Jones County, South Dakota

County in South Dakota, United States

County in South Dakota

Jones County

County

Freier Round Barn

Location within the U.S. state of South Dakota

South Dakota's location within the U.S.

Coordinates: 43°57′7.168″N 100°41′10.096″W﻿ / ﻿43.95199111°N 100.68613778°W﻿ / 43.95199111; -100.68613778
Country|  United States
State|  South Dakota
Founded| 1916 (created)
January 15, 1917 (organized)
Named after| George Wallace Jones
Seat| Murdo
Largest city| Murdo
Area

• Total

| 970.883 sq mi (2,514.58 km2)
• Land| 969.668 sq mi (2,511.43 km2)
• Water| 1.215 sq mi (3.15 km2)  0.1%
Population

(2020)

• Total

| 917

• Estimate

(2024)

| 874
• Density| 0.882/sq mi (0.341/km2)
Time zone| UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)| UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district| At-large

Jones County is a county in the U.S. state of South Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 917,[1] making it the least populous county in South Dakota. Its county seat is Murdo.[2] Created in 1916 and organized in 1917, it is the most recently established county in South Dakota. [3] It was named after Granville Whittington Jones, an Arkansas-born clergyman/lawyer, who moved to Chamberlain, SD and became a noted Chautauqua speaker.

## Geography

[edit]

The terrain of Jones County consists of semi-arid rolling hills, partially devoted to agriculture. The Bad River flows north easterly through the northwest corner of the county, and the White River forms the county's southern boundary. The southern areas of the county are carved with gullies and drainages flowing to the White River.[4] The terrain generally slopes to the northeast, and its highest point is on the lower western boundary, at 2,444 ft (745 m) ASL.[5]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 970.883 square miles (2,514.58 km2), of which 969.668 square miles (2,511.43 km2) is land and 1.215 square miles (3.15 km2) (0.1%) is water.[6] It is the _th largest county in South Dakota by total area.

The eastern portion of South Dakota's counties (48 of 66) observe Central Time; the western counties (18 of 66) observe Mountain Time. Jones County is one of the SD counties to observe Central Time.[7]

### Major highways

[edit]

* Interstate 90
* U.S. Highway 83

### Adjacent counties

[edit]

* Stanley County \- north
* Lyman County \- east
* Mellette County \- south
* Jackson County \- southwest (observes Mountain Time)
* Haakon County \- northwest (observes Mountain Time)

### Protected area

[edit]

* Buxcel State Game Production Area
* Fort Pierre National Grassland (part)

### Lakes

[edit]

* Sheriff Reservoir[4]

## Demographics

[edit]

Historical population Census| Pop.| Note| %±

|
|
|

1920| 3,004| | —
1930| 3,177| | 5.8%
1940| 2,509| | −21.0%
1950| 2,281| | −9.1%
1960| 2,066| | −9.4%
1970| 1,882| | −8.9%
1980| 1,463| | −22.3%
1990| 1,324| | −9.5%
2000| 1,193| | −9.9%
2010| 1,006| | −15.7%
2020| 917| | −8.8%
2024 (est.)| 874| [8]| −4.7%
U.S. Decennial Census[9]
1790–1960[10] 1900–1990[11]
1990–2000[12] 2010–2020[13]

### 2020 census

[edit]

As of the 2020 census, there were 917 people, 399 households, and 245 families residing in the county.[14] The population density was 0.9 inhabitants per square mile (0.35/km2). There were 504 housing units.

### 2010 census

[edit]

As of the 2010 census, there were 1,006 people, 458 households, and 280 families in the county. The population density was 1.0 inhabitant per square mile (0.39/km2). There were 589 housing units at an average density of 0.6 units per square mile (0.23 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 95.6% white, 2.0% American Indian, 0.4% Pacific islander, 0.1% black or African American, 0.0% from other races, and 1.9% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.3% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 48.8% were German, 15.9% were Irish, 10.2% were Norwegian, 9.0% were Dutch, and 1.9% were American.

In terms of ancestry in 2016, 39.1% were of German, 14.3% were of Irish, 13.9% were of Norwegian, 11.4% were of Dutch, 6.4% were of English, 6.2 were of French.

