Buffalo County, South Dakota- one of the poorest places in america (Pierre: lease, loan)

[Future Trooper]

As of the census[3] of 2000, there are 2,032 people, 526 households, and 422 families residing in the county. The population density is 4 people per square mile (2/km²). There are 602 housing units at an average density of 1 per square mile (0/km²). The racial makeup of the county is 81.59% Native American, 16.34% White, 0.10% Black or African American, 0.30% from other races, and 1.67% from two or more races. 0.89% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race. 8.9% were of German ancestry.
There are 526 households out of which 47.10% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.60% are married couples living together, 31.40% have a female householder with no husband present, and 19.80% are non-families. 16.00% of all households are made up of individuals and 5.90% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 3.83 and the average family size is 4.23.
In the county, the population is spread out with 41.30% under the age of 18, 11.00% from 18 to 24, 25.00% from 25 to 44, 16.10% from 45 to 64, and 6.50% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 23 years. For every 100 females there are 105.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 98.00 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $12,692, and the median income for a family was $14,167. Males had a median income of $18,650 versus $19,554 for females. The per capita income for the county was $5,213, the lowest in the nation. About 55.70% of families and 56.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 61.50% of those under age 18 and 50.40% of those age 65 or over.

Is the governor of South Dakota doing anything to help these people? I also read in a report instances like this is rampant throughout South Dakota is this true?

[ElkHunter]

Good stats, but it doesn't tell you much.

Buffalo County South Dakota is some of the richest farm land anywhere. Excellent grass for grazing. All you have to do is work it.

What would you like to see the "State" do?

[prairierose]

Most of Buffalo County is on the Crow Creek Indian Reservation. Fort Thompson is the largest population center. Gann Valley appears to be the only town outside of the reservation.

[tpabes]

Originally Posted by ElkHunter

Good stats, but it doesn't tell you much.

Buffalo County South Dakota is some of the richest farm land anywhere. Excellent grass for grazing. All you have to do is work it.

What would you like to see the "State" do?

Great point, my Grandmother lives in Loup County, Nebraska. It was the 5th poorest county in the U.S. according to some publication. Its a ranching county, anyone who knows anything about ranching knows that your income level isn't very high. Its the land that allows them to make a living.

[MJ1986]

People can make a good amount of money in farming/ranching, like my dad. But if you are poor to start out with, you can't make a living off the land... I've been through the Buffalo/Brule County/Gann Valley area multiple times...its sad to see...

[uncleharley]

That still leaves the question, "What would you like the state of South Dakota to do?"

uh

[MJ1986]

True...and I don't have an answer to that... I wish the State could do something... and it's not going to change over night by any means...

[ElkHunter]

I grew up on a farm just north of Gann Valley. We tried to buy some hay from folks down in that area. Wouldn't sell. They didn't have the equipment to farm it. When we offered to come in and do the work they still refused. They were being paid for "Soil Bank". So they had monthly money coming in and didn't want to have to wait until we cut, stacked, and moved it. Course, they would have doubled their money if they waited.

For those that don't know what "Soil bank" is. It's when the Gov pays you to NOT grow anything. They started that back when there was too much Wheat or Corn being produced. They paid you to just let the ground go. That kept the market up on the grains that were produced. But if you claimed "Soil bank", you couldn't do ANYTHING with it. Including sell the hay.

[Dan Castello]

Originally Posted by gdude

Is the governor of South Dakota doing anything to help these people? I also read in a report instances like this is rampant throughout South Dakota is this true?

The governor of South Dakota? Are you kidding?

The Crow Creek Indian Reservation is located in parts of Buffalo, Hughes, and Hyde counties on the east bank of the Missouri River in central South Dakota in the United States. It has a land area of 1,092.09 km² (421.658 sq mi) and a 2000 census population of 2,225 persons. Its major town and capital of the Crow Creek Sioux Tribe is Fort Thompson, located immediately west of the dam of the same name, which holds back Big Bend Reservoir (also known as Lake Sharpe, one of the Missouri Mainstem reservoirs constructed by the US Army Corps of Engineers in the Pick-Sloan Plan.

The Reservation, and the Crow Creek Sioux Tribe, is organized into three Districts. The Tribe runs its own school, the Crow Creek Tribal Schools system with an elementary school at Fort Thompson and a K-12 boarding and day school at Stephan, approximately 10 miles north of Fort Thompson. Most of the Tribe's land is leased to a few large ranching families, and unemployment is high. The Tribe operates the Lode Star Casino and Hotel and attracts many tourists to the reservation, the archeological sites, Lake Sharpe's fishing and boating, and people traveling. The reservation is located southeast of Pierre, and north of Chamberlain. It is reached via SD Routes 47 or 50 off Interstate Highway 90, or via SD Route 34 east from Pierre.

Most of the county is part of the Crow Creek Indian Reservation.

CROW CREEK SIOUX TRIBE community profile (broken link)

Indian Treaties and Congresses: Information and Much More from Answers.com

[MJ1986]

I heard about the Soil Bank program back then. Sounds like a great waste of taxpayer money to me