Gary is a city in Deuel 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 240 at the 2020 census. South Dakota Highway 101 serves as the main route of the community. In 2022, the town celebrated its 150th anniversary.

History

A post office called Gary was established in 1874. Gary 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 by the railroad in 1877. It was named for H. B. Gary, a postal official. An early variant name was State Line.

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 West Branch of the Lac qui Parle River flows through the city as a spring fed stream near its headwaters.

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, 120 households, and 61 families residing 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 153 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 96.9%

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 ...

, 0.9%

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 ...

, 1.8% Native American, and 0.4% 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 120 households, of which 17.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.5% 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, 6.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 1.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 49.2% were non-families. 47.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 23.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.89 and the average family size was 2.67. The median age in the city was 51.6 years. 18.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 17.9% were from 25 to 44; 32.6% were from 45 to 64; and 26% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 51.5% male and 48.5% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 231 people, 128 households, and 62 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 148 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 99.57%

and 0.43% Native American. There were 128 households, out of which 16.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.0% were

living together, 4.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 50.8% were non-families. 50.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 31.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.80 and the average family size was 2.62. In the city, the population was spread out, with 16.5% under the age of 18, 3.5% from 18 to 24, 21.6% from 25 to 44, 26.0% from 45 to 64, and 32.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 52 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.2 males. The median income for a household in the city was $20,962, and the median income for a family was $31,250. Males had a median income of $19,500 versus $16,563 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 $13,480. About 12.9% of families and 13.9% 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 14.6% of those under the age of eighteen and 24.3% of those 65 or over.

References

{{Authority control Cities in South Dakota Cities in Deuel County, South Dakota Populated places established in 1917 1917 establishments in South Dakota