Gregory County, South Dakota
County in South Dakota, United States
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Gregory County is a county in the U.S. state of South Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,994.[1] Its county seat is Burke.[2] The county was created in 1862 and organized in 1898.[3] It was named for the politician J. Shaw Gregory.[4]
Gregory County, South Dakota | |
|---|---|
| |
 Location within the U.S. state of South Dakota | |
| Coordinates: 43°12′N 99°11′W | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  South Dakota |
| Founded | 1862 (created) 1898 (organized) |
| Named after | J. Shaw Gregory |
| Seat | Burke |
| Largest city | Gregory |
| Area | |
• Total | 1,054 sq mi (2,730 km2) |
| • Land | 1,015 sq mi (2,630 km2) |
| • Water | 39 sq mi (100 km2) 3.7% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 3,994 |
• Estimate (2025) | 4,037  |
| • Density | 3.935/sq mi (1.519/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | At-large |
| Website | gregory |
Geography
Gregory County lies on the south line of South Dakota. Its south boundary line abuts the north boundary line of Nebraska. The Missouri River flows southeastward along its east boundary line. The county terrain consists of rolling hills, sloping to the southeast. The eastern part of the county is etched with gullies and drainages, flowing to the river basin.[5] The county's highest point is in the SW corner, at 2,247 ft (685 m) ASL.[6]
Gregory County has a total area of 1,054 square miles (2,730 km2), of which 1,015 square miles (2,630 km2) is land and 39 square miles (100 km2) (3.7%) is water.[7]
Major highways
Adjacent counties
- Lyman County – north
- Charles Mix County – east
- Boyd County, Nebraska – south
- Keya Paha County, Nebraska – southwest
- Tripp County – west
Protected areas
Source:[5]
- Burke Lake State Recreation Area
- Buryanek State Game Production Area
- Buryanek State Recreation Area
- Central Gregory State Game Production Area
- Dixon Dam State Game Production Area
- Herrick Lake State Game Production Area
- Karl E. Mundt National Wildlife Refuge (part)
- Landing Creek State Game Production Area
- Missouri National Recreational River (part)
- Randall Creek State Recreation Area
- Scalp Creek State Game Production Area
- Southern Gregory State Game Production Area
- South Scalp Creek State Lakeside Use Area
- South Shore State Lakeside Use Area
- South Wheeler State Lakeside Area
- Whetstone Bay State Lakeside Use Area
- Whetstone State Game Production Area
Lakes
Source:[5]
- Burke Lake
- Indian Lake
- Lake Berry
- Lake Burch
- Lake Francis Case (part)
Demographics
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1890 | 295 | — | |
| 1900 | 2,211 | 649.5% | |
| 1910 | 13,061 | 490.7% | |
| 1920 | 12,700 | −2.8% | |
| 1930 | 11,420 | −10.1% | |
| 1940 | 9,554 | −16.3% | |
| 1950 | 8,556 | −10.4% | |
| 1960 | 7,399 | −13.5% | |
| 1970 | 6,710 | −9.3% | |
| 1980 | 6,015 | −10.4% | |
| 1990 | 5,359 | −10.9% | |
| 2000 | 4,792 | −10.6% | |
| 2010 | 4,271 | −10.9% | |
| 2020 | 3,994 | −6.5% | |
| 2025 (est.) | 4,037 | [8] | 1.1% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[9] 1790–1960[10] 1900–1990[11] 1990–2000[12] 2010–2020[1] | |||
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, there were 3,994 people, 1,721 households, and 1,070 families residing in the county.[13] The population density was 3.9 inhabitants per square mile (1.5/km2). There were 2,186 housing units.
Of the residents, 22.5% were under the age of 18 and 27.7% were 65 years of age or older; the median age was 48.0 years. For every 100 females there were 98.7 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 97.8 males.[14]
The racial makeup of the county was 87.7% White, 0.2% Black or African American, 6.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% Asian, 0.4% from some other race, and 4.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 1.3% of the population.[15]
There were 1,721 households in the county, of which 25.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 24.8% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 34.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[14]
Of the 2,186 housing units, 21.3% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 76.1% were owner-occupied and 23.9% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.4% and the rental vacancy rate was 12.9%.[14]
2010 census
As of the 2010 census, there were 4,271 people, 1,936 households, and 1,172 families in the county. The population density was 4.2 inhabitants per square mile (1.6/km2). There were 2,503 housing units at an average density of 2.5 units per square mile (0.97 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 89.6% white, 7.5% American Indian, 0.3% Asian, 0.2% black or African American, 0.2% from other races, and 2.2% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 0.9% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 54.5% were German, 11.4% were Irish, 10.9% were Czech, 7.1% were English, 6.0% were Norwegian, and 2.4% were American.
