Bison is a town in and the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

of Perkins County,

South Dakota South Dakota (; Sioux language, Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state in the West North Central states, North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Lakota people, Lakota and Dakota peo ...

, United States. The population was 302 at the 2020 census.

History

Bison was

plat In the United States, a plat ( or ) (plan) is a cadastral map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. United States General Land Office surveyors drafted township plats of Public Lands Surveys to show the distance and bear ...

ted in 1907, and named after the

American bison The American bison (''Bison bison'') is a species of bison native to North America. Sometimes colloquially referred to as American buffalo or simply buffalo (a different clade of bovine), it is one of two extant species of bison, alongside the ...

which were once numerous in the area. A post office has been in operation at Bison since 1907. Bison was declared county seat in 1908.

Geography

Bison is located approximately six miles south of the South Fork of the Grand River and near the headwaters of

Thunder Butte Creek Thunder is the sound caused by lightning. Depending upon the distance from and nature of the lightning, it can range from a long, low rumble to a sudden, loud crack. The sudden increase in temperature and hence pressure caused by the lightning pr ...

. It is just south of the

Grand River National Grassland Grand River National Grassland is a National Grassland in northwestern South Dakota, United States. It is named for the Grand River. The North and South forks of the rivers meet in the grassland. It has a land area of . In descending order of a ...

.Map
of the Grand River National Grassland According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the town has a total area of , all land. Bison has been assigned the ZIP code 57620, and the

FIPS place code The Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) of the United States are a set of publicly announced standards that the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has developed for use in computer systems of non-military, American ...

05620.

Climate

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2010, there were 333 people, 158 households, and 100 families living in the town. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

was . There were 180 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 97.9%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

and 2.1% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 0.3% of the population. There were 158 households, of which 23.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.0% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 3.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 36.7% were non-families. 35.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 21.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.11 and the average family size was 2.72. The median age in the town was 48.6 years. 21.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 3.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 19.5% were from 25 to 44; 29.4% were from 45 to 64; and 25.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 50.8% male and 49.2% female.

2000 census

At the 2000

, there were 373 people, 177 households and 109 families living in the town. The

was 372.5 per square mile (144.0/km²). There were 227 housing units at an average density of 226.7 per square mile (87.6/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 99.73%

and 0.27% Native American.

of any race were 0.27% of the population. There were 177 households, of which 24.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.5% were

living together, 5.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.4% were non-families. 38.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.11 and the average family size was 2.78. Age distribution was 22.3% under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 20.6% from 25 to 44, 26.3% from 45 to 64, and 24.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.9 males. The

median household income The median income is the income amount that divides a population into two equal groups, half having an income above that amount, and half having an income below that amount. It may differ from the mean (or average) income. Both of these are ways of ...

was $30,000, and the median family income was $41,250. Males had a median income of $28,594 versus $17,386 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the town was $19,856. About 4.5% of families and 12.6% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 12.3% of those under age 18 and 16.3% of those age 65 or over.

References

External links

City of Bison
{{Authority control Towns in Perkins County, South Dakota Towns in South Dakota County seats in South Dakota