South Dakota Barbershop Insurance: Shop Counts, Barber Wages & City Guides

South Dakota had 8 barber shops with paid employees in 2023 (Census). BLS does not publish a payroll barber count for the state. Owner-barbers and chair renters add many more. Here is the state picture, what drives a shop's premium, and city pages.

South Dakota barbering industry

Indicator	South Dakota
Barber shops with employees	8
People employed at barber shops	15
Barber shops with fewer than 5 employees	100%
Beauty salons	160
All hair, nail, and skin care businesses	212
Barber and cosmetology schools	3
Men's clothing stores	17
Hairstylists and cosmetologists on payrolls	690
Median annual wage, hairstylists	$49,800
Barbers on payrolls (BLS)	Not published for this state

Census CBP 2023 (NAICS 812111, 812112, 81211, 611511, 448110); BLS OEWS May 2025 (39-5011, 39-5012; payroll workers only).

What sets a South Dakota barbershop premium

Chairs: How many, and how busy.
People: Employee barbers, payroll, and chair renters.
Services: Straight-razor shaves, beard color, hair systems.
Shop: Equipment, build-out, and the sign out front.
Lease: Required limits and landlord wording.
Record: Past claims.

See cost factors and the chair rental agreement guide.

Oversight in South Dakota

Insurance companies and agents are regulated by the South Dakota Division of Insurance. Barber licenses and shop inspections fall under a separate state licensing body.

South Dakota barbershop city guides

Ordered from the most renter-heavy city to the least (ACS).

Barbershop coverage and guides

More South Dakota towns by county

Barbers anywhere in South Dakota can ask for a quote. Remaining towns grouped by county, each followed by its 2024 population estimate:

