Salem is a city in and the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US ...

of McCook County,

South Dakota South Dakota (; Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state in the North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux Native American tribes, who comprise a large po ...

, United States. The population was 1,325 at the 2020 census. The current mayor is Shawn English.

History

Salem was founded in 1880 and named after the postmaster's hometown of

Salem, Massachusetts Salem ( ) is a historic coastal city in Essex County, Massachusetts, located on the North Shore (Massachusetts), North Shore of Greater Boston. Continuous settlement by Europeans began in 1626 with English colonists. Salem would become one of the ...

. Salem at one time was called Melas ('Melas' is Salem spelled backwards). This was to prevent confusion with the now non-existent community of Salena, South Dakota. Salem SD Feb 11 1913 by JR Ainsworth

Geography

Salem is located at (43.725989, −97.386533). According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of th ...

, the city has a total area of , all land. Salem has been assigned the ZIP code 57058 and the

FIPS place code The Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) of the United States are a set of publicly announced standards that the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has developed for use in computer systems of non-military, American ...

57340.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses inc ...

of 2010, there were 1,347 people, 567 households, and 362 families living in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: 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 geographical term.Matt RosenberPopu ...

was . There were 667 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 98.8%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...

, 0.1%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.1% Native American, 0.6% from other races, and 0.4% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race were 1.9% of the population. There were 567 households, of which 29.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.3% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...

living together, 7.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 36.2% were non-families. 33.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.90. The median age in the city was 44.3 years. 24.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.4% were from 25 to 44; 23.8% were from 45 to 64; and 25.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.6% male and 51.4% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 1,371 people, 588 households, and 372 families living in the city. The

was 1,346.3 people per square mile (519.0/km²). There were 640 housing units at an average density of 628.5 per square mile (242.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 98.69%

, 0.07%

, 0.44% Native American, 0.29% Asian, and 0.51% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 0.51% of the population. Of the 588 households, 28.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.8% were

living together, 6.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.7% were non-families. 34.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 21.6% consisted of a lone resident 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.85. In the city, the population was spread out, with 22.5% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 23.6% from 25 to 44, 21.6% from 45 to 64, and 25.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.1 males. As of 2000 the median income for a household in the city was $34,500, and the median income for a family was $44,167. Males had a median income of $29,350 versus $20,227 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $19,596. 3.4% of the population and 1.9% of families 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 ...

. 2.9% of those under the age of 18 and 4.4% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

Community

Education

Salem, South Dakota is home to one public school and one private school. Public school McCook Central teaches students from kindergarten to high school, while Saint Mary's private school teaches kindergarten to eighth grade. McCook Central High School had a student to teacher ratio of 13:1 and had 111 students enrolled in the 2013–14 school year. The high school's student body makeup for the 2013–14 school year was 49% male and 51% female. The public school has been under construction for over a year and its $7.1 million building project will soon be completed. The new building will house the middle school and high school students at the school. The new building will be replacing the original school which was built in 1924. The new school will have a stage, performing arts center, commons areas, classrooms, offices, and bathrooms. The most-popular student activities at the public school are FFA, band, chorus, and sports.

High school athletics

* Boys basketball * Girls basketball * Football * Volleyball * Wrestling * Bowling * Archery * Track and field * Baseball * Girls golf * Boys golf * Girls cross country * Boys cross country

Restaurants and bars

Salem has a wide variety of places to eat, some of which include: * The Homestead Coffee and Cream Cafe * Brewery * The Quick Stop * T & C's Pit Stop * The End Zone Bar and Grill * Ma's and Pap's Bakery * The Den Drive-up

Entertainment/recreation

Salem has a country club with a nine-hole golf course, a bowling alley, three parks, a swimming pool, track, football field, gym, yoga, baseball diamond, and two softball diamonds. Salem also has a community library.

References

{{authority control Cities in McCook County, South Dakota Cities in South Dakota County seats in South Dakota Sioux Falls, South Dakota metropolitan area