LearnLife Financial literacy by location

Financial Literacy in Martin, SD

With a population of roughly 923, Martin, South Dakota is among the larger communities in South Dakota, ranking 70th of 310 by population. The population has declined 1.7% since 2020, from 939 to 923. The median age is 34.6.

35.1% of Martin residents 25 and older have completed a bachelor's degree or more. That runs 14.8 points above the South Dakota average of 20.3%. Put the other way round: of the 618 adults 25 and over counted in the 2019–2023 ACS, roughly 401 — 64.9% — are building their financial lives without a four-year degree behind them.

The typical household here earns $49,609 a year. That is $12,560 below the South Dakota median. About 14.7% of residents live below the poverty line. The median home is valued at $87,300, roughly 1.8× median household income.

Martin by the numbers

MeasureValue
Population (2024)923
Change since 2020-1.7%
Median household income$49,609
Adults 25+ with a bachelor’s degree35.1%
Adults 25+ with a high school diploma95.3%
Median age34.6
Poverty rate14.7%
Unemployment rate5.3%
Median home value$87,300
Land area0.56 sq mi
Population density1,648 / sq mi

What South Dakota teaches — and to whom

South Dakota lets students satisfy the requirement with either Personal Finance or Economics. Which means for most residents of Martin, whatever they know about money they picked up somewhere other than a classroom.

LearnLife organises this the way the decisions actually arrive: Legal literacy — leases, contracts, employment rights and what a signature actually commits you to; Money — budgeting, credit, debt and taxes — the mechanics nobody is formally taught; Emotional regulation — the self-management that decides whether the other skills ever get used.

Where to start in Martin

Start with the money that moves every month

For most households in Martin, the fastest gain is not an investing strategy — it is seeing the recurring outflows clearly, knowing what a credit score actually responds to, and understanding which line items on a payslip are negotiable.

Questions people ask about Martin

Do high school students in Martin, South Dakota have to take a personal finance class?

No. South Dakota sets no statewide requirement that students complete personal finance before graduating.

How many adults in Martin, South Dakota have a college degree?

35.1% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, based on the Census Bureau's 2019–2023 American Community Survey. The remaining 64.9% are managing their finances without one.

What is the median household income in Martin, South Dakota?

$49,609, per the Census Bureau's 2019–2023 American Community Survey.

Where can adults in Martin, South Dakota learn personal finance?

Graduation requirements only ever reach people still in school. For adults, LearnLife covers the same ground on demand — money, legal literacy and the self-management that decides whether either gets used.

Start with whichever one is costing you money right now.

Browse the LearnLife catalog

Nearby in South Dakota

All South Dakota locations →

Population and demographic figures: U.S. Census Bureau — 2024 Gazetteer, Vintage 2024 Population Estimates, and the American Community Survey 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Graduation-requirement status: NGPF Live U.S. Dashboard, read 2026-09-14. Figures marked as unavailable are suppressed by the Census Bureau for small populations.