Aurora County: Plankinton 763, Stickney 313, White Lake 396
Beadle County: Broadland 28, Cavour 129, Hitchcock 106, Huron 14,515, Virgil 24, Wessington 199, Wolsey 461, Yale 110
Bennett County: Martin 923
Bon Homme County: Avon 606, Scotland 786, Springfield 1,912, Tabor 400, Tyndall 1,082
Brookings County: Aurora 1,159, Bruce 216, Bushnell 74, Elkton 778, Sinai 100, Volga 2,380, White 554
Brown County: Claremont 106, Columbia 157, Frederick 209, Groton 1,343, Hecla 185, Stratford 59, Verdon 6, Warner 450, Westport 83
Brule County: Chamberlain 2,453, Kimball 573, Pukwana 236
Butte County: Belle Fourche 5,855, Fruitdale 80, Newell 585, Nisland 211
Campbell County: Artas 7, Herreid 405, Mound City 66, Pollock 222
Charles Mix County: Dante 72, Geddes 152, Lake Andes 692, Pickstown 230, Platte 1,249, Ravinia 71, Wagner 1,429
Clark County: Bradley 66, Clark 1,167, Garden City 36, Naples 41, Raymond 56, Vienna 53, Willow Lake 268
Clay County: Vermillion 11,877, Wakonda 343
Codington County: Florence 333, Henry 266, Kranzburg 166, South Shore 190, Wallace 94
Corson County: McIntosh 108, McLaughlin 541, Morristown 44
Custer County: Buffalo Gap 154, Custer 1,829, Fairburn 68, Hermosa 381, Pringle 107
Davison County: Ethan 358, Mount Vernon 457
Day County: Andover 68, Bristol 275, Butler 6, Grenville 45, Pierpont 121, Roslyn 180, Waubay 474, Webster 1,666
Deuel County: Altamont 33, Astoria 130, Brandt 119, Clear Lake 1,201, Gary 233, Goodwin 150, Toronto 195
Dewey County: Eagle Butte 1,270, Isabel 155, Timber Lake 537
Douglas County: Armour 712, Corsica 556, Delmont 154
Edmunds County: Bowdle 472, Hosmer 159, Ipswich 931, Roscoe 279
Fall River County: Edgemont 759, Hot Springs 3,608, Oelrichs 126
Faulk County: Chelsea 19, Cresbard 101, Faulkton 818, Onaka 14, Orient 51, Rockham 18, Seneca 23
Grant County: Albee 8, Big Stone City 413, La Bolt 62, Marvin 19, Milbank 3,545, Revillo 98, Stockholm 106, Strandburg 66, Twin Brooks 47
Gregory County: Bonesteel 259, Burke 590, Dallas 86, Fairfax 103, Gregory 1,270, Herrick 77
Haakon County: Midland 109, Philip 752
Hamlin County: Bryant 479, Castlewood 716, Estelline 768, Hayti 434, Hazel 98, Lake Norden 625
Hand County: Miller 1,307, Ree Heights 55, St. Lawrence 161
Hanson County: Alexandria 657, Emery 473, Farmer 15, Fulton 84
Harding County: Buffalo 353, Camp Crook 68
Hughes County: Blunt 334, Harrold 98
Hutchinson County: Dimock 154, Freeman 1,308, Menno 618, Olivet 63, Parkston 1,542, Tripp 563
Hyde County: Highmore 647
Jackson County: Belvidere 43, Cottonwood 10, Interior 65, Kadoka 530
Jerauld County: Alpena 217, Lane 47, Wessington Springs 773
Jones County: Draper 42, Murdo 464
Kingsbury County: Arlington 926, Badger 135, Bancroft 13, De Smet 1,037, Erwin 39, Hetland 18, Iroquois 296, Lake Preston 605, Oldham 118
Lake County: Brant Lake 56, Madison 6,086, Nunda 49, Ramona 161, Wentworth 169
Lawrence County: Central City 108, Deadwood 1,347, Lead 3,038, Whitewood 965
Lincoln County: Canton 2,974, Fairview 66, Hudson 325, Lennox 2,539, Worthing 914
Lyman County: Kennebec 285, Oacoma 392, Presho 467, Reliance 127
Marshall County: Britton 1,199, Eden 91, Lake City 45, Langford 278, Veblen 313
Mccook County: Bridgewater 505, Canistota 643, Montrose 461, Salem 1,315, Spencer 136
Mcpherson County: Eureka 759, Hillsview 3, Leola 406, Long Lake 26, Wetonka 13
Meade County: Faith 354, Piedmont 1,002, Summerset 3,013
Mellette County: White River 512, Wood 42
Miner County: Canova 94, Carthage 128, Howard 841, Vilas 24
Minnehaha County: Baltic 1,331, Colton 688, Crooks 1,369, Garretson 1,169, Hartford 3,600, Humboldt 572, Sherman 76, Valley Springs 872
Moody County: Colman 674, Egan 247, Flandreau 2,372, Trent 237, Ward 42
Oglala Lakota County: Batesland 74
Pennington County: Hill City 937, Keystone 261, New Underwood 610, Quinn 61, Wall 672, Wasta 63
Perkins County: Bison 302, Lemmon 1,141
Potter County: Gettysburg 1,062, Hoven 360, Lebanon 31, Tolstoy 37
Roberts County: Claire City 82, Corona 70, New Effington 228, Ortley 50, Peever 174, Rosholt 372, Sisseton 2,432, Summit 278, White Rock 7, Wilmot 426
Sanborn County: Artesian 135, Letcher 159, Woonsocket 646
Spink County: Ashton 105, Brentford 86, Conde 139, Doland 195, Frankfort 131, Mellette 193, Northville 134, Redfield 2,101, Tulare 204, Turton 52
Stanley County: Fort Pierre 2,158
Sully County: Agar 68, Onida 644
Todd County: Mission 1,135, St. Francis 468
Tripp County: Colome 337, New Witten 54, Winner 2,962
Turner County: Centerville 958, Chancellor 312, Davis 55, Dolton 36, Hurley 385, Irene 431, Marion 880, Monroe 163, Parker 1,306, Viborg 834
Union County: Alcester 772, Beresford 2,087, Elk Point 2,074, Jefferson 449, North Sioux City 3,059
Walworth County: Akaska 82, Glenham 107, Java 120, Lowry 6, Mobridge 3,219, Selby 606
Yankton County: Gayville 379, Lesterville 114, Mission Hill 182, Utica 70, Volin 159
Ziebach County: Dupree 496

South Dakota barbershop questions

Does a South Dakota barber license cover liability?

A license allows you to cut hair; it does not pay for injuries or damage. Insurance is separate.

How many barber shops are there in South Dakota?

Census County Business Patterns counted 8 barber shops with employees in South Dakota in 2023. Chair renters and owner-only shops are not in that figure.

Who regulates barbershop insurance in South Dakota?

The South Dakota Division of Insurance oversees insurers and agents; barber licensing is handled by a separate state authority.

Do South Dakota chair renters carry their own policies?

Most rental agreements require it, and the owner's policy usually does not extend to independent renters.

Where these numbers come from: Census County Business Patterns (https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/cbp.html); BLS OEWS (https://www.bls.gov/oes/); American Community Survey 2020–2024; Census 2024 population estimates.

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Last updated October 15, 2026 · How we research

Barbershop and barber insurance in South Dakota