# Kingsbury County, South Dakota

Kingsbury County is a county in the U.S. state of South Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 5,187. Its county seat is De Smet. The county was created in 1873, and was organized in 1880. It was named for brothers George W. and T. A. Kingsbury, descendants of the colonial English Kingsbury family in Boston, Massachusetts. They were prominently involved in the affairs of Dakota Territory and served as elected members of several Territorial Legislatures.

## Geography

The terrain of Kingsbury County consists of low rolling hills. The central and east portions of the county hold numerous lakes and ponds. The land is largely devoted to agriculture. The terrain generally slopes to the southwest, and the highest point is near the midpoint of the east boundary line, at 1,857 ft (566 m) ASL. The county has a total area of 864 square miles (2,240 km$^2$), of which 832 square miles (2,150 km$^2$) is land and 3.6 square miles (9.3 km$^2$) (6.2%) is water.

### Lakes

Source:
* Cherry Lake
* Mud Lake
* Lake Albert
* Lake Badger
* Lake Henry
* Lake Iroquois
* Lake Preston
* Lake Thisted
* Lake Thompson
* Lake Whitewood
* Osceola Lake
* Plum Lake
* Spring Lake
* Spirit Lake
* Twin Lakes (partial)

### Major highways

* U.S. Highway 14
* U.S. Highway 81
* South Dakota Highway 25

### Adjacent counties

* Hamlin County – northeast
* Brookings County – east
* Lake County – southeast
* Miner County – south
* Sanborn County – southwest
* Beadle County – west
* Clark County – northwest

### Protected areas

* Arnold State Public Shooting Area

## Demographics

Industrialization of agriculture and the attraction of urban areas have contributed to the decline in population of Kingsbury County, similar to what has occurred in other Plains rural areas. In 2010 it had less than half the population of its peak in 1930, before the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression.

### 2020 census

As of the 2020 census, there were 5,187 people, 2,191 households, and 1,398 families residing in the county. The population density was 6.2 inhabitants per square mile (2.4/km$^2$). There were 2,615 housing units.

### 2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 5,148 people, 2,222 households, and 1,418 families in the county. The population density was 6.2 inhabitants per square mile (2.4/km$^2$). There were 2,720 housing units at an average density of 3.3 units per square mile (1.3 units/km$^2$). The racial makeup of the county was 98.1% white, 0.5% American Indian, 0.3% Asian, 0.1% black or African American, 0.3% from other races, and 0.8% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.4% of the population. In terms of European ancestry, 42.8% were German, 25.5% were Norwegian, 10.9% were Danish, 9.6% were Irish, 7.2% were English, and 3.5% were American.
Of the 2,222 households, 24.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.6% were married couples living together, 5.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 36.2% were non-families, and 32.2% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.81. The median age was 47.1 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $44,948 and the median income for a family was $56,925. Males had a median income of $35,585 versus $28,141 for females. The per capita income for the county was $24,660. About 7.0% of families and 9.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.8% of those under age 18 and 10.8% of those age 65 or over.

## Communities
### Cities

* De Smet (county seat)
* Arlington (partial)
* Iroquois (partial)
* Lake Preston
* Oldham

### Towns

* Badger
* Bancroft
* Erwin
* Hetland

### Census-designated place

* Spring Lake Colony

### Unincorporated communities

* Esmond
* Osceola

### Ghost town

* Manchester

### Townships

* Badger
* Baker
* De Smet
* Denver
* Esmond
* Hartland
* Iroquois
* Le Sueur
* Manchester
* Mathews
* Spirit Lake
* Spring Lake
* Whitewood

## Notable people

* Harvey Dunn - painter and professor of Fine Arts
* Eugene Peter Knudsen - Minnesota state legislator and farmer
* Theodore Schultz - Nobel prize winning economist
* Laura Ingalls Wilder - author

## Politics

Kingsbury County voters have been reliably Republican for decades. In only two national elections since 1932 has the county selected the Democratic Party candidate (as of 2024).
United States presidential election results for Kingsbury County, South Dakota :
| Year | Republican | Republican | Democratic | Democratic | Third party(ies) | Third party(ies) |
| Year | No. | % | No. | % | No. | % |
| 2024 | 1,989 | 71.01% | 760 | 27.13% | 52 | 1.86% |
| 2020 | 1,904 | 68.51% | 819 | 29.47% | 56 | 2.02% |
| 2016 | 1,680 | 65.86% | 703 | 27.56% | 168 | 6.59% |
| 2012 | 1,451 | 55.64% | 1,092 | 41.87% | 65 | 2.49% |
| 2008 | 1,435 | 51.54% | 1,277 | 45.87% | 72 | 2.59% |
| 2004 | 1,804 | 59.85% | 1,163 | 38.59% | 47 | 1.56% |
| 2000 | 1,612 | 59.11% | 1,049 | 38.47% | 66 | 2.42% |
| 1996 | 1,297 | 43.22% | 1,357 | 45.22% | 347 | 11.56% |
| 1992 | 1,113 | 35.41% | 1,267 | 40.31% | 763 | 24.28% |
| 1988 | 1,592 | 51.57% | 1,472 | 47.68% | 23 | 0.75% |
| 1984 | 2,121 | 62.70% | 1,249 | 36.92% | 13 | 0.38% |
| 1980 | 2,376 | 62.41% | 1,132 | 29.73% | 299 | 7.85% |
| 1976 | 1,844 | 50.98% | 1,762 | 48.71% | 11 | 0.30% |
| 1972 | 2,320 | 58.62% | 1,632 | 41.23% | 6 | 0.15% |
| 1968 | 2,300 | 58.42% | 1,491 | 37.87% | 146 | 3.71% |
| 1964 | 2,126 | 51.46% | 2,005 | 48.54% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1960 | 2,887 | 63.26% | 1,677 | 36.74% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1956 | 2,933 | 64.92% | 1,585 | 35.08% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1952 | 3,703 | 78.25% | 1,029 | 21.75% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1948 | 2,332 | 62.55% | 1,338 | 35.89% | 58 | 1.56% |
| 1944 | 2,541 | 68.73% | 1,156 | 31.27% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1940 | 3,551 | 70.26% | 1,503 | 29.74% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1936 | 2,813 | 55.42% | 2,037 | 40.13% | 226 | 4.45% |
| 1932 | 2,135 | 42.42% | 2,808 | 55.79% | 90 | 1.79% |
| 1928 | 3,499 | 71.88% | 1,352 | 27.77% | 17 | 0.35% |
| 1924 | 2,242 | 65.65% | 333 | 9.75% | 840 | 24.60% |
| 1920 | 2,344 | 71.66% | 481 | 14.70% | 446 | 13.63% |
| 1916 | 1,339 | 51.80% | 1,096 | 42.40% | 150 | 5.80% |
| 1912 | 0 | 0.00% | 747 | 34.52% | 1,417 | 65.48% |
| 1908 | 1,537 | 60.70% | 799 | 31.56% | 196 | 7.74% |
| 1904 | 1,896 | 77.67% | 344 | 14.09% | 201 | 8.23% |
| 1900 | 1,330 | 58.10% | 868 | 37.92% | 91 | 3.98% |
| 1896 | 950 | 46.82% | 1,051 | 51.80% | 28 | 1.38% |
| 1892 | 951 | 46.28% | 175 | 8.52% | 929 | 45.21% |