Buffalo County, South Dakota

Not to be confused with Buffalo, South Dakota.

Buffalo County, South Dakota
Location in the U.S. state of South Dakota
South Dakota's location in the U.S.
Founded	1871
Named for	American buffalo
Seat	Gann Valley
Largest community	Fort Thompson
Area
• Total	488 sq mi (1,264 km2)
• Land	471 sq mi (1,220 km2)
• Water	16 sq mi (41 km2), 3.4%
Population (est.)
• (2013)	2,024
• Density	4.1/sq mi (2/km²)
Congressional district	At-large
Time zone	Central: UTC-6/-5

Buffalo County is a county located in the U.S. state of South Dakota. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,912. Its county seat is Gann Valley which, at 14 people, is the least populous county seat in the United States. The county was created in 1864 and organized in 1871 as part of the Dakota Territory.

In 2010, the center of population of South Dakota was located in eastern Buffalo County. The Crow Creek Indian Reservation inhabited by the Crow Creek Sioux Tribe makes up the majority of Buffalo County.

According to the 2013 Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE) of the Bureau of the Census, about 41% of county residents live in poverty, making it the fifth-poorest county in South Dakota. This is a far higher poverty rate than the national poverty rate, which is 15.8%. Median household income in 2013 was $21,572, making it the lowest-earning county in South Dakota and one of the lowest-earning counties in America.

In March 2015, the unemployment rate was 8.5%; its ten-year peaks occurred in December 2006 (18.%) and December 2009 (17.2%). Many homes lack kitchens and indoor plumbing.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 488 square miles (1,260 km²), of which 471 square miles (1,220 km²) is land and 16 square miles (41 km²) (3.4%) is water.

Major highways

• South Dakota Highway 34
• South Dakota Highway 45
• 20px 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

History

As first organized, the county occupied an extensive area, bounded on the north by Canada, southwest and west by the Missouri River, having Montana for a part of its northwest boundary, and comprising a large portion of the “Plateau du Coteau du Missouri,” and a part of the Miniwakan or Devil's Lake. While this does expand into modern-day North Dakota, this conundrum can be solved by realizing that the county was created in 1864, 25 years before the Dakota Territory was split into North and South Dakota.

Demographic characteristics

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
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%
Est. 2014	2,077		8.6%
U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2013

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.

Communities

Census-designated place

• Fort Thompson

Unincorporated communities

• Crow Creek
• Gann Valley (county seat)
• Shelby

Townships

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

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