Davison County, South Dakota

Davison County is a county in the U.S. state of South Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 19,956.[1] Its county seat is Mitchell.[2] The county was created in 1873 and organized in 1874.[3] It was named for Henry C. Davison, the first settler in the county.[4]

Davison County
County
Davison County Courthouse in Mitchell
Davison County Courthouse in Mitchell
Map of South Dakota highlighting Davison County
Location within the U.S. state of South Dakota
Map of the United States highlighting South Dakota
South Dakota's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 43°41′N 98°10′W
Country United States
State South Dakota
Founded1873 (created)
1874 (organized)
SeatMitchell
Largest cityMitchell
Area
 • Total437 sq mi (1,130 km2)
 • Land436 sq mi (1,130 km2)
 • Water1.4 sq mi (4 km2)  0.3%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total19,956
 • Estimate 
(2022)
19,973 Increase
 • Density46/sq mi (18/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional districtAt-large
Websitewww.davisoncounty.org

Davison County is part of the Mitchell, SD Micropolitan Statistical Area.

History

The area's first settlement occurred in 1871 in "Firesteel Creek"; the settlers were Herman Cady Greene and John Head. Greene brought lumber from Yankton in 1872 and built a frame house. The small community which grew around this house was called Firesteel. It became part of a county created by the territorial legislature in 1873.

In 1881 the territorial legislature met and considered two bills redefining the boundaries of Hanson and Davison Counties. They considered adjusting the two counties' boundaries by either combining the two, or changing their method of separation. A public vote determined to add four townships to the west, and split the two previous counties down the middle.

The settlement originally called "Arlandton" was renamed "Mount Vernon" in 1882; by 1883 it boasted a hardware store, a livery stable, lumber yard, drugstore, cigar maker, and a hotel.[5]

During the latter part of the nineteenth century the county was served by railroad spur lines.[6] By the mid-twentieth century, those lines had been abandoned and removed.[7]

Geography

The terrain of Davison County consists of rolling hills. Its area is largely devoted to agriculture. The James River flows south-southeastward through the NE portion of the county. A local drainage flows eastward through the upper quarter of the county, terminating in Lake Mitchell, north of the city of Mitchell.[7] The terrain slopes to the east, and rises toward its SW corner. Its highest point is on the western portion of its southern border, at 1,667 ft (508 m) ASL.[8]

The county has a total area of 437 square miles (1,130 km2), of which 436 square miles (1,130 km2) is land and 1.4 square miles (3.6 km2) (0.3%) is water.[9] It is the fourth-smallest county in South Dakota by area.

Major highways

Transit

Adjacent counties

Demographics
Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18801,256—
18905,449333.8%
19007,48337.3%
191011,62555.4%
192014,13921.6%
193016,82119.0%
194015,336−8.8%
195016,5227.7%
196016,6811.0%
197017,3193.8%
198017,8202.9%
199017,503−1.8%
200018,7417.1%
201019,5044.1%
202019,9562.3%
2022 (est.)19,973[10]0.1%
U.S. Decennial Census[11]
1790-1960[12] 1900-1990[13]
1990-2000[14] 2010-2020[1]

2020 census

As of the census of 2020, there were 19,956 people.

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 19,504 people, 8,296 households, and 4,892 families in the county. The population density was 44.8 inhabitants per square mile (17.3/km2). There were 8,852 housing units at an average density of 20.3 per square mile (7.8/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 94.4% white, 2.5% American Indian, 0.5% Asian, 0.4% black or African American, 0.1% Pacific islander, 0.5% from other races, and 1.6% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.5% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 51.8% were German, 10.6% were Norwegian, 10.1% were Irish, 7.4% were English, 6.0% were Dutch, and 4.5% were American.

