Turner County is a county in the U.S. state of South Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 8,673. Its county seat is Parker. The county was established in 1871, and was named for Dakota Territory official John W. Turner. Turner County is a part of the Sioux Falls, SD Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Geography

The terrain of Turner County consists of rolling hills, carved by gullies and drainages. The area is largely devoted to agriculture. The terrain slopes to the south and east; its highest point is along its west boundary line, at 1,578 ft ASL. The county has a total area of 618 sqmi, of which 617 sqmi is land and 0.6 sqmi (0.1%) is water.

Major highways

Adjacent counties

Protected areas

Lakes

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, there were 8,673 people, 3,467 households, and 2,359 families residing in the county. The population density was 14.1 PD/sqmi. There were 3,871 housing units.

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 8,347 people, 3,452 households, and 2,363 families in the county. The population density was 13.5 PD/sqmi. There were 3,939 housing units at an average density of 6.4 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 97.5% white, 0.8% American Indian, 0.2% black or African American, 0.2% Asian, 0.3% from other races, and 0.9% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.3% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 47.7% were German, 18.4% were Norwegian, 11.3% were Danish, 9.4% were Irish, 8.5% were Dutch, and 2.7% were American. Of the 3,452 households, 29.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.7% were married couples living together, 5.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 31.5% were non-families, and 27.4% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.87. The median age was 43.7 years. The median income for a household in the county was $48,068 and the median income for a family was $57,881. Males had a median income of $37,622 versus $27,459 for females. The per capita income for the county was $22,871. About 4.7% of families and 7.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.9% of those under age 18 and 9.1% of those age 65 or over.

Culture

Turner County hosts the oldest county fair in the Dakotas. It held its first fair on October 13–16, 1880. The Turner County Agriculture Society was organized in March 1880. Its stated purpose was to showcase the agricultural successes of the new county. The fair was held at various locations over the years, but has been at its current location east of Parker for well over half a century.

Communities

Cities

Towns

Census-designated place

Unincorporated communities

Townships

Politics

Turner County voters are reliably Republican. In no national election since 1932 has the county selected the Democratic Party candidate.

Education

School districts include: