Hecla is a city in Brown 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, located only a few miles south of the

North Dakota North Dakota ( ) is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the indigenous Dakota people, Dakota and Sioux peoples. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north and by the U.S. states of Minneso ...

border. The population was 193 at the 2020 census. State Highway 37 runs along the east side of town.

History

Hecla 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 Survey System, Public Lands Surveys to ...

ted in 1886. It was named after

Hekla Hekla (), or Hecla, is an active stratovolcano in the south of Iceland with a height of . Hekla is one of Iceland's most active volcanoes; over 20 eruptions have occurred in and around the volcano since the year 1210. During the Middle Ages, th ...

, a stratovolcano in Iceland. A post office has been in operation in Hecla since 1886. Hecla was the first place to have a soil conservation district in South Dakota.

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. The Civil Township of Hecla (which includes a portion of South Dakota political township-128-N by range-61-W east of the James River) surrounds the municipal boundary of the City of Hecla. Liberty Township is located to west of the City of Hecla and includes a portion of South Dakota political township-128-N by range-61-W west of the James River in addition to township-128-N by range-62-W.

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 227 people, 127 households, and 69 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 155 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 97.4%

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 ...

, 0.4% Asian, 0.4% from other races, and 1.8% 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 1.3% of the population. There were 127 households, of which 11.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.4% 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, 1.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 45.7% were non-families. 40.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 22.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.79 and the average family size was 2.35. The median age in the city was 57.1 years. 11% of residents were under the age of 18; 2.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 11% were from 25 to 44; 41.5% were from 45 to 64; and 34.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.6% male and 52.4% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 314 people, 147 households, and 93 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 170 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 99.04%

, 0.32% Native American, and 0.64% from two or more races. There were 147 households, out of which 21.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.1% were

living together, 6.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.1% were non-families. 34.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.14 and the average family size was 2.71. In the city, the population was spread out, with 20.1% under the age of 18, 5.1% from 18 to 24, 19.7% from 25 to 44, 25.5% from 45 to 64, and 29.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 48 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.6 males. The median income for a household in the city was $25,375, and the median income for a family was $42,656. Males had a median income of $27,500 versus $16,042 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 $14,775. About 2.2% of families and 3.3% 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 2.7% of those under age 18 and 7.1% of those age 65 or over.

Notable person

* Actress

January Jones January Kristen Jones (born January 5, 1978) is an American actress. She is best known for playing Betty Draper in ''Mad Men'' (2007–2015), for which she was nominated for two Golden Globe Awards for Best Actress – Television Series Drama ...

lived in Hecla from infancy until she was 10 years old, although she was born in

Sioux Falls Sioux Falls ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of South Dakota and the 117th-most populous city in the United States. It is the county seat of Minnehaha County and also extends into northern Lincoln County. The population was 192 ...

and moved there to attend high school.

References

{{Authority control Cities in Brown County, South Dakota Cities in South Dakota Aberdeen, South Dakota micropolitan area