Murdo is a

city A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...

in and the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

of Jones County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 475 at the 2020 census.

History

Murdo was founded in about 1907 by the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad. As about halfway between Rapid City and Mitchell, Murdo was home to a roundhouse and a railyard, and a passenger station which served trains bound for Rapid City and Mitchell, until the discontinuation of the

Sioux The Sioux or Oceti Sakowin ( ; Dakota/ Lakota: ) are groups of Native American tribes and First Nations people from the Great Plains of North America. The Sioux have two major linguistic divisions: the Dakota and Lakota peoples (translati ...

passenger train. The town was named in honor of cattle baron Murdo MacKenzie. United States Senator John Thune is from Murdo, 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.

Climate

Murdo has a humid continental climate (Koppen Dfa), with cold winters and hot summers.

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 488 people, 237 households, and 128 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 291 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 93.9%

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 ...

, 0.2%

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 ...

, 3.5% Native American, and 2.5% 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 0.8% of the population. There were 237 households, of which 26.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.0% 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, 7.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 46.0% were non-families. 43.0% 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 2.06 and the average family size was 2.84. The median age in the city was 45.1 years. 21.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 21.1% were from 25 to 44; 29.4% were from 45 to 64; and 20.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.1% male and 52.9% female.

2000 census

As of the 2000

, there were 612 people, 271 households, and 160 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 315 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 95.92%

, 2.94% Native American, and 1.14% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 0.49% of the population. There were 271 households, of which 28.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.6% were

living together, 11.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.6% were non-families. 37.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.99. Age distribution was 26.8% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 25.2% from 25 to 44, 21.9% from 45 to 64, and 19.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.9 males. The

median household income The median income is the income amount that divides a population into two 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 und ...

was $30,104, and the median family income was $40,000. Males had a median income of $24,196 versus $17,917 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 $16,008. About 10.5% of families and 12.1% 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 15.3% of those under age 18 and 11.1% of those age 65 or over.

References

External links

{{Authority control Cities in South Dakota Cities in Jones County, South Dakota County seats in South Dakota Populated places established in 1907 1907 establishments in South Dakota