Gregory County, South Dakota

Gregory County, South Dakota
Gregory County is a county in the U.S. state of South Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,994. Its county seat is Burke. The county was created in 1862 and organized in 1898. It was named for the politician J. Shaw 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. The county's highest point is in the SW corner, at ASL.
Gregory County has a total area of , of which is land and (3.7%) is water.
Major highways
U.S. Highway 18
U.S. Highway 281
South Dakota Highway 43
South Dakota Highway 44
South Dakota Highway 47
South Dakota Highway 251
South Dakota Highway 1806
Adjacent counties
Lyman County - north
Charles Mix County - east
Boyd County, Nebraska - south
Keya Paha County, Nebraska - southwest
Tripp County - west
Protected areas
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
Burke Lake
Indian Lake
Lake Berry
Lake Burch
Lake Francis Case (part)
Demographics
2020 census
As of the census of 2020, there were 3,994 people.
2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 4,271 people, 1,936 households, and 1,172 families in the county. The population density was . There were 2,503 housing units at an average density of . 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
Bonesteel
Burke (County Seat)
Gregory
Towns
Dallas
Fairfax
Herrick
Census-designated place
St. Charles
Unincorporated communities
Carlock
Dixon
Lucas
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 78.4 percent of the county's vote is the largest any candidate has obtained in the county since South Dakota statehood.
National Register of Historic Places sites
National Register of Historic Places listings in Gregory County, South Dakota
Fort Randall
References
South Dakota counties on the Missouri River
1898 establishments in South Dakota
Populated places established in 1898