Jump to content

Lawrence County, South Dakota

Coordinates: 44°22′N 103°47′W / 44.36°N 103.79°W / 44.36; -103.79
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Lawrence County
County
Lawrence County Courthouse in Deadwood
Lawrence County Courthouse in Deadwood
Map of South Dakota highlighting Lawrence 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: 44°20′54.65″N 103°48′22.903″W / 44.3485139°N 103.80636194°W / 44.3485139; -103.80636194
Country United States
State South Dakota
FoundedJanuary 11, 1875 (created)
1877 (organized)
Named afterJohn Lawrence
SeatDeadwood
Largest citySpearfish
Area
 • Total
800.311 sq mi (2,072.80 km2)
 • Land800.053 sq mi (2,072.13 km2)
 • Water0.258 sq mi (0.67 km2)  0.03%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
25,768
 • Estimate 
(2024)
28,809 Increase
 • Density35.068/sq mi (13.540/km2)
Time zoneUTC−7 (Mountain)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−6 (MDT)
Congressional districtAt-large
Websitelawrence.sd.us
US Highway 14a w

Lawrence County is a county in the U.S. state of South Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 25,768,[1] making it the 8th most populous county in South Dakota, and was estimated to be 28,809 in 2024.[2] Its county seat is Deadwood.[3]

Lawrence County is coextensive with the Spearfish, SD Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Rapid City-Spearfish, SD Combined Statistical Area.

History

[edit]

Lawrence County was created January 11, 1875, and was organized in 1877.[4] The county was named for "Colonel" John Lawrence,[5] who came to the county as first treasurer in 1877. Lawrence had previously served in the Dakota Territorial Legislature, as a Sergeant at Arms for the United States House of Representatives, and a US Marshal for the Dakota territory. After retirement, he continued to act as county road supervisor and as an election judge. The title "Colonel" was honorary, bestowed by the governor of the Dakota Territory.

Geography

[edit]

Lawrence County lies on the west side of South Dakota. Its west boundary line abuts the east boundary line of the state of Wyoming. The terrain of Lawrence County consists of mountains in the south and west, falling off to the hilly northeast portion. A tributary of the Redwater River flows east-northeasterly along a portion of the county's north boundary line, delineating that portion of the line.[6] The terrain generally slopes to the county's northeast corner; its highest point is Crooks Tower, at 7,137'.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 800.311 square miles (2,072.80 km2), of which 800.053 square miles (2,072.13 km2) is land and 0.258 square miles (0.67 km2) (0.03%) is water.[7] It is the 41st largest county in South Dakota by total area.

Major highways

[edit]

Transit

[edit]

Adjacent counties

[edit]

Protected areas

[edit]

Source:[6]

Demographics

[edit]
Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
188013,218—
189011,673−11.7%
190017,89753.3%
191019,69410.0%
192013,029−33.8%
193013,9206.8%
194019,09337.2%
195016,648−12.8%
196017,0752.6%
197017,4532.2%
198018,3395.1%
199020,65512.6%
200021,8025.6%
201024,09710.5%
202025,7686.9%
2024 (est.)28,809[8]11.8%
U.S. Decennial Census[9]
1790–1960[10] 1900–1990[11]
1990–2000[12] 2010–2020[2]

As of the third quarter of 2024, the median home value in Lawrence County was $322,680.[13]

As of the 2023 American Community Survey, there are 11,812 estimated households in Lawrence County with an average of 2.16 persons per household. The county has a median household income of $66,766. Approximately 11.1% of the county's population lives at or below the poverty line. Lawrence County has an estimated 64.7% employment rate, with 34.1% of the population holding a bachelor's degree or higher and 95.4% holding a high school diploma.[2]

The top five reported ancestries (people were allowed to report up to two ancestries, thus the figures will generally add to more than 100%) were English (95.3%), Spanish (2.3%), Indo-European (1.2%), Asian and Pacific Islander (0.7%), and Other (0.5%).

The median age in the county was 43.8 years.

Lawrence County, South Dakota – racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.

