Buffalo County, South Dakota

Buffalo County
County
Location within the U.S. state of South Dakota
South Dakota's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 44°05′N 99°12′W
Country	United States
State	South Dakota
Founded	1873
Seat	Gann Valley
Largest city	Fort Thompson
Area
• Total	487 sq mi (1,262 km2)
• Land	471 sq mi (1,219 km2)
• Water	17 sq mi (44 km2)  3.45%
Population
• Estimate  (2011)	1,988
• Density	4/sq mi (1.5/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)

Buffalo County is a county located in the U.S. state of South Dakota. As of the 2010 census, the population is 1,912. Its county seat is Gann ValleyTemplate:GR, which is also the center of population of South Dakota, though Gann Valley is an unincorporated community. The county's per-capita income makes it the poorest county in the United States. The Crow Creek Indian Reservation inhabited by the Crow Creek Sioux Tribe makes up the majority of Buffalo County. Unemployment is 57%; many homes lack kitchens and/or indoor plumbing. The county seat, Gann Valley, is not located on the Crow Creek Indian Reservation, however.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 487 square miles (1,261.3 km²), of which 471 square miles (1,219.9 km²) is land and 17 square miles (44.0 km²) is water.

Townships

The county is divided into one township: Elvira; and three areas of unorganized territory: Crow Creek, North Buffalo, and Southeast Buffalo.

Major highways

• South Dakota Highway 34
• South Dakota Highway 45
• South Dakota Highway 47
• South Dakota Highway 50

Adjacent counties

• Hand County - northeast
• Jerauld County - east
• Brule County - south
• Lyman County - west
• Hyde County - northwest

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1870	246		—
1880	63		−74.4%
1890	993		1,476.2%
1900	1,790		80.3%
1910	1,589		−11.2%
1920	1,715		7.9%
1930	1,931		12.6%
1940	1,853		−4.0%
1950	1,615		−12.8%
1960	1,547		−4.2%
1970	1,739		12.4%
1980	1,795		3.2%
1990	1,759		−2.0%
2000	2,032		15.5%
2010	1,912		−5.9%
2011 (est.)	1,988		4.0%
U.S. Decennial Census 2011 estimate

As of the census of 2000, there are 2,032 people, 526 households, and 422 families residing in the county. The population density is 4 people per square mile (2/km²). There are 602 housing units at an average density of 1 per square mile (0/km²). The racial makeup of the county is 81.59% Native American, 16.34% White, 0.10% Black or African American, 0.30% from other races, and 1.67% from two or more races. 0.89% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race. 8.9% were of German ancestry.

There are 526 households out of which 47.10% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.60% are married couples living together, 31.40% have a female householder with no husband present, and 19.80% are non-families. 16.00% of all households are made up of individuals and 5.90% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 3.83 and the average family size is 4.23.

In the county, the population is spread out with 41.30% under the age of 18, 11.00% from 18 to 24, 25.00% from 25 to 44, 16.10% from 45 to 64, and 6.50% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 23 years. For every 100 females there are 105.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 98 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $12,692, and the median income for a family was $14,167. Males had a median income of $18,650 versus $19,554 for females. The per capita income for the county was $5,213, the lowest in the nation. About 55.70% of families and 56.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 61.50% of those under age 18 and 50.40% of those age 65 or over.

Cities and towns

• Gann Valley (Population:14)
• Fort Thompson (Population:1,282)
• Crow Creek
• Shelby

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Buffalo County, South Dakota

External links

• "South Dakota has nation's poorest county" Minnesota Public Radio