Of the 458 households, 26.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.7% were married couples living together, 5.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 38.9% were non-families, and 35.8% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.20 and the average family size was 2.86. The median age was 46.9 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $49,464 and the median income for a family was $56,589. Males had a median income of $33,021 versus $27,115 for females. The per capita income for the county was $24,630. About 6.6% of families and 9.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.7% of those under age 18 and 8.4% of those age 65 or over.

## Communities

[edit]

### City

[edit]

* Murdo (county seat)

### Town

[edit]

* Draper

### Census-designated place

[edit]

* Okaton

### Unincorporated community

[edit]

* Capa

### Townships

[edit]

* Buffalo
* Draper
* Dunkel
* Grandview
* Kolls
* Morga
* Mullen
* Mussman
* Okaton
* Scovil
* South Creek
* Williams Creek
* Zickrick

### Unorganized territories

[edit]

* Central Jones
* North Jones
* Rich Valley
* Westover

## Politics

[edit]

Jones County voters have been reliably Republican. The last Democrat to carry Jones County in a Presidential election was Lyndon Johnson in 1964, and Jimmy Carter in 1976 was the last to top one third of the county's ballots. Even before the Democratic Party turned towards its modern liberalism, Jones County did not vote for any Democrat except LBJ and Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1932 and 1936 – and in the latter election when Roosevelt won 46 of 48 states he beat Alf Landon in Jones County by just twelve votes.

United States presidential election results for Jones County, South Dakota[15] Year  | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies)

|
|
|

No.  | % | No.  | % | No.  | %
2024 | 477  | 86.73% | 60  | 10.91%  | 13  | 2.36%
2020 | 498  | 83.14% | 90  | 15.03%  | 11  | 1.84%
2016 | 450  | 80.65% | 69  | 12.37%  | 39  | 6.99%
2012 | 490  | 80.46% | 108  | 17.73%  | 11  | 1.81%
2008 | 463  | 73.84% | 147  | 23.44%  | 17  | 2.71%
2004 | 565  | 78.80% | 134  | 18.69%  | 18  | 2.51%
2000 | 509  | 76.66% | 137  | 20.63%  | 18  | 2.71%
1996 | 463  | 63.51% | 184  | 25.24%  | 82  | 11.25%
1992 | 454  | 58.28% | 166  | 21.31%  | 159  | 20.41%
1988 | 521  | 66.28% | 261  | 33.21%  | 4  | 0.51%
1984 | 689  | 76.64% | 206  | 22.91%  | 4  | 0.44%
1980 | 689  | 74.97% | 189  | 20.57%  | 41  | 4.46%
1976 | 515  | 57.87% | 374  | 42.02%  | 1  | 0.11%
1972 | 642  | 64.39% | 346  | 34.70%  | 9  | 0.90%
1968 | 562  | 55.75% | 358  | 35.52%  | 88  | 8.73%
1964 | 415  | 43.09%  | 548  | 56.91% | 0  | 0.00%
1960 | 644  | 60.36% | 423  | 39.64%  | 0  | 0.00%
1956 | 601  | 56.06% | 471  | 43.94%  | 0  | 0.00%
1952 | 739  | 69.59% | 323  | 30.41%  | 0  | 0.00%
1948 | 522  | 55.06% | 414  | 43.67%  | 12  | 1.27%
1944 | 465  | 63.79% | 264  | 36.21%  | 0  | 0.00%
1940 | 832  | 62.09% | 508  | 37.91%  | 0  | 0.00%
1936 | 608  | 48.10%  | 620  | 49.05% | 36  | 2.85%
1932 | 472  | 32.44%  | 929  | 63.85% | 54  | 3.71%
1928 | 857  | 66.43% | 422  | 32.71%  | 11  | 0.85%
1924 | 732  | 55.45% | 141  | 10.68%  | 447  | 33.86%
1920 | 609  | 62.33% | 255  | 26.10%  | 113  | 11.57%

## See also

[edit]

