| Aurora County, South Dakota | |
Location in the state of South Dakota |
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South Dakota's location in the U.S. |
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| Founded | February 22, 1879 |
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| Named for | Aurora, a Roman goddess |
| Seat | Plankinton |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
713 sq mi (1,845 km²) 708 sq mi (1,834 km²) 4 sq mi (11 km²), 0.61% |
| Population - (2010) - Density |
2,710 4/sq mi (1.4/km²) |
Aurora County is a county located in the U.S. state of South Dakota. As of the 2010 census, the population is 2,710.[1] It's county seat is Plankinton.[2]
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Aurora County, named for Aurora, the Roman goddess of the dawn, was created by the Dakota Territorial Legislature on February 22, 1879. It was organized in 1881 when three county commissioners were appointed. The county had been established from the combination of Cragin and Wetmore Counties, which had both been formed in 1873. The county commission first met on August 29, 1881, and named Plankinton the county seat, an act which was ratified by voters in November 1882. Aurora County was reduced in size in 1883, when the northern part of the county was established as Jerauld County.[3]
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 713 square miles (1,846.7 km2), of which 708 square miles (1,833.7 km2) is land and 4 square miles (10.4 km2) (0.61%) is water.
The county is divided into twenty townships:
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| Historical populations | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1880 | 69 |
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| 1890 | 5,045 | 7,211.6% | |
| 1900 | 4,011 | −20.5% | |
| 1910 | 6,143 | 53.2% | |
| 1920 | 7,246 | 18.0% | |
| 1930 | 7,139 | −1.5% | |
| 1940 | 5,387 | −24.5% | |
| 1950 | 5,020 | −6.8% | |
| 1960 | 4,749 | −5.4% | |
| 1970 | 4,183 | −11.9% | |
| 1980 | 3,628 | −13.3% | |
| 1990 | 3,136 | −13.6% | |
| 2000 | 3,058 | −2.5% | |
| 2010 | 2,710 | −11.4% | |
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As of the census[4] of 2000, there were 3,058 people, 1,165 households, and 816 families residing in the county. The population density was 4 people per square mile (2/km²). There were 1,298 housing units at an average density of 2 per square mile (1/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 95.68% White, 0.29% Black or African American, 1.93% Native American, 0.10% Asian, 1.44% from other races, and 0.56% from two or more races. 2.09% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 48.0% were of German, 13.0% Dutch, 6.9% Norwegian, 6.6% English, 6.1% Irish and 5.8% United States or American ancestry.
There were 1,165 households out of which 29.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.30% were married couples living together, 5.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.90% were non-families. 28.20% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 3.02.
In the county, the population was spread out with 27.60% under the age of 18, 6.50% from 18 to 24, 22.10% from 25 to 44, 22.20% from 45 to 64, and 21.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 104.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.80 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $29,783, and the median income for a family was $37,227. Males had a median income of $25,786 versus $21,250 for females. The per capita income for the county was $13,887. About 7.80% of families and 11.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.40% of those under age 18 and 12.00% of those age 65 or over.
| Jerauld County | Sanborn County | |||
| Brule County | Davison County | |||
| Aurora County, South Dakota | ||||
| Charles Mix County | Douglas County |
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