Harding County, South Dakota

{{Infobox U.S. county

| county = Harding County

| state = South Dakota

| ex image = Golden Valley Norwegian Lutheran Church.JPG

| ex image cap = Golden Valley Norwegian Lutheran Church in Ralph, South Dakota

| seal =

| coordinates = {{coord|45|35|47.8|N|103|28|25.935|W|region:US-SD_type:county|display=inline}}

| founded year = 1881 (created)
1898 (dissolved)
1908 (re-created w revised shape)
1909 (organized)

| founded date =

| seat wl = Buffalo

| largest city = Buffalo

| city type = town

| area_total_sq_mi = 2678

| area_land_sq_mi = 2671

| area_water_sq_mi = 6.5

| area percentage = 0.2

| population_as_of = 2020

| population_total = 1311

| pop_est_as_of = 2024

| population_est = 1325 {{increase}}

| density_sq_mi = auto

| named for = J. A. Harding

| time zone = Mountain

| district = At-large

}}

Harding County is a county in the U.S. state of South Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,311,{{cite web|title=State & County QuickFacts|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/hardingcountysouthdakota/PST045224|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=March 21, 2024}} making it the third-least populous county in South Dakota. Its county seat is Buffalo.{{cite web|title=Find a County |url=https://ce.naco.org/?find=true |publisher=National Association of Counties |access-date=March 21, 2025}}

Harding County was established as a county in the Dakota Territory on March 5, 1881, but was not organized at that time. Its name recognized J. A. Harding, who had been Speaker of the House of Dakota Territory.Joseph Nathan Kane, The American Counties (4th Ed.), (The Scarecrow Press, 1983), pp. 148, 479 Its boundaries were altered in 1883, in 1889, and in 1894. On November 8, 1898, Harding County was dissolved and its territory assigned to Butte County. However, on November 3, 1908, it was again created (with altered boundaries) from Butte County's area, and on February 17, 1909 its governing organization was completed.[https://publications.newberry.org/ahcbp/documents/DAKs_Individual_County_Chronologies.htm Individual County Chronologies/Harding County] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210508123626/https://publications.newberry.org/ahcbp/documents/DAKs_Individual_County_Chronologies.htm |date=May 8, 2021 }} (Newberry Library) accessed February 3, 2019.

Custer National Forest has its South Dakota portion in Harding County, and South Dakota State University operates the Antelope Range and Livestock Research Station about {{convert|14|miles}} east of Buffalo.

Geography

Harding County lies at the northwest corner of South Dakota. Its western boundary line abuts the east boundary line of the state of Montana, and its north boundary line abuts the south boundary line of the state of North Dakota.{{Cite web |title=Harding County · South Dakota |url=https://www.google.com/maps/place/Harding+County,+SD/@45.259797,-104.0006484,11.25z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x532e633b7ddf75d1:0xd444dcc8523330c!8m2!3d45.5482666!4d-103.5995692 |access-date=April 27, 2024 |website=Google Maps |language=en}} Its terrain consists of high hills, generally sloping to the east. Its highest point is a ridge that runs northwest to southeast near the county's southwest corner, at {{convert|3,366|ft|m|abbr=on}} ASL.{{Cite web |url=https://www.daftlogic.com/sandbox-google-maps-find-altitude.htm |title="Find an Altitude" Google Maps (accessed February 3, 2019) |access-date=February 4, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190521043409/https://www.daftlogic.com/sandbox-google-maps-find-altitude.htm |archive-date=May 21, 2019 |url-status=dead}}

Harding County has a total area of {{convert|2678|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|2671|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|6.5|sqmi}} (0.2%) is water.{{cite web|url=http://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/counties_list_46.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=March 26, 2015|date=August 22, 2012|title=2010 Census Gazetteer Files}} It is the fourth-largest county in South Dakota by area.

=Major highways=

=Adjacent counties=

=Protected areas=

Custer National Forest (partial)
Gardner Lake State Game Production Area
Mallula State Game Production Area
State Experiment Farm and Antelope Reserve

=Lakes=

Lake Gardner - it is 203 acres in surface area and is approximately 14 feet deep at its deepest point. Channel Catfish, Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Yellow Bullhead, and Yellow Perch inhabit the lake.
Leger Dam
Rabbit Creek Dam - this lake has a surface area of 17 acres and is inhabited by a variety of warm water fish including Largemouth Bass.
Vessey Dam - Eight acres in size, this lake is stocked with rainbow trout.

Demographics

{{US Census population

|1910= 4228

|1920= 3953

|1930= 3589

|1940= 3010

|1950= 2289

|1960= 2371

|1970= 1855

|1980= 1700

|1990= 1669

|2000= 1353

|2010= 1255

|2020= 1311

|estyear=2024

|estimate=1325

|estref={{cite web|title=County Population Totals and Components of Change: 2020-2024 |url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-counties-total.html |access-date=March 15, 2025}}

|align-fn=center

|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census{{cite web|title=U.S. Decennial Census |url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=July 20, 2014}}
1790–1960{{cite web|title=Historical Census Browser |url=http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu |publisher=University of Virginia Library |url-status=live |date=2007 |access-date=July 20, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091212224028/http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu/ |archive-date=December 12, 2009}} 1900–1990{{cite web|last=Forstall |first=Richard L. |title=Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990 |url=https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/sd190090.txt |publisher=United States Census Bureau |url-status=live |date=March 27, 1995 |access-date=July 20, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19990219135447/http://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/sd190090.txt |archive-date=February 19, 1999}}
1990–2000{{cite web|title=Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000 |url=https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |url-status=live |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=July 20, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100327165705/http://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |archive-date=March 27, 2010}} 2010–2020

}}

=2020 census=

As of the 2020 census, there were 1,311 people, 537 households, and 358 families residing in the county.{{Cite web|title=US Census Bureau, Table P16: Household Type |url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=Harding%20County,%20South%20Dakota%20p16&y=2020 |access-date=March 21, 2024 |publisher=United States Census Bureau}} The population density was {{convert|0.5|PD/sqmi}}. There were 720 housing units.

=2010 census=

As of the 2010 census, there were 1,255 people, 539 households, and 348 families in the county. The population density was {{convert|0.5|PD/sqmi}}. There were 731 housing units at an average density of {{convert|0.27|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|units |units|}}. The racial makeup of the county was 95.9% white, 1.5% American Indian, 0.1% black or African American, 0.1% Asian, 0.7% from other races, and 1.7% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.6% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 41.4% were Norwegian, 31.8% were German, 18.4% were Irish, 13.2% were English, and 2.6% were American.

Of the 539 households, 26.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.5% were married couples living together, 4.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 35.4% were non-families, and 32.1% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.87. The median age was 43.3 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $34,792 and the median income for a family was $46,111. Males had a median income of $38,929 versus $20,924 for females. The per capita income for the county was $22,004. About 13.7% of families and 16.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.5% of those under age 18 and 16.9% of those age 65 or over.

Politics

Harding is a heavily Republican county in Presidential and Congressional elections. The last Democrat to win a majority in the county was Franklin D. Roosevelt in his 46-state 1936 landslide. Jimmy Carter in 1976 almost carried the county, but since then the solitary Democrat to top 22 percent of Harding County's ballots has been Michael Dukakis in the drought-influenced 1988 election – and none of the last seven Democratic presidential candidates have topped so much as twenty percent. In 2008, Republican John McCain won 78% of the county's vote, while in 2012 Mitt Romney won 86% of the vote, and Donald Trump in 2016 won 90%, his strongest showing in South Dakota,{{citation needed|date=September 2018}} with Hillary Clinton narrowly securing second place from Gary Johnson.

{{PresHead|place=Harding County, South Dakota|whig=no|source1={{cite web|url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS|title=Atlas of US Presidential Elections|first=David|last=Leip|website=uselectionatlas.org|access-date=April 13, 2018}}}}

In the South Dakota Senate Harding is part of the 28th Senate district, which is held by Republican Ryan Maher. In the State House Harding is part of district 28B, which is held by Republican Neil Pinnow.