Of the 8,296 households, 28.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.6% were married couples living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 41.0% were non-families, and 34.3% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.91. The median age was 37.8 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $41,867 and the median income for a family was $54,677. Males had a median income of $37,688 versus $26,223 for females. The per capita income for the county was $22,794. About 6.9% of families and 13.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.1% of those under age 18 and 10.4% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

Cities

Town

Census-designated place

Townships
  • Badger Township
  • Baker Township
  • Beulah Township
  • Blenden Township
  • Tobin Township
  • Lisbon Township
  • Mitchell Township
  • Mount Vernon Township
  • Perry Township
  • Prosper Township
  • Rome Township
  • Union Township

Politics

Davison County voters traditionally vote Republican in presidential elections, but Bill Clinton managed to pick up a plurality of the county's vote in 1992, and 20 years earlier it gave a majority of its votes to losing Democratic candidate George McGovern, who was brought up in the county seat of Mitchell.

United States presidential election results for Davison County, South Dakota[15]
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No. %No. %No. %
2020 5,613 66.39% 2,648 31.32% 193 2.28%
2016 5,157 64.85% 2,355 29.62% 440 5.53%
2012 4,757 59.68% 3,042 38.16% 172 2.16%
2008 4,731 55.96% 3,554 42.03% 170 2.01%
2004 5,561 62.12% 3,263 36.45% 128 1.43%
2000 4,445 59.05% 2,936 39.00% 147 1.95%
1996 3,371 44.78% 3,364 44.69% 793 10.53%
1992 3,111 38.19% 3,285 40.33% 1,750 21.48%
1988 4,024 51.68% 3,705 47.59% 57 0.73%
1984 4,783 59.43% 3,248 40.36% 17 0.21%
1980 4,743 55.72% 3,107 36.50% 662 7.78%
1976 3,688 44.71% 4,510 54.68% 50 0.61%
1972 3,796 44.50% 4,710 55.21% 25 0.29%
1968 3,869 50.12% 3,585 46.44% 265 3.43%
1964 2,789 36.46% 4,861 63.54% 0 0.00%
1960 4,105 49.98% 4,108 50.02% 0 0.00%
1956 4,056 51.57% 3,809 48.43% 0 0.00%
1952 4,774 59.67% 3,227 40.33% 0 0.00%
1948 2,996 42.03% 4,064 57.01% 68 0.95%
1944 2,929 47.62% 3,222 52.38% 0 0.00%
1940 3,659 46.38% 4,230 53.62% 0 0.00%
1936 2,510 32.16% 4,983 63.84% 312 4.00%
1932 2,147 28.70% 5,233 69.96% 100 1.34%
1928 3,821 58.15% 2,729 41.53% 21 0.32%
1924 2,801 51.71% 578 10.67% 2,038 37.62%
1920 2,605 54.16% 1,105 22.97% 1,100 22.87%
1916 1,516 50.48% 1,374 45.75% 113 3.76%
1912 0 0.00% 1,266 45.28% 1,530 54.72%
1908 1,276 50.92% 1,081 43.14% 149 5.95%
1904 1,626 68.84% 506 21.42% 230 9.74%
1900 853 50.27% 782 46.08% 62 3.65%
1896 616 45.13% 733 53.70% 16 1.17%
1892 569 42.81% 120 9.03% 640 48.16%

See also

References
  1. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 15, 2023.
  2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. "Dakota Territory, South Dakota, and North Dakota: Individual County Chronologies". Dakota Territory Atlas of Historical County Boundaries. The Newberry Library. 2006. Archived from the original on April 2, 2018. Retrieved March 29, 2015.
  4. Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. p. 101.
  5. A Brief History of Davison County (accessed February 1, 2019)
  6. American Rails/South Dakota (accessed February 1, 2019)
  7. Davison County SD Google Maps (accessed February 1, 2019)
  8. ""Find an Altitude" Google Maps (accessed February 1, 2019)". Archived from the original on May 21, 2019. Retrieved February 2, 2019.
  9. "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved March 24, 2015.
  10. "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2022". Retrieved April 2, 2023.
  11. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 24, 2015.
  12. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved March 24, 2015.
  13. Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 24, 2015.
  14. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved March 24, 2015.
  15. Leip, David. "Atlas of US Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved April 15, 2018.

43.68°N 98.16°W / 43.68; -98.16

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