Buffalo County, South Dakota

Buffalo County, South Dakota
Buffalo County is a county in the U.S. state of South Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,948. Its county seat is Gann Valley which, at 10 people, is the least populous county seat in the United States. The county was created in 1864, and was 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 of the U.S. Census Bureau, 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 of 15.8%. Median household income in 2013 was $21,572, making it the lowest-earning county in South Dakota and the United States.
In March 2019, the county unemployment rate was 3.9%; its ten-year peaks occurred in December 2006 (18.1%) and December 2009 (17.2%). , many homes lack kitchens and indoor plumbing.
Geography
The Missouri River flows southerly along the county's western boundary. The county terrain consists of semi-arid rolling hills, generally sloping to the south and east. Some area is devoted to agriculture. The south and west parts of the county are drained by Crow Creek, which discharges into the river at the county's SW corner. The county has a total area of , of which is land and (3.4%) is water.
Major highways
South Dakota Highway 34
South Dakota Highway 45
South Dakota Highway 47
South Dakota Highway 50
Adjacent counties
Hand – northeast
Jerauld – east
Brule – south
Lyman – west
Hyde – northwest
Protected Areas
Pease State Game Production Area
Lakes
Bedashosha Lake
Lake Francis Case (part)
Lake Sharpe (part)
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. Thus, its original boundary also contained a portion of the future North Dakota, which became a separate unit when the Dakota Territory was admitted into the Union in 1889 as two separate states.
Demographics
2020 census
As of the census of 2020, there were 1,948 people, 517 households in the county.
2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 1,912 people, 532 households, and 407 families in the county. The population density was . There were 609 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 84.0% Native American, 14.8% white, 0.2% black or African American, 0.1% Asian, 0.0% from other races, and 0.9% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.8% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 5.6% were German, and 0.0% were American.
Of the 532 households, 55.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 33.1% were married couples living together, 33.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 23.5% were non-families, and 19.0% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 3.59 and the average family size was 4.06. The median age was 25.0 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $27,926 and the median income for a family was $28,333. Males had a median income of $38,920 versus $18,542 for females. The per capita income for the county was $11,410. About 44.4% of families and 49.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 58.2% of those under age 18 and 36.3% of those age 65 or over.
Communities
Census-designated places
Gann Valley (county seat)
Fort Thompson
Unincorporated communities
Crow Creek
North Buffalo
Shelby
Southeast Buffalo
Township
Elvira
Politics
Democratic Party nominees have won Buffalo County in every presidential election since 1956 except the 1980 and 1984 elections, which Ronald Reagan won.
See also
National Register of Historic Places listings in Buffalo County, South Dakota
Further reading
Part of a series on South Dakota counties.
References
South Dakota counties on the Missouri River
1871 establishments in Dakota Territory
Populated places established in 1871