Day County
History
The settlement of the territory which now forms Day County began in 1880. The county was organized under the territorial laws by a board of commissioners appointed by Governor Ordway. The first meeting of the board was held in Webster on Jan. 2, 1882, and the town of Webster was named county seat.
On May 2, 1885, a special election was held in the county submitting the question of dividing the county. The result was in favor of division and Marshall County was taken from the northern part of Day County. The county is named after Merritt H. Day, pioneer and 1879 Dakota Territory legislator.
Population (2000)
6,267
Density
6 people per square mile
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,091 square miles, of which, 1,029 square miles of it is land and 63 square miles of it is water.
Cities and towns
Andover, Bristol, Butler, Crandall, Grenville, Holmquist, Lily, Pierpont, Roslyn, Waubay and Webster.
Townships of Day County
Andover, Bristol, Butler, Central Point, Egeland, Farmington, Grenville, Highland, Holmquist, Independence, Kidder, Kosciusko, Liberty, Lynn, Morton, Nutley, Oak Gulch, Racine, Raritan, Rusk, Scotland, Troy, Union, Valley, Waubay, Webster, Wheatland and York.
Adjacent counties
- Marshall County, South Dakota - north
- Roberts County, South Dakota - east
- Grant County, South Dakota - southeast
- Codington County, South Dakota - southeast
- Clark County, South Dakota - south
- Spink County, South Dakota - southwest
- Brown County, South Dakota - west
Major highways
- U.S. Highway 12
- SD Highway 25
- SD Highway 27
Commissioners
Marvin Bury, Charles Hesla, Derek Sinner, Rodney Tobin and Mark Wattier
Phone Numbers
- Day County Courthouse
- 711 W 1st St.
- Webster, SD 57274
- Auditor’s Office
- 345-9500
- Circuit Court Clerk
- 345-3771
- Community Service Office
- 345-9501
- Department of Transportation
- 345-3232
- Director of Assessments
- 345-9502
- Economic Development
- 345-3159
- Emergency and Disaster Service
- 345-3222
- Extension Office
- 345-9504
- Fairgrounds
- 345-3487
- Game, Fish & Parks - District Office
- 345-3381
- Highway Supt. & Shop (Fairgrounds)
- 345-4658
- Landfill
- 345-4839
- Nurse
- 345-3882
- Register of Deeds
- 345-9506
- Retired Senior Volunteer Program
- 345-3741
- Sheriff
- 345-3222
- Social Services
- 345-3432
- South Dakota Career Center
- 345-4781
- State’s Attorney
- 345-4624
- Treasurer’s Office
- 345-9510
- Veterans’ Service Office
- 345-9512
Demographics
Historical populations
| Census | Pop. | %± |
|---|---|---|
| 1900 | 12,254 | - |
| 1910 | 14,372 | +17.3% |
| 1920 | 15,194 | +5.7% |
| 1930 | 14,606 | -3.9% |
| 1940 | 13,565 | -7.1% |
| 1950 | 12,294 | -9.4% |
| 1960 | 10,516 | -14.5% |
| 1970 | 8,713 | -17.1% |
| 1980 | 8,133 | -6.7% |
| 1990 | 6,978 | -14.2% |
| 2000 | 6,267 | -10.2% |
| Est. 2007 | 5,667 | -9.6% |
Current Population
As of the census of 2000, there were 6,267 people, 2,586 households and 1,688 families residing in the county. The population density was 6 people per square mile. There were 3,618 housing units at an average density of 4 per square mile. The racial makeup of the county was 91.26% White, 0.13% Black or African American, 7.40% Native American, 0.06% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.16% from other races and 0.94% from two or more races. 0.38% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race, 34.50% were German, 26.90% Norwegian and 10.90% Polish ancestry according to census of 2000.
There were 2,586 households out of which 27.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.40% were married couples living together, 6.80% had a female householder with no husband present and 34.70% were non-families. 31.80% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.98.
In the county, the population was spread out with 25.50% under the age of 18, 5.20% from 18 to 24, 22.40% from 25 to 44, 23.40% from 45 to 64 and 23.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.50 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $30,227, and the median income for a family was $38,011. Males had a median income of $27,279 versus $18,179 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,856. About 11.40% of families and 14.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.40% of those under age 18 and 11.80% of those age 65 or over.
