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Woonsocket, South Dakota
City
Motto: "The Town with the Beautiful Lake"
Location in Sanborn County and the state of South Dakota
Coordinates: 44°03′15″N 98°16′20″W / 44.05417°N 98.27222°W / 44.05417; -98.27222
Country	United States
State	South Dakota
County	Sanborn
Incorporated	1888
Area
• Total	0.80 sq mi (2.06 km)
• Land	0.78 sq mi (2.03 km)
• Water	0.01 sq mi (0.03 km)
Elevation	1,303 ft (397 m)
Population
• Total	631
• Density	804.85/sq mi (310.70/km)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	57385
Area code	605
FIPS code	46-72700
GNIS feature ID	1267662
Website	The City of Woonsocket, South Dakota

Woonsocket is a city in Sanborn County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 631 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Sanborn County.

History

Woonsocket was developed in 1883 as a railroad town because of its location at the junction on the Chicago, Milwaukee and Saint Paul Railroad. C.H. Prior, the superintendent of the railroad, named the town Woonsocket after his home town of Woonsocket, Rhode Island. The town was incorporated in 1888.

Woonsocket was known for an artesian well which was drilled in 1888. It was claimed that in its prime, the well flowed over 8,000 gallons per minute out of the six inch wide pipe. The well was capped off in 1906.

2003 South Dakota tornado outbreak

On June 24, 2003, an F3 tornado passed just west of town; it was one of 67 tornadoes that touched down on June 24, holding a record for "Most tornadoes to touch down in the state in one day".

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 0.79 square miles (2.05 km), of which 0.78 square miles (2.02 km) is land and 0.01 square miles (0.03 km) is water.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 655 people, 287 households, and 168 families residing in the city. The population density was 839.7 inhabitants per square mile (324.2/km). There were 318 housing units at an average density of 407.7 per square mile (157.4/km). The racial makeup of the city was 98.3% White, 0.3% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.5% from other races, and 0.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.5% of the population.

There were 287 households, of which 24.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.3% were married couples living together, 10.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.5% were non-families. 37.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 21.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.13 and the average family size was 2.79.

The median age in the city was 48.9 years. 21.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 4.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 18.7% were from 25 to 44; 27.8% were from 45 to 64; and 27.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.9% male and 51.1% female.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 720 people, 301 households, and 192 families residing in the city. The population density was 918.4 inhabitants per square mile (354.6/km). There were 330 housing units at an average density of 420.9 per square mile (162.5/km). The racial makeup of the city was 97.50% White, 0.42% Native American, 1.11% Asian, 0.42% from other races, and 0.56% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.39% of the population.

There were 301 households, out of which 26.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.2% were married couples living together, 9.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.9% were non-families. 31.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.6% 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 2.83.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 20.4% under the age of 18, 10.3% from 18 to 24, 22.6% from 25 to 44, 20.4% from 45 to 64, and 26.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $30,341, and the median income for a family was $38,304. Males had a median income of $26,625 versus $17,552 for females. The per capita income for the city was $24,035. About 5.3% of families and 8.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.2% of those under age 18 and 12.6% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

• George L. Cross, former president of the University of Oklahoma from 1943 to 1968.
• Eleanor McGovern, wife of George McGovern
• Eloise Ramsey, professor at Wayne State University, authority on children's literature
• Volney F. Warner, retired United States Army four-star general.

See also

• List of cities in South Dakota

References

1. "SD Towns" (PDF). South Dakota State Historical Society. Retrieved February 17, 2010.
2. "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 15, 2022.
3. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Woonsocket, South Dakota
4. ^ "Census Population API". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 15, 2022.
5. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
6. "U.S. Census Bureau: Woonsocket city, South Dakota". www.census.gov. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
7. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 3, 2015. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
8. "History of Woonsocket". The City of Woonsocket, South Dakota. Retrieved July 27, 2012.
9. "Profile for Woonsocket, South Dakota, SD". ePodunk. Retrieved July 27, 2012.
10. Federal Writers' Project (1940). South Dakota place-names, v.1-3. American guide series. University of South Dakota. p. 69.
11. "Woonsocket, South Dakota". City-Data.com. Retrieved July 28, 2012.
12. "Photo History of Woonsocket - looking for more pictures!!". Archived from the original on June 28, 2018.
13. "US Gazetteer files 2010". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on January 12, 2012. Retrieved June 21, 2012.
14. United States Census Bureau. "Census of Population and Housing". Retrieved June 13, 2016.
15. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 21, 2012.

External links

• Official website

v t e Municipalities and communities of Sanborn County, South Dakota, United States
County seat: Woonsocket
City	Woonsocket
Towns	Artesian Letcher
Township	Afton
CDPs	Forestburg Upland Colony
Other communities	Cuthbert
South Dakota portal United States portal

• Cities in Sanborn County, South Dakota
• Cities in South Dakota
• County seats in South Dakota