* National Register of Historic Places listings in Jones County, South Dakota

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Explore Census Data". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 22, 2025.
2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved March 21, 2025.
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 30, 2015.
4. ^ a b "Jones County · South Dakota". Google Maps. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
5. ^ ""Find an Altitude" Google Maps (accessed February 4, 2019)". Archived from the original on May 21, 2019. Retrieved February 5, 2019.
6. ^ "2024 County Gazetteer Files – South Dakota". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 21, 2025.
7. ^ Map of Time Zone Line through South Dakota (accessed January 30, 2019)
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. ^ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 21, 2024.
14. ^ "US Census Bureau, Table P16: Household Type". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 21, 2024.
15. ^ Leip, David. "Atlas of US Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved April 15, 2018.

Places adjacent to Jones County, South Dakota

| Haakon County | Stanley County |

|
|

|  |

Jones County, South Dakota

| Lyman County
|  |
Jackson County | Mellette County |

* v
* t
* e

Municipalities and communities of Jones County, South Dakota, United States

County seat: Murdo

City|

* Murdo

Town|

* Draper

CDP|

* Okaton

Unincorporated communities|

* Capa
* Van Metre
* Westover

Township|

* Zickrick

* South Dakota portal
* United States portal

* v
* t
* e

State of South Dakota

Pierre (capital)

Topics|

* Outline
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* Famous South Dakotans
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Society|

* Abortion
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Regions|

* Badlands
* Black Hills
* Coteau des Prairies
* Missouri Coteau
* Dissected Till Plains
* Drift Prairie
* East River
* Pine Ridge
* Siouxland
* West River

Larger incorporated places
pop. over 5,000|

* Aberdeen
* Belle Fourche
* Box Elder
* Brandon
* Brookings
* Harrisburg
* Huron
* Madison
* Mitchell
* Pierre
* Rapid City
* Sioux Falls
* Spearfish
* Sturgis
* Tea
* Vermillion
* Watertown
* Yankton

Smaller incorporated places
pop. 1,000 - 5,000|

* Aurora
* Baltic
* Beresford
* Britton
* Canton
* Chamberlain
* Clark
* Clear Lake
* Crooks
* Custer
* De Smet
* Deadwood
* Dell Rapids
* Eagle Butte
* Elk Point
* Flandreau
* Fort Pierre
* Freeman
* Garretson
* Gettysburg
* Gregory
* Groton
* Hartford
* Hot Springs
* Lead
* Lemmon
* Lennox
* Milbank
* Miller
* Mission
* Mobridge
* North Sioux City
* Parker
* Parkston
* Piedmont
* Platte
* Redfield
* Salem
* Sisseton
* Springfield
* Summerset
* Tyndall
* Volga
* Wagner
* Webster
* Winner

Largest CDPs
pop. over 1,000|

* Blackhawk
* Colonial Pine Hills
* Dakota Dunes
* Fort Thompson
* Green Valley
* North Eagle Butte
* North Spearfish
* Oglala
* Pine Ridge
* Rapid Valley
* Rosebud

Counties|

* Aurora
* Beadle
* Bennett
* Bon Homme
* Brookings
* Brown
* Brule
* Buffalo
* Butte
* Campbell
* Charles Mix
* Clark
* Clay
* Codington
* Corson
* Custer
* Davison
* Day
* Deuel
* Dewey
* Douglas
* Edmunds
* Fall River
* Faulk
* Grant
* Gregory
* Haakon
* Hamlin
* Hand
* Hanson
* Harding
* Hughes
* Hutchinson
* Hyde
* Jackson
* Jerauld
* Jones
* Kingsbury
* Lake
* Lawrence
* Lincoln
* Lyman
* Marshall
* McCook
* McPherson
* Meade
* Mellette
* Miner
* Minnehaha
* Moody
* Oglala Lakota
* Pennington
* Perkins
* Potter
* Roberts
* Sanborn
* Spink
* Stanley
* Sully
* Todd
* Tripp
* Turner
* Union
* Walworth
* Yankton
* Ziebach

South Dakota portal

Authority control databases

International|

* VIAF

National|

* United States
* Israel

Other|

* Yale LUX

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