# Faulk County, South Dakota

Faulk County is a county in the U.S. state of South Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 2,125. Its county seat is Faulkton. The county was founded in 1873 and organized in 1883. It is named for Andrew Jackson Faulk, the third Governor of Dakota Territory.

## Geography

The terrain of Faulk County consists of low rolling hills, largely devoted to agriculture, sloping to the east. The highest point of the terrain is the county's SW corner, at 1,916 ft (584 m) ASL. The county has a total area of 1,006 square miles (2,610 km$^2$), of which 982 square miles (2,540 km$^2$) is land and 24 square miles (62 km$^2$) (2.4%) is water.

### Major highways

* U.S. Highway 212
* South Dakota Highway 20
* South Dakota Highway 45
* South Dakota Highway 47

### Adjacent counties

* Edmunds County – north
* Brown County – northeast
* Spink County – east
* Hand County – south
* Hyde County – southwest
* Potter County – west

### Protected areas

* Lake Faulkton State Game Refuge
* Ingalls State Game Production Area
* Gerkin State Game Production Area & Wildlife Refuge
* Lake Faulkton State Game Production Area
* Lake Faulkton State Lakeside Use Area
* North Scatterwood Lake State Waterfowl Refuge
* Sprague State Game Production Area
* South Scatterwood State Game Production Area

### Lakes

* Clark Lake
* Lake Creabard
* Lake Faulkton
* North Scatterwood Lake (partial)
* South Scatterwood Lake
* Zell Lake

## Demographics
### 2020 census

As of the 2020 census, there were 2,125 people, 761 households, and 476 families residing in the county. The population density was 2.2 inhabitants per square mile (0.85/km$^2$). There were 1,022 housing units.

### 2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 2,364 people, 869 households, and 532 families in the county. The population density was 2.4 inhabitants per square mile (0.93/km$^2$). There were 1,136 housing units at an average density of 1.2 units per square mile (0.46 units/km$^2$). The racial makeup of the county was 98.9% white, 0.1% Asian, 0.1% American Indian, 0.1% black or African American, 0.0% from other races, and 0.7% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 0.8% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 70.0% were German, 9.6% were Irish, 7.1% were English, 5.7% were Norwegian, and 4.3% were American.
Of the 869 households, 20.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.9% were married couples living together, 4.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 38.8% were non-families, and 36.1% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.15 and the average family size was 2.79. The median age was 46.9 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $38,203 and the median income for a family was $55,234. Males had a median income of $40,641 versus $23,571 for females. The per capita income for the county was $21,898. About 14.4% of families and 17.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.3% of those under age 18 and 14.3% of those age 65 or over.

## Communities
### City

* Faulkton (county seat)

### Towns

* Chelsea
* Cresbard
* Onaka
* Orient
* Rockham
* Seneca

### Census-designated places

* Blumengard Colony
* Brentwood Colony
* Evergreen Colony
* Thunderbird Colony

### Unincorporated communities

* Miranda
* Norbeck
* Wecota
* Zell

### Townships

* Arcade
* Bryant
* Centerville
* Clark
* Devoe
* Ellisville
* Elroy
* Emerson
* Enterprise
* Fairview
* Freedom
* Hillsdale
* Irving
* Lafoon
* Latham
* Myron
* O'Neil
* Orient
* Pioneer
* Pulaski
* Saratoga
* Seneca
* Sherman
* Tamworth
* Thirteen
* Union
* Wesley
* Zell

## Politics

Faulk County voters have largely voted Republican for several decades. In only two national elections since 1944 has the county selected the Democratic Party candidate (as of 2024).
United States presidential election results for Faulk County, South Dakota :
| Year | Republican | Republican | Democratic | Democratic | Third party(ies) | Third party(ies) |
| Year | No. | % | No. | % | No. | % |
| 2024 | 920 | 81.42% | 183 | 16.19% | 27 | 2.39% |
| 2020 | 964 | 81.56% | 198 | 16.75% | 20 | 1.69% |
| 2016 | 858 | 76.74% | 204 | 18.25% | 56 | 5.01% |
| 2012 | 765 | 67.88% | 331 | 29.37% | 31 | 2.75% |
| 2008 | 739 | 62.00% | 426 | 35.74% | 27 | 2.27% |
| 2004 | 945 | 69.03% | 418 | 30.53% | 6 | 0.44% |
| 2000 | 904 | 68.02% | 388 | 29.19% | 37 | 2.78% |
| 1996 | 726 | 52.27% | 493 | 35.49% | 170 | 12.24% |
| 1992 | 658 | 45.89% | 488 | 34.03% | 288 | 20.08% |
| 1988 | 842 | 53.94% | 714 | 45.74% | 5 | 0.32% |
| 1984 | 1,124 | 65.89% | 579 | 33.94% | 3 | 0.18% |
| 1980 | 1,300 | 66.84% | 520 | 26.74% | 125 | 6.43% |
| 1976 | 868 | 44.81% | 1,063 | 54.88% | 6 | 0.31% |
| 1972 | 1,004 | 50.07% | 986 | 49.18% | 15 | 0.75% |
| 1968 | 997 | 49.48% | 819 | 40.65% | 199 | 9.88% |
| 1964 | 974 | 44.29% | 1,225 | 55.71% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1960 | 1,240 | 54.31% | 1,043 | 45.69% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1956 | 1,260 | 52.17% | 1,155 | 47.83% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1952 | 1,619 | 68.69% | 738 | 31.31% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1948 | 1,054 | 51.49% | 971 | 47.44% | 22 | 1.07% |
| 1944 | 1,090 | 54.88% | 896 | 45.12% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1940 | 1,431 | 54.41% | 1,199 | 45.59% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1936 | 1,111 | 43.48% | 1,404 | 54.95% | 40 | 1.57% |
| 1932 | 1,141 | 38.94% | 1,743 | 59.49% | 46 | 1.57% |
| 1928 | 1,907 | 62.46% | 1,135 | 37.18% | 11 | 0.36% |
| 1924 | 1,112 | 56.08% | 277 | 13.97% | 594 | 29.95% |
| 1920 | 1,341 | 65.51% | 346 | 16.90% | 360 | 17.59% |
| 1916 | 759 | 52.89% | 629 | 43.83% | 47 | 3.28% |
| 1912 | 0 | 0.00% | 615 | 47.38% | 683 | 52.62% |
| 1908 | 835 | 62.55% | 421 | 31.54% | 79 | 5.92% |
| 1904 | 727 | 75.41% | 165 | 17.12% | 72 | 7.47% |
| 1900 | 618 | 65.05% | 302 | 31.79% | 30 | 3.16% |
| 1896 | 430 | 64.08% | 237 | 35.32% | 4 | 0.60% |
| 1892 | 473 | 63.75% | 107 | 14.42% | 162 | 21.83% |