Oacoma is a town in

Lyman County Lyman County is a county located in the U.S. state of South Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,718. Its county seat is Kennebec. Lyman County was created by the Dakota Territorial Legislature on January 8, 1873, but was not o ...

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 386 at the 2020 census. Oacoma is located on the west bank of the Missouri River, across from

Chamberlain Chamberlain may refer to: Profession *Chamberlain (office), the officer in charge of managing the household of a sovereign or other noble figure People *Chamberlain (surname) **Houston Stewart Chamberlain (1855–1927), German-British philosop ...

History

On September 17, 1804,

Lewis and Clark Lewis may refer to: Names * Lewis (given name), including a list of people with the given name * Lewis (surname), including a list of people with the surname Music * Lewis (musician), Canadian singer * "Lewis (Mistreated)", a song by Radiohead ...

camped on the west bank of the Missouri River near American Island where Oacoma is now located. During the remainder of the 19th century the area was a stopping off place for explorers, fur traders and steamboat men. The township of Oacoma was laid out in 1891 as the county seat for the newly formed Lyman County; the seat was transferred to Kennebec in 1922. The

Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad The Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad (CMStP&P), often referred to as the "Milwaukee Road" , was a Class I railroad that operated in the Midwest and Northwest of the United States from 1847 until 1986. The company experience ...

arrived to Oacoma in 1905 and Oacoma was known as a "banking post-village". In the 21st century, it is a rest stop for travelers on

Interstate 90 Interstate 90 (I-90) is an east–west transcontinental freeway and the longest Interstate Highway in the United States at . It begins in Seattle, Washington, and travels through the Pacific Northwest, Mountain West, Great Plains, Midwest, and ...

Geography

Oacoma is located at . 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 , of which is land and is water.

American Crow Creek American Crow Creek is a stream in the U.S. state of South Dakota. According to tradition, American Crow Creek received its name directly from Lewis and Clark. See also *List of rivers of South Dakota This is a list of rivers in the state of ...

, a tributary to the Missouri River, enters the river in Oacoma. The town is located approximately halfway between

Sioux Falls Sioux Falls () is the most populous city in the U.S. state of South Dakota and the 130th-most populous city in the United States. It is the county seat of Minnehaha County and also extends into Lincoln County to the south, which continues up t ...

and

Rapid City Rapid City ( lkt, link=no, Mni Lúzahaŋ Otȟúŋwahe; "Swift Water City") is the second most populous city in South Dakota and the county seat of Pennington County. Named after Rapid Creek, where the settlement developed, it is in western So ...

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 451 people, 205 households, and 135 families residing 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 236 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 88.9%

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 ...

, 0.2%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 6.4% Native American, 0.4%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.7% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 3.3% 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 1.8% of the population. There were 205 households, of which 27.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.7% 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, 8.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 34.1% were non-families. 30.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.20 and the average family size was 2.64. The median age in the town was 44.3 years. 19.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.1% were from 25 to 44; 33.4% were from 45 to 64; and 15.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 52.5% male and 47.5% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 390 people, 169 households, and 111 families residing in the town. The

was 192.8 people per square mile (74.5/km²). There were 188 housing units at an average density of 92.9 per square mile (35.9/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 94.36%

, 3.33% Native American, and 2.31% from two or more races.

of any race were 0.26% of the population. There were 169 households, out of which 33.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.9% were

living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.3% were non-families. 29.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.86. In the town, the population was spread out, with 26.2% under the age of 18, 5.4% from 18 to 24, 30.3% from 25 to 44, 27.7% from 45 to 64, and 10.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 107.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.8 males. The median income for a household in the town was $36,719, and the median income for a family was $44,250. Males had a median income of $26,500 versus $18,750 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 $17,206. About 8.4% of families and 7.4% 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 8.7% of those under age 18 and 16.7% of those age 65 or over.

References

External links

*
Chamberlain-Oacoma Area Chamber of Commerce
{{authority control Towns in Lyman County, South Dakota Towns in South Dakota South Dakota populated places on the Missouri River Populated places established in 1891 1891 establishments in South Dakota