Freeman, South Dakota

Freeman, South Dakota
FIPS code		46-23020
GNIS feature ID	1267396[3]
Website	cityoffreeman.webs.com

Freeman is a city in

Freeman was laid out in 1879.[6]

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.11 square miles (2.87 km²), all land.^[7]

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1900	525		—
1910	615		17.1%
1920	894		45.4%
1930	987		10.4%
1940	976		−1.1%
1950	944		−3.3%
1960	1,140		20.8%
1970	1,357		19.0%
1980	1,462		7.7%
1990	1,293		−11.6%
2000	1,317		1.9%
2010	1,306		−0.8%
2020	1,329		1.8%
U.S. Decennial Census[8][4]

2010 census

As of the

of any race were 5.3% of the population.

There were 602 households, of which 23.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.5% were married couples living together, 6.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 46.8% were non-families. 44.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 29.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.08 and the average family size was 2.93.

The median age in the city was 48.6 years. 22.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 17.8% were from 25 to 44; 22.7% were from 45 to 64; and 31.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 44.5% male and 55.5% female.

2000 census

As of the

of any race were 0.15% of the population.

There were 602 households, out of which 21.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.7% were married couples living together, 5.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.5% were non-families. 38.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 25.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.09 and the average family size was 2.78.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 19.7% under the age of 18, 4.7% from 18 to 24, 21.6% from 25 to 44, 19.1% from 45 to 64, and 34.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 48 years. For every 100 females, there were 80.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 74.7 males.

As of 2000 the median income for a household in the city was $29,152, and the median income for a family was $39,118. Males had a median income of $26,795 versus $17,788 for females. The

, including 6.1% of those under age 18 and 10.2% of those age 65 or over.

Notable person

• Connor Hansen, Wisconsin Supreme Court justice

Education

Freeman High School and Freeman Elementary are the local public schools, home to the Freeman Flyers.

Freeman Junior College, started in 1903, was a small institution that begun the Mennonite-based education in Freeman. The Junior College closed in 1986, but the education continues on the campus as the Freeman Academy. The Freeman Academy is a private, Christian middle school and high school that serves students in grades 1-12.

Local culture

• Freeman is considered the chislic capital of America and as such it is the location of The South Dakota Chislic Festival.^[10] Local restaurants serve chislic as a local specialty.
• Schmeckfest was annually in Freeman from 1959 to 2019 but was canceled in 2020 and 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic. Schmeckfest is considered one of South Dakota's premier festivals. It features the ethnic foods/culture/history and musical traditions of the community.
• Heritage Hall Museum & Archives is an independent, not-for-profit museum in Freeman, preserving and sharing the history of the immigrants - primarily
  Germans from Russia
  - who settled in the area in the 1870s. It includes two large exhibit halls containing artifacts, an archives/library and four historic buildings. It is open year-round.

References

External links

• City of Freeman
• Freeman Community Development Corporation
• Freeman Public Schools
• Heritage Hall Museum & Archives