Potter County is a county in the U.S. state of South Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 2,472. Its county seat is Gettysburg. The county was created in 1873 and organized in 1883.
Geography The Missouri River flows southward along the west boundary line of Potter County. The county terrain consists of rolling hills, mostly devoted to agriculture. The county generally slopes to the south, although the western portion slopes into the river valley. The county has a total area of , of which is land and (4.2%) is water.
The eastern portion of South Dakota's counties (48 of 66) observe Central Time; the western counties (18 of 66) observe Mountain Time. Potter County is the westernmost of the SD counties to observe Central Time.Map of Time Zone Line through South Dakota (accessed January 30, 2019)
Major highways
U.S. Highway 83 U.S. Highway 212 South Dakota Highway 20 South Dakota Highway 47 South Dakota Highway 1804
Adjacent counties
Walworth County – north Edmunds County – northeast Faulk County – east Hyde County – southeast Sully County – south Dewey County – west (observes Mountain Time)
Protected areas Source: Dodge Draw State Game Production Area Dodge Draw State Lakeside Use Area East Whitlock State Lakeside Use Area Forest City State Game Production Area Green Lake State Game Production Area Potts Dam State Game Production Area Siebrasse State Game Production Area West Whitlock State Recreation Area Whitlocks Bay State Game Production Area
Lakes Source: Green Lake Lake Hurley Lake Oahe (part)
Demographics
2020 census As of the 2020 census, there were 2,472 people, 1,127 households, and 753 families residing in the county. Of the residents, 19.5% were under the age of 18 and 30.7% were 65 years of age or older; the median age was 52.2 years. For every 100 females there were 99.0 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 97.5 males. The population density was .
The racial makeup of the county was 94.2% White, 0.2% Black or African American, 2.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% Asian, 0.6% from some other race, and 2.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 1.6% of the population.
There were 1,127 households in the county, of which 23.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 20.1% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 30.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 1,569 housing units, of which 28.2% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 74.4% were owner-occupied and 25.6% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.9% and the rental vacancy rate was 11.3%.
2010 census As of the 2010 census, there were 2,329 people, 1,062 households, and 648 families in the county. The population density was . There were 1,500 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 97.6% white, 0.9% American Indian, 0.3% Asian, 0.1% black or African American, 0.2% from other races, and 0.9% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 0.7% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 65.3% were German, 11.1% were Irish, 8.2% were Norwegian, 8.0% were English, and 3.9% were American.
Of the 1,062 households, 21.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.0% were married couples living together, 4.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 39.0% were non-families, and 35.5% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.13 and the average family size was 2.76. The median age was 50.6 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $42,422 and the median income for a family was $53,214. Males had a median income of $33,750 versus $29,792 for females. The per capita income for the county was $23,986. About 5.4% of families and 10.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.7% of those under age 18 and 10.8% of those age 65 or over.
Communities City Gettysburg (county seat)
Towns Hoven Lebanon Tolstoy
Unincorporated area Forest City
Unorganized territories The county has no organized townships. It is divided into three areas of unorganized territory: West Potter, Central Potter, and East Potter.
Politics Like most of South Dakota outside of Native American counties, Potter County has been predominantly Republican throughout most of the state's history. Only three Democrats – William Jennings Bryan, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Lyndon Johnson – have carried the county as of 2024, and since Jimmy Carter in 1976 no Democrat has passed forty percent of the county's vote.
See also National Register of Historic Places listings in Potter County, South Dakota Herman Malchow
References