| Official Name: | Lake Preston, South Dakota |
| Settlement Type: | City |
| Mapsize: | 250px |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | United States |
| Subdivision Type1: | State |
| Subdivision Name1: | South Dakota |
| Subdivision Type2: | County |
| Subdivision Name2: | Kingsbury |
| Established Title3: | Incorporated |
| Established Date3: | 1906[1] |
| Unit Pref: | Imperial |
| Area Footnotes: | [2] |
| Area Total Km2: | 1.97 |
| Area Land Km2: | 1.97 |
| Area Water Km2: | 0.00 |
| Area Total Sq Mi: | 0.76 |
| Area Land Sq Mi: | 0.76 |
| Area Water Sq Mi: | 0.00 |
| Population As Of: | 2020 |
| Population Total: | 589 |
| Population Density Km2: | 299.55 |
| Population Density Sq Mi: | 776.02 |
| Timezone: | Central (CST) |
| Utc Offset: | -6 |
| Timezone Dst: | CDT |
| Utc Offset Dst: | -5 |
| Coordinates: | 44.3614°N -97.3758°W |
| Elevation Ft: | 1719 |
| Postal Code Type: | ZIP codes |
| Postal Code: | 57233, 57249 |
| Area Code: | 605 |
| Blank Name: | FIPS code |
| Blank Info: | 46-35500[3] |
| Blank1 Name: | GNIS feature ID |
| Blank1 Info: | 1267452 |
Lake Preston is a city in Kingsbury County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 599 at the 2010 census.
A post office called Preston was established in 1879, and the name was changed to Lake Preston in 1882.[4] The town site was platted in 1881.[5] It was located in the Dakota Territory at the time. The city took its name from nearby Lake Preston.[6]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 0.76sqmi, all land.[7]
As of the census[8] of 2010, there were 599 people, 295 households, and 162 families residing in the city. The population density was 788.2PD/sqmi. There were 346 housing units at an average density of 455.3/sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 98.3% White, 0.3% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 0.5% from other races, and 0.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.2% of the population.
There were 295 households, of which 20.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.8% were married couples living together, 5.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 45.1% were non-families. 40.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.03 and the average family size was 2.77.
The median age in the city was 47.6 years. 20.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 17.8% were from 25 to 44; 34.5% were from 45 to 64; and 21.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 50.9% male and 49.1% female.
As of the census of 2000, there were 737 people, 317 households, and 183 families residing in the city. The population density was 999sp=usNaNsp=us. There were 355 housing units at an average density of 481.2sp=usNaNsp=us. The racial makeup of the city was 98.91% White, 0.81% Native American, and 0.27% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.95% of the population.
There were 317 households, out of which 26.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.2% were married couples living together, 5.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.0% were non-families. 38.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 23.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.15 and the average family size was 2.88.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 22.7% under the age of 18, 5.6% from 18 to 24, 23.5% from 25 to 44, 19.0% from 45 to 64, and 29.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $29,125, and the median income for a family was $42,143. Males had a median income of $29,750 versus $18,750 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,426. About 6.5% of families and 8.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.6% of those under age 18 and 15.0% of those age 65 or over.
Lake Preston is mentioned in the historical novel The Long Winterby American novelist Laura Ingalls Wilder. In the very severe winter of 1880–1881, a neighbor of Ingalls, David Gilbert, volunteered to make the very risky run from De Smet, South Dakota to Lake Preston (called, at that time, simply "Preston, Dakota Territory")to take outgoing mail and bring back the incoming mail. Though the distance was only about 12 miles,[9] the trip was dangerous because of blizzards coming up very quickly throughout that winter, and a person caught on the prairie during a blizzard had almost no chance of survival.
Distinguished Service Cross, World War I[10]