Lincoln County, South Dakota

{{Infobox U.S. county

| county = Lincoln County

| state = South Dakota

| seal =

| founded date = December 30

| founded year = 1867

| seat wl = Canton

| largest city wl = Sioux Falls

| area_total_sq_mi = 578

| area_land_sq_mi = 577

| area_water_sq_mi = 0.5

| area percentage = 0.08

| population_as_of = 2020

| population_total = 65161

| pop_est_as_of = 2024

| population_est = 75244 {{increase}}

| density_sq_mi = auto

| time zone = Central

| web = http://lincolncountysd.org/

| named for = Abraham Lincoln

| ex image = Lincoln County Courthouse South Dakota 5.jpg

| ex image cap = Lincoln County Courthouse in Canton

| district = At-large

}}

Lincoln County is a county in the U.S. state of South Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 65,161,{{cite web|title=State & County QuickFacts |url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/lincolncountysouthdakota/PST045224 |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=March 21, 2024}} making it the third most populous county in South Dakota. Its county seat is Canton.{{cite web|url=https://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx|access-date=June 7, 2011|title=Find a County|publisher=National Association of Counties}} The county was named for Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of the United States.{{cite book|last=Gannett|first=Henry|title=The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States|url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ|year=1905|publisher=US Government Printing Office|page=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ/page/n186 187]}} Lincoln County is included in the Sioux Falls, SD, Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is one of the top 10 fastest-growing counties in the United States in terms of rate of population increase, rate of housing unit increase, and many other factors. This is due to the southward growth of Sioux Falls, and the expansion of its suburbs.

Geography

The Big Sioux River flows south-southeastward along the east line of Lincoln County. Lincoln County is on the eastern line of South Dakota. Its east boundary line abuts the west boundary line of the state of Iowa (across the river).

The county terrain consists of low rolling hills. The county area is largely devoted to agriculture.{{Cite web |title=Lincoln County · South Dakota |url=https://www.google.com/maps/place/Lincoln+County,+SD/@43.4626835,-96.807239,12z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x878ebfa1538d787f:0x66a85514f8c5c721!8m2!3d43.2026862!4d-96.8350999 |access-date=2024-04-27 |website=Google Maps |language=en}} The terrain slopes to the southeast, and drops off to the river valley along its east edge.{{Cite web |url=https://www.daftlogic.com/sandbox-google-maps-find-altitude.htm |title="Find an Altitude" Google Maps (accessed February 5, 2019) |access-date=February 6, 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}} The county has a total area of {{convert|578|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|577|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|0.5|sqmi}} (0.08%) is water.{{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/counties_list_46.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=March 28, 2015|date=August 22, 2012|title=2010 Census Gazetteer Files}}

=Lakes=

Lake Alvin
Lake Lakota

=Protected areas=

Source:

Atkins Waterfowl Production Area
Fish State Game Production Area
Good Earth State Park
Johnson State Game Production Area
Klondike State Game Production Area
Lake Alvin State Game Production Area
Lake Alvin State Recreation Area
McKee State Game Production Area
Newton Hills State Park
Nine Mile Creek State Game Production Area
Oak Ridge State Game Production Area
Pattee Lake State Game Production Area
Rolling State Game Production Area
Watershed Lake State Game Production Area
Worthing State Game Production Area

=Major highways=

=Adjacent counties=

Minnehaha County – north
Lyon County, Iowa – northeast
Sioux County, Iowa – southeast
Union County – south
Clay County – southwest
Turner County – west

Demographics

{{US Census population

|1870= 712

|1880= 5896

|1890= 9148

|1900= 12161

|1910= 12712

|1920= 13893

|1930= 13918

|1940= 13171

|1950= 12767

|1960= 12371

|1970= 11761

|1980= 13942

|1990= 15427

|2000= 24131

|2010= 44828

|2020= 65161

|estyear=2024

|estimate=75244

|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 65,161 people, 24,877 households, and 17,239 families residing in the county.{{Cite web|title=US Census Bureau, Table P16: Household Type |url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=Lincoln%20County,%20South%20Dakota%20p16&y=2020 |access-date=March 21, 2024 |publisher=United States Census Bureau}} The population density was {{convert|112.9|PD/sqmi}}. There were 26,227 housing units.

=2010 census=

As of the 2010 census, there were 44,828 people, 16,649 households, and 12,287 families in the county. The population density was {{convert|77.7|PD/sqmi}}. There were 17,875 housing units at an average density of {{convert|31.0|/sqmi}}. The racial makeup of the county was 96.1% white, 1.0% Asian, 0.7% black or African American, 0.5% American Indian, 0.3% from other races, and 1.4% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.2% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 47.1% were German, 20.9% were Norwegian, 11.7% were Irish, 7.2% were Dutch, 5.2% were English, and 3.9% were American.

Of the 16,649 households, 41.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.3% were married couples living together, 7.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 26.2% were non-families, and 20.2% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 3.11. The median age was 32.8 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $67,365 and the median income for a family was $75,231. Males had a median income of $43,537 versus $34,715 for females. The per capita income for the county was $33,261. About 2.7% of families and 4.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.9% of those under age 18 and 7.5% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

=Cities=

Beresford (partial)
Canton (county seat)
Harrisburg
Lennox
Sioux Falls (partial)
Tea
Worthing

=Towns=

=Census-designated place=

Shindler

=Unincorporated communities=

Source:

Naomi (partial)
Norway Center

=Townships=

Brooklyn
Canton
Dayton
Delapre
Delaware
Eden
Grant
Fairview
Highland
La Valley
Lincoln
Lynn
Norway
Perry
Pleasant
Springdale{{cite web|title=Townships|publisher=Lincoln County|access-date=October 16, 2010|url=https://lincolncountysd.org/Page.cfm/Information/37/Townships}}

Politics

Lincoln County voters have been reliably Republican for decades. In no national election since 1964 has the county selected a Democratic Party candidate. Only three times in its history has it voted for a different party, twice for the Democratic Party{{Cite web |title=1932 Presidential General Election Results – South Dakota |url=https://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/state.php?year=1932&fips=46&f=0&off=0&elect=0&minper=0 |access-date=February 6, 2024 |website=US Election Atlas}}{{Cite web |title=The American Presidency Project - Election of 1964 |url=https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/showelection.php?year=1964 |access-date=February 6, 2024 |website=US Election Atlas}} and once for the Progressive Party.{{Cite web |title=1912 Presidential Election Statistics |url=https://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/stats.php?year=1912&f=1&off=0&elect=0 |access-date=February 2, 2024 |website=US Election Atlas}} In 1924 the county voted for independent candidate LaFollete{{Cite web |title=US Election Atlas |url=https://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/stats.php?year=1924&f=0&off=0&elect=0 |website=US Election Atlas}} who was nominated by the progressive party but ran without a label in South Dakota.

{{PresHead|place=Lincoln County, South Dakota|whig=no|source1={{Cite web|url=https://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS|title=Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections|last=Leip|first=David|website=uselectionatlas.org|access-date=April 15, 2018}}}}

Education

School districts include:{{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st46_sd/schooldistrict_maps/c46083_lincoln/DC20SD_C46083.pdf|title=2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Lincoln County, SD|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=March 13, 2024}} - [https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st46_sd/schooldistrict_maps/c46083_lincoln/DC20SD_C46083_SD2MS.txt Text list]