lenders. Source says: "to be a Money Lender and subject to the licensing requirements of South Dakota Codified Laws (SDCL) Chapter 54-4"; "Payday and title lenders are also licensed as Money Lenders under SDCL Chapter 54-4." | South Dakota Division of Banking (Department of Labor and Regulation) as of 2026-09-16 |
Borrowing reach in Deadwood
With about 272 residents per square mile, Deadwood is lightly settled, and 9 larger Census places sit within 50 miles. A South Dakota licence lets a lender serve Deadwood without a local office, so branch density does not change what its 1,343 residents are offered. The nearest bigger place is Lead, SD about 3 miles away.
Common questions
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Nearby places
- Central City, SD — population 104
- Lead, SD — population 3,035
- Whitewood, SD — population 943
- Spearfish, SD — population 13,282
- Sturgis, SD — population 7,067
- Fruitdale, SD — population 80
- Belle Fourche, SD — population 5,873
- Nisland, SD — population 213