Race / ethnicity (NH = non-Hispanic) Pop. 1980[14] Pop. 1990[15] Pop. 2000[16] Pop. 2010[17] Pop. 2020[18]
White alone (NH) 17,734
(96.70%)		 19,726
(95.50%)		 20,631
(94.63%)		 22,349
(92.75%)		 22,935
(89.01%)
Black or African American alone (NH) 27
(0.15%)		 29
(0.14%)		 45
(0.21%)		 87
(0.36%)		 128
(0.50%)
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 331
(1.80%)		 514
(2.49%)		 454
(2.08%)		 457
(1.90%)		 486
(1.89%)
Asian alone (NH) 29
(0.16%)		 56
(0.27%)		 70
(0.32%)		 157
(0.65%)		 196
(0.76%)
Pacific Islander alone (NH) — — 11
(0.05%)		 6
(0.02%)		 18
(0.07%)
Other race alone (NH) 21
(0.11%)		 3
(0.01%)		 2
(0.01%)		 10
(0.04%)		 51
(0.20%)
Mixed race or multiracial (NH) — — 193
(0.89%)		 419
(1.74%)		 1,032
(4.00%)
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 197
(1.07%)		 327
(1.58%)		 396
(1.82%)		 612
(2.54%)		 922
(3.58%)
Total 18,339
(100.00%)		 20,655
(100.00%)		 21,802
(100.00%)		 24,097
(100.00%)		 25,768
(100.00%)

2020 census

[edit]

As of the 2020 census, there were 25,768 people, 11,444 households, and 6,689 families residing in the county.[19] The population density was 32.2 inhabitants per square mile (12.4/km2). There were 14,163 housing units at an average density of 17.7 per square mile (6.8/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 90.50% White, 0.52% African American, 2.14% Native American, 0.76% Asian, 0.09% Pacific Islander, 0.73% from some other races and 5.26% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 3.58% of the population.[20]

Of the 11,444 households, 13.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.7% were married couples living together, 25.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 45.2% were non-families. 45.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.20 and the average family size was 2.84.

2010 census

[edit]

As of the 2010 census, there were 24,097 people, 10,536 households, and 6,181 families in the county. The population density was 30.1 inhabitants per square mile (11.6/km2). There were 12,756 housing units at an average density of 15.9 per square mile (6.1/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 94.40% White, 0.38% African American, 2.03% Native American, 0.66% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.49% from some other races and 2.02% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 2.54% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 44.5% were German, 13.7% were Irish, 13.4% were English, 11.4% were Norwegian, and 4.4% were American.

Of the 10,536 households, 24.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.6% were married couples living together, 8.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 41.3% were non-families, and 33.2% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.19 and the average family size was 2.77. The median age was 41.0 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $42,356 and the median income for a family was $60,209. Males had a median income of $38,933 versus $28,649 for females. The per capita income for the county was $25,465. About 8.4% of families and 15.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.8% of those under age 18 and 8.1% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

[edit]
Hay fields and scenery, North of Deadwood

Cities

[edit]

Census-designated places

[edit]

Other unincorporated communities

[edit]

Source:[6]

Ghost towns

[edit]

Townships and unorganized territories

[edit]
  • St. Onge Township
  • North Lawrence (unorganized territory)
  • South Lawrence (unorganized territory)

Politics

[edit]

Owing to its Yankee influence, Lawrence County has been reliably Republican for a full century. It was the only South Dakota county to remain loyal to Herbert Hoover in his landslide 1932 loss.[21] In fact, Lawrence County was the second-westernmost county, behind only Utah's Kane County, to never vote for Franklin D. Roosevelt. The only Democratic presidential candidates to carry Lawrence County have been Woodrow Wilson in 1912 and 1916, and William Jennings Bryan in 1896. Lawrence County has also been one of the most consistent strongholds for the Libertarian Party, giving their 2016 nominee, Gary Johnson, one of the largest vote share out of any county outside his home state of New Mexico, with 7.9%. In 2020, Libertarian Party nominee Jo Jorgensen received 3.9% of the popular vote, her second best performance in any county during the election cycle.

