Fort Thompson

Fort Thompson is a census-designated place (CDP) in Buffalo County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 1,282 at the 2010 census, making it the largest settlement on the Crow Creek Reservation. The CDP has a total area of 12.6 square miles (33 km²), of which 10.3 sq miles (27 km²) is land and 2.3sq miles (6.0km²) (17.98%) is water. Big Bend Dam is located just south of Ft. Thompson and impounds Lake Sharpe. A quarter of the residents do not have an automobile and have to walk or bicycle very long distances to work or services. Accounts of the town report rundown neighborhoods with old newspapers, tin foil, or old sheets covering windows of some homes. The housing stock is largely overcrowded, with cases of 15 to 20 people living in a modest house. The living conditions found in the town and county are often compared to a third world nation. The latest census figures show that 21% of houses don't have a kitchen or plumbing. The median income for a household in the CDP was $9,191. About 64.0% of families and 64.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 70.1% of those under age 18 and 58.1%) of those age 65 or over. The average household size was 4.18 and the average family size was4.54. The town is named in honor of Clark W. Thompson, Superintendent of Indian Affairs.

Geography

Fort Thompson is located at 44°339N 99°2545W (44.060793, -99.429128).According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 12.6 square miles (33 km²) Big Bend Dam is located just south of Ft. Thompson and impounds Lake Sharpe. Fort Thompson has a population of 1,816. The CDP is located in the northwestern part of the state. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that Fort Thompson's population is 1,082. The town has a land area of 10.3 square miles, and a water area of 6.0 square miles. It is located on the banks of the Little Colorado River, which flows through the town and into the San Francisco Bay. It has a elevation of 44.0°N 99 °2545 W (44°339 N 99°545 W) and a land mass of 10 3 square miles (27 km²), of which 2.3 is land and 17.98 is water (17.98%). The town is located near the junction of the Colorado River and the San Luis River. It also has a small lake, Lake Shpe, which runs through the center of the town. It was named after the town's founder, William Thompson, who built the dam in the early 20th century.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 1,375 people, 325 households, and 265 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 133.5 people per square mile (51.5/km²). There were 355 housing units at an average density of 34.5 per squaremile (13.3/km 2) The racial makeup of the CPD was 96.36% Native American, 2.62% White, 0.07% African American, and 0.95% from two or more races. The median income for a household in the town was $9,191, and the median income was $18,750 for a family. About 64.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 70.1% of those under age 18 and 58.1%. The living conditions found in town and county are often compared to a third world nation. A quarter of the residents do not have an automobile and have to walk or bicycle very long distances to work or services in the low density area. The housing stock is largely overcrowded, with cases of 15 to 20 people living in a modest house. The latest census figures show that 21% of houses do not has a kitchen or plumbing. The town is located on the U.S. Turnpike, one of the busiest highways in the United States. It is located near the junction of the New Jersey Turnpikes and the New York Turnpiked Highway. The TurnPike and New Jersey Highway are about a mile apart.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Fort Thompson, Buffalo County, South Dakota = 99. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 20. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 99. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Fort Thompson = 3.8 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 9,892 individuals with a median age of 24.5 age the population grows by 4.80% in Fort Thompson, Buffalo County, South Dakota population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 117.95 residents per square mile of area (45.54/km²). There are average 4.15 people per household in the 344 households with an average household income of $12,690 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 20.10% of the available work force and has dropped -0.48% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 18.94%. The number of physicians in Fort Thompson per 100,000 population = 92.3.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Fort Thompson = 17.5 inches and the annual snowfall = 12.8 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 66. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 208. 88 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 2.5 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 42, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Fort Thompson, Buffalo County, South Dakota which are owned by the occupant = 25.07%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 32 years with median home cost = $28,710 and home appreciation of 1.67%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $18.59 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.