Wessington is a city on the border between

Beadle A beadle, sometimes spelled bedel, is an official who may usher, keep order, make reports, and assist in religious functions; or a minor official who carries out various civil, educational or ceremonial duties on the manor. The term has pre- ...

and

Hand A hand is a prehensile, multi-fingered appendage located at the end of the forearm or forelimb of primates such as humans, chimpanzees, monkeys, and lemurs. A few other vertebrates such as the Koala#Characteristics, koala (which has two thumb#O ...

counties in

South Dakota South Dakota (; Sioux language, Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state, state in the West North Central states, North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Dakota people, Dakota Sioux ...

, United States. The population was 197 at the 2020 census.

History

A post office has been in operation in Wessington since 1882. The city took its name from the nearby Wessington Hills. The early growth of Wessington began because it was a transshipment point for locally produced grains because of the railroad (C. & N.W. Ry. Co.). This allowed local producers lower shipping costs compared to villages further from railroads, encouraging the location of other businesses in the town. Wessington originally was located in Beadle County; the cohesiveness of the community soon led to growth into neighboring Hand County. In 1918, there was a flourishing

natural ice Nature is an inherent character or constitution, particularly of the ecosphere or the universe as a whole. In this general sense nature refers to the laws, elements and phenomena of the physical world, including life. Although humans are part ...

business that provisioned refrigerated freight cars. The cattle industry in the area has increased the market quality of the nation's cattle through improvements in herd management and adaptations to changing consumer demands. Many producers have received national recognition throughout the years.http://simmental.org/site/pdf/register/Jan%2012%20Register%20Golden%20Book%20Award%20Recipients.pdf John Christensen, 2012 Simmental genetics Golden Book Award recipient

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the city has a total area of , all land.

Demographics

2020 census

2010 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, there were 170 people, 91 households, and 44 families residing in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), 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 geog ...

was . There were 139 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 chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

and 1.2% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 1.2% of the population. There were 91 households, of which 12.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.9% were

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

living together, 3.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 51.6% were non-families. 47.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.87 and the average family size was 2.64. The median age in the city was 53.6 years. 12.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 11.2% were from 25 to 44; 37.6% were from 45 to 64; and 30.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 50.0% male and 50.0% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 248 people, 118 households, and 69 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 143 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 97.98%

, 0.40%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.40% Native American, and 1.21% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 1.21% of the population. There were 118 households, out of which 22.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.8% were

living together, 9.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.5% were non-families. 39.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 25.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.10 and the average family size was 2.81. In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.0% under the age of 18, 3.6% from 18 to 24, 23.4% from 25 to 44, 19.8% from 45 to 64, and 28.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.6 males. The median income for a household in the city was $21,250, and the median income for a family was $35,750. Males had a median income of $26,250 versus $16,964 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the city was $13,767. About 7.0% of families and 11.3% of the population 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 ...

, including 10.0% of those under the age of eighteen and 25.0% of those 65 or over.

References

External links

* {{authority control Cities in South Dakota Cities in Beadle County, South Dakota Cities in Hand County, South Dakota