Freeman is a city in Hutchinson County,

South Dakota South Dakota (; Sioux language, Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state, 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 Dakota people, Dakota Sioux ...

, United States. The population was 1,329 at the 2020 census. Freeman was laid out in 1879.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the city has a total area of , all land.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, there were 1,306 people, 602 households, and 320 families living in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), 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 geog ...

was . There were 672 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 94.3%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 1.4%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.8% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 1.4% from other races, and 2.0% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 5.3% of the population. There were 602 households, of which 23.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.5% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 6.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 46.8% were non-families. 44.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 29.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.08 and the average family size was 2.93. The median age in the city was 48.6 years. 22.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 17.8% were from 25 to 44; 22.7% were from 45 to 64; and 31.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 44.5% male and 55.5% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 1,317 people, 602 households, and 364 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 648 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 99.39%

, 0.08%

, 0.38% Native American, and 0.15% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 0.15% of the population. There were 602 households, out of which 21.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.7% were

living together, 5.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.5% were non-families. 38.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 25.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.09 and the average family size was 2.78. In the city, the population was spread out, with 19.7% under the age of 18, 4.7% from 18 to 24, 21.6% from 25 to 44, 19.1% from 45 to 64, and 34.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 48 years. For every 100 females, there were 80.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 74.7 males. As of 2000 the median income for a household in the city was $29,152, and the median income for a family was $39,118. Males had a median income of $26,795 versus $17,788 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the city was $17,077. About 4.1% of families and 6.0% 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 ...

, including 6.1% of those under age 18 and 10.2% of those age 65 or over.

Notable person

Connor Hansen Connor Theodore Hansen (November 1, 1913August 21, 1987) was an American lawyer, jurist, and Republican politician from Eau Claire, Wisconsin. He was a justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court for 13 years, from 1967 until 1980. Earlier in ...

Wisconsin Supreme Court The Wisconsin Supreme Court is the Supreme court, highest and final court of appeals in the state judicial system of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. In addition to hearing appeals of lower Wisconsin court decisions, the Wisconsin Supreme Court also ...

justice

Education

Freeman High School and Freeman Elementary are the local public schools, home to the Freeman Flyers. Freeman Junior College, started in 1903, was a small institution that begun the Mennonite-based education in Freeman. The Junior College closed in 1986, but the education continues on the campus as the Freeman Academy. The

Freeman Academy Freeman Academy is a private, Christian elementary school and high school A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary educatio ...

is a

private Private or privates may refer to: Music * "In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorded ...

Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...

middle school Middle school, also known as intermediate school, junior high school, junior secondary school, or lower secondary school, is an educational stage between primary school and secondary school. Afghanistan In Afghanistan, middle school includes g ...

and

high school A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper secondary education'' (ages 14 to 18), i.e., ...

that serves students in grades 1-12.

Local culture

*Freeman is considered the chislic capital of America and as such it is the location of The South Dakota Chislic Festival.South Dakota Magazine Sept/Oct 2010 Local restaurants serve chislic as a local specialty. * Schmeckfest, begun in 1959, is an annual 'festival of tasting' in Freeman. It is considered one of South Dakota's premier festivals. It features the ethnic foods/culture/history and musical traditions of the community. *Heritage Hall Museum & Archives is an independent, not-for-profit museum in Freeman, preserving and sharing the history of the immigrants - primarily

Germans from Russia The German minority population in Russia, Ukraine, and the Soviet Union stemmed from several sources and arrived in several waves. Since the second half of the 19th century, as a consequence of the Russification policies and compulsory militar ...

- who settled in the area in the 1870s. It includes two large exhibit halls containing artifacts, an archives/library and four historic buildings. It is open year-round.

References

External links

City of Freeman

Freeman Community Development Corporation

Freeman Public Schools

Heritage Hall Museum & Archives
{{Authority control Cities in South Dakota Cities in Hutchinson County, South Dakota Populated places established in 1893 1893 establishments in South Dakota