Of the 1,936 households, 23.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.9% were married couples living together, 7.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 39.5% were non-families, and 36.6% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.18 and the average family size was 2.84. The median age was 48.2 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $33,940 and the median income for a family was $44,333. Males had a median income of $30,401 versus $25,804 for females. The per capita income for the county was $21,311. About 10.7% of families and 16.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.1% of those under age 18 and 19.2% of those age 65 or over.
Communities
Cities
Towns
Census-designated place
Unincorporated communities
Townships
- Burke
- Carlock
- Dickens
- Dixon
- Edens
- Ellston
- Fairfax
- Jones
- Landing Creek
- Pleasant Valley
- Star Valley
- Whetstone
Unorganized territories
- East Gregory
- North Gregory
- Southeast Gregory
- Spring Valley
Economy
Farming and ranching are two main economic factors of the county.
Politics
Like all of South Dakota outside Native American counties, Gregory County is powerfully Republican. No Democrat has carried Gregory County since Jimmy Carter in 1976. Like almost all of rural America, recent swings away from the Democratic Party have been very rapid: Donald Trump's 79.0 percent of the county's vote is the largest any candidate has obtained in the county since South Dakota statehood.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1896 | 110 | 48.67% | 116 | 51.33% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1900 | 323 | 55.03% | 259 | 44.12% | 5 | 0.85% |
| 1904 | 675 | 67.10% | 282 | 28.03% | 49 | 4.87% |
| 1908 | 1,550 | 52.83% | 1,266 | 43.15% | 118 | 4.02% |
| 1912 | 0 | 0.00% | 1,176 | 44.46% | 1,469 | 55.54% |
| 1916 | 1,434 | 51.86% | 1,242 | 44.92% | 89 | 3.22% |
| 1920 | 1,833 | 57.61% | 744 | 23.38% | 605 | 19.01% |
| 1924 | 1,643 | 44.61% | 818 | 22.21% | 1,222 | 33.18% |
| 1928 | 2,274 | 53.04% | 2,001 | 46.68% | 12 | 0.28% |
| 1932 | 1,169 | 26.14% | 3,278 | 73.30% | 25 | 0.56% |
| 1936 | 1,868 | 41.10% | 2,603 | 57.27% | 74 | 1.63% |
| 1940 | 2,478 | 54.91% | 2,035 | 45.09% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1944 | 2,067 | 56.17% | 1,613 | 43.83% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1948 | 1,723 | 48.37% | 1,793 | 50.34% | 46 | 1.29% |
| 1952 | 2,463 | 64.22% | 1,372 | 35.78% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1956 | 1,945 | 52.01% | 1,795 | 47.99% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1960 | 2,063 | 53.71% | 1,778 | 46.29% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1964 | 1,644 | 45.18% | 1,995 | 54.82% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 1,810 | 54.40% | 1,266 | 38.05% | 251 | 7.54% |
| 1972 | 1,670 | 51.59% | 1,555 | 48.04% | 12 | 0.37% |
| 1976 | 1,475 | 46.90% | 1,658 | 52.72% | 12 | 0.38% |
| 1980 | 2,283 | 68.35% | 883 | 26.44% | 174 | 5.21% |
| 1984 | 1,777 | 69.17% | 780 | 30.36% | 12 | 0.47% |
| 1988 | 1,566 | 57.53% | 1,138 | 41.81% | 18 | 0.66% |
| 1992 | 1,027 | 39.27% | 879 | 33.61% | 709 | 27.11% |
| 1996 | 1,208 | 49.65% | 923 | 37.94% | 302 | 12.41% |
| 2000 | 1,487 | 65.88% | 718 | 31.81% | 52 | 2.30% |
| 2004 | 1,685 | 66.18% | 813 | 31.93% | 48 | 1.89% |
| 2008 | 1,423 | 63.33% | 771 | 34.31% | 53 | 2.36% |
| 2012 | 1,507 | 70.06% | 599 | 27.85% | 45 | 2.09% |
| 2016 | 1,600 | 76.52% | 391 | 18.70% | 100 | 4.78% |
| 2020 | 1,771 | 78.43% | 455 | 20.15% | 32 | 1.42% |
| 2024 | 1,790 | 78.96% | 426 | 18.79% | 51 | 2.25% |