| County: | Kingsbury County |
| State: | South Dakota |
| Founded Year: | 1873 (created) 1880 (organized) |
| Seat Wl: | De Smet |
| Largest City Wl: | De Smet |
| Area Total Sq Mi: | 864 |
| Area Land Sq Mi: | 832 |
| Area Water Sq Mi: | 32 |
| Area Percentage: | 3.6 |
| Population As Of: | 2020 |
| Population Total: | 5187 |
| Pop Est As Of: | 2023 |
| Population Est: | 5276 |
| Population Density Sq Mi: | auto |
| Time Zone: | Central |
| Web: | http://kingsbury.sdcounties.org |
| Named For: | George W. Kingsbury & T.A. Kingsbury |
| Ex Image: | Kingsbury County Courthouse.jpg |
| Ex Image Cap: | Kingsbury County Courthouse in De Smet |
| District: | At-large |
Kingsbury County is a county in the U.S. state of South Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 5,187.[1] Its county seat is De Smet.[2] The county was created in 1873, and was organized in 1880.[3] It was named for brothers George W. and T. A. Kingsbury, descendants of the colonial English Kingsbury family in Boston, Massachusetts. They were prominently involved in the affairs of Dakota Territory and served as elected members of several Territorial Legislatures.
The terrain of Kingsbury County consists of low rolling hills. The central and east portions of the county hold numerous lakes and ponds. The land is largely devoted to agriculture.[4] The terrain generally slopes to the southwest, and the highest point is near the midpoint of the east boundary line, at 1857feet ASL.[5] The county has a total area of, of which is land and (6.2%) is water.[6]
Industrialization of agriculture and the attraction of urban areas have contributed to the decline in population of Kingsbury County, similar to what has occurred in other Plains rural areas. In 2010 it had less than half the population of its peak in 1930, before the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression.
As of the 2020 census, there were 5,187 people, 2,191 households, and 1,398 families residing in the county.[7] The population density was . There were 2,615 housing units.
As of the 2010 census, there were 5,148 people, 2,222 households, and 1,418 families in the county. The population density was . There were 2,720 housing units at an average density of 3.3/mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 98.1% white, 0.5% American Indian, 0.3% Asian, 0.1% black or African American, 0.3% from other races, and 0.8% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.4% of the population. In terms of European ancestry, 42.8% were German, 25.5% were Norwegian, 10.9% were Danish, 9.6% were Irish, 7.2% were English, and 3.5% were American.
Of the 2,222 households, 24.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.6% were married couples living together, 5.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 36.2% were non-families, and 32.2% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.81. The median age was 47.1 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $44,948 and the median income for a family was $56,925. Males had a median income of $35,585 versus $28,141 for females. The per capita income for the county was $24,660. About 7.0% of families and 9.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.8% of those under age 18 and 10.8% of those age 65 or over.
Kingsbury County voters have been reliably Republican for decades. In only two national elections since 1932 has the county selected the Democratic Party candidate (as of 2020).