Charles Mix County, South Dakota


Charles Mix County is a county in the U.S. state of South Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 9,373. Its county seat is Lake Andes. The county was created in 1862 and organized in 1879. It was named for Charles Eli Mix, an official of the Bureau of Indian Affairs influential in signing a peace treaty with the local Lakota Indian tribes. The easternmost approximately 60% of the county comprises the Yankton Indian Reservation.
The Papineau Trading Post, whose building is now in Geddes, South Dakota, was an early county seat. Geddes tried to wrest the county seat from Wheeler in 1900, 1904, and 1908. The Charles Mix County Courthouse in Lake Andes was built in 1918.

Geography

Charles Mix County lies on the south line of South Dakota. Its south boundary line abuts the north boundary line of the state of Nebraska. A smaller drainage flows south-southwesterly to the river along the east county line, separating it from Bon Homme County. The county terrain consists of rolling hills, mostly dedicated to agriculture. The terrain drops off into the river basin along the county's southwest side, but otherwise generally slopes to the southeast.
The county has a total area of, of which is land and is water.

Major highways

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, there were 9,373 people, 3,050 households, and 2,019 families residing in the county, and the population density was.
Of the residents, 28.7% were under the age of 18 and 18.2% were 65 years of age or older; the median age was 36.9 years. For every 100 females there were 99.9 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 98.8 males.
The racial makeup of the county was 61.4% White, 0.2% Black or African American, 33.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% Asian, 0.5% from some other race, and 4.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 2.4% of the population.
There were 3,050 households in the county, of which 31.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 24.4% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 30.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 3,625 housing units, of which 15.9% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 71.1% were owner-occupied and 28.9% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.7% and the rental vacancy rate was 7.3%.

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 9,129 people, 3,249 households, and 2,222 families in the county. The population density was. There were 3,849 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the county was 65.0% white, 31.7% American Indian, 0.2% Asian, 0.1% black or African American, 0.3% from other races, and 2.7% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.7% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 30.2% were German, 12.0% were Dutch, 11.7% were Czech, 6.8% were Norwegian, 5.1% were Irish, and 1.8% were American.
Of the 3,249 households, 33.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.0% were married couples living together, 12.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 31.6% were non-families, and 29.0% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.23. The median age was 38.2 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $35,808 and the median income for a family was $46,962. Males had a median income of $33,477 versus $25,740 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,403. About 17.4% of families and 24.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 32.9% of those under age 18 and 15.6% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

Reservation

The unorganized territory of Castalia is located in the county.

Notable residents

Charles Mix County, more akin to the Midwest than the Great Plains, up until recently favored the Democratic Party. It was one of only 130 counties nationwide to be won in 1972 by favorite son George McGovern, and it was only once carried by a Republican nominee between 1932 and 1976 – when Dwight D. Eisenhower swept every county in South Dakota in 1952. Donald Trump in 2016, 2020, and 2024 easily exceeded the previous best Republican performance in the county.

Education

School districts include:
Marty Indian School, a tribal school affiliated with the Bureau of Indian Education, is in the county.