Lake County is a county in the U.S. state of South Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 11,059. Its county seat is Madison. The county was formed in 1873.
Contents
History
Lake County, South Dakota, was inhabited by the Sisseton Sioux when explorers, including Joseph Nicollet and John C. Fremont, first mapped the region in 1838–39 and noted its numerous lakes. The 1851 Treaty of Mendota with the Santee Sioux and 1858 Yankton Treaty opened the area for American settlement. The 1857 rescue of Mrs. Marble from among the captives of the Spirit Lake Massacre brought early non-Sioux attention to the area.
Permanent settlement began in 1870 when William Lee and Charles Walker established homesteads near Lake Madison, naming the town Madison after Madison, Wisconsin. Lake County was created on January 8, 1873, named for its many lakes, and organized on September 1, 1873, with Old Madison as the county seat. Brisk settlement followed in 1878 amidst the Dakota Boom, and the railroad’s arrival in 1881 spurred growth, with towns like Ramona, Wentworth, and Winfred emerging. By 1880, the county’s population reached 2,657.
Agriculture drove economic progress in the 1870s and 1880s, and Madison became a commercial hub with businesses like the Lake County Flouring Mill (opened 1881), newspapers such as the Madison Sentinel (1879), and the Madison Normal School (1883).
Geography
The terrain of Lake County consists of rolling hills, with the area devoted to agriculture. A tributary of the East Fork Vermillion River flows south-southeastward through the lower western part of the county, and Buffalo Creek flows southeastward from the central part of the county, leaving the county near its southeast corner. The terrain generally slopes to the south, although high points (ca. 1,814' ASL) are found on the north and south boundary lines and points between.
Lake County has a total area of 575 square miles (1,490 km2), of which 563 square miles (1,460 km2) is land and 12 square miles (31 km2) (2.1%) is water.
Lakes
Source:
Protected areas
Source:
Lake Herman State Park
Walker's Point State Recreation Area
Major highways
U.S. Highway 81
South Dakota Highway 19
South Dakota Highway 34
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, there were 11,059 people, 4,576 households, and 2,804 families residing in the county. Of the residents, 22.0% were under the age of 18 and 19.7% were 65 years of age or older; the median age was 40.0 years. For every 100 females there were 109.5 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 108.8 males.
The population density was 19.6 inhabitants per square mile (7.6/km2). There were 5,658 housing units, of which 19.1% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 71.2% were owner-occupied and 28.8% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.8% and the rental vacancy rate was 12.5%.
The racial makeup of the county was 91.7% White, 1.0% Black or African American, 1.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% Asian, 1.6% from some other race, and 3.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 5.5% of the population.
Of the 4,576 households, 25.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 20.4% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 32.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
2010 census
As of the 2010 census, there were 11,200 people, 4,483 households, and 2,814 families in the county. The population density was 19.9 inhabitants per square mile (7.7/km2). There were 5,559 housing units at an average density of 9.9 units per square mile (3.8 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 96.2% white, 0.7% Asian, 0.7% American Indian, 0.5% black or African American, 0.8% from other races, and 1.1% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.6% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 50.7% were German, 20.6% were Norwegian, 12.4% were Irish, 6.6% were English, 6.2% were Dutch, 5.0% were Danish, and 5.0% were American.
Of the 4,483 households, 26.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.0% were married couples living together, 6.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 37.2% were non-families, and 30.9% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.88. The median age was 39.9 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $45,606 and the median income for a family was $57,753. Males had a median income of $36,370 versus $25,898 for females. The per capita income for the county was $22,447. About 6.5% of families and 12.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.8% of those under age 18 and 8.8% of those age 65 or over.
Communities
City
Madison (county seat)
Towns
Brant Lake
Nunda
Ramona
Village
Wentworth
Census-designated places
Brant Lake South
Chester
Graceville Colony
Lake Madison
Rustic Acres Colony
Winfred
Other unincorporated communities
Source:
Franklin
Junius
Rutland
Historical townsite
Saranac
Politics
Lake County voters have voted for Republican Party candidates in 62 percent of national elections since 1964.
Education
School districts include:
The Oldham-Ramona School District 39-5 and Rutland School District 39-4, in the county, consolidated into ORR in 2023.