United States presidential election results for Lawrence County, South Dakota[22]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2024 9,904 64.27% 5,074 32.93% 431 2.80%
2020 8,753 63.30% 4,537 32.81% 538 3.89%
2016 7,411 62.58% 3,356 28.34% 1,075 9.08%
2012 7,025 61.85% 3,973 34.98% 361 3.18%
2008 6,787 56.30% 4,932 40.91% 336 2.79%
2004 7,489 64.45% 3,857 33.20% 273 2.35%
2000 6,327 67.27% 2,797 29.74% 282 3.00%
1996 4,430 46.92% 3,568 37.79% 1,444 15.29%
1992 3,770 39.03% 3,157 32.68% 2,732 28.28%
1988 5,570 59.39% 3,705 39.50% 104 1.11%
1984 5,949 69.42% 2,565 29.93% 55 0.64%
1980 5,306 63.14% 2,259 26.88% 838 9.97%
1976 4,206 56.46% 3,102 41.64% 141 1.89%
1972 4,795 65.22% 2,533 34.45% 24 0.33%
1968 4,185 60.23% 2,425 34.90% 338 4.86%
1964 3,743 51.91% 3,468 48.09% 0 0.00%
1960 5,083 66.06% 2,612 33.94% 0 0.00%
1956 4,654 71.33% 1,871 28.67% 0 0.00%
1952 5,559 76.57% 1,701 23.43% 0 0.00%
1948 3,778 62.50% 2,209 36.54% 58 0.96%
1944 3,528 65.41% 1,866 34.59% 0 0.00%
1940 5,288 60.07% 3,515 39.93% 0 0.00%
1936 4,974 56.19% 3,809 43.03% 69 0.78%
1932 3,708 53.99% 3,106 45.22% 54 0.79%
1928 4,141 69.63% 1,785 30.02% 21 0.35%
1924 3,255 71.07% 649 14.17% 676 14.76%
1920 2,986 68.50% 1,201 27.55% 172 3.95%
1916 2,074 47.51% 2,157 49.42% 134 3.07%
1912 0 0.00% 2,412 53.95% 2,059 46.05%
1908 2,735 50.86% 1,564 29.09% 1,078 20.05%
1904 4,247 65.53% 1,347 20.78% 887 13.69%
1900 3,435 55.96% 2,619 42.67% 84 1.37%
1896 2,210 42.91% 2,905 56.41% 35 0.68%
1892 2,140 51.18% 546 13.06% 1,495 35.76%

Education

[edit]

School districts include:[23]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Explore Census Data". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 16, 2025.
  2. ^ a b c "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Lawrence County, South Dakota". www.census.gov. Retrieved March 16, 2025.
  3. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved March 16, 2025.
  4. ^ "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 30, 2015.
  5. ^ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 183.
  6. ^ a b c "Lawrence County · South Dakota". Google Maps. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  7. ^ "2024 County Gazetteer Files – South Dakota". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 16, 2025.
  8. ^ "County Population Totals and Components of Change: 2020-2024". Retrieved March 15, 2025.
  9. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 20, 2014.
  10. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. 2007. Archived from the original on December 12, 2009. Retrieved July 20, 2014.
  11. ^ Forstall, Richard L. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 19, 1999. Retrieved July 20, 2014.
  12. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 27, 2010. Retrieved July 20, 2014.
  13. ^ "County Median Home Price". National Association of Realtors. Retrieved March 16, 2025.
  14. ^ "Lawrence County, South Dakota — Population by Race". CensusScope. Retrieved March 15, 2025.
  15. ^ "Lawrence County, South Dakota — Population by Race". CensusScope. Retrieved March 16, 2025.
  16. ^ "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Lawrence County, South Dakota". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 16, 2025.
  17. ^ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Lawrence County, South Dakota". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 16, 2025.
  18. ^ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Lawrence County, South Dakota". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 16, 2025.
  19. ^ "US Census Bureau, Table P16: Household Type". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 16, 2025.
  20. ^ "How many people live in Lawrence County, South Dakota". USA Today. Retrieved March 16, 2025.
  21. ^ Phillips, Kevin P.; The Emerging Republican Majority, p. 442 ISBN 1400852293
  22. ^ Leip, David. "Atlas of US Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved April 13, 2018.
  23. ^ "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Lawrence County, SD" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 27, 2024. - Text list

Further reading

[edit]
  • Caddey, S.W. et al. (1991). The Homestake Gold Mine, an Early Proterozoic iron-formation-hosted gold deposit, Lawrence County, South Dakota [US Geological Survey Bulletin 1857-J]. Washington DC: US Department of the Interior, US Geological Survey.
[edit]

44°22′N 103°47′W / 44.36°N 103.79°W / 44.36; -103.79

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lawrence_County,_South_Dakota&oldid=1280861501"