Bowdle () is a city in Edmunds County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 470 at the 2020 census.
History
Bowdle was platted in 1886. Bowdle most likely derives its name from C.C. Bowdle, the pioneer banker in the city. However, other sources claim the name either comes from Alexander M. Bowdle, an employee for the Chicago & Milwaukee Railroad, or G.M. Bowdle, a pioneer settler of Mitchell.
On May 22nd, 2010, Bowdle was struck by an EF4 tornado. While no fatalities or injuries were reported, the tornado did damage several farms to the north of town along with tossing multiple vehicles. The tornado was part of a larger outbreak taking place from the 22nd to the 25th.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land.
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Bowdle had a population of 470. The median age was 57.2 years. 17.0% of residents were under the age of 18 and 36.2% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 100.9 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 96.0 males age 18 and over.
0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.
There were 188 households in Bowdle, of which 14.9% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 53.7% were married-couple households, 21.8% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 23.4% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 40.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
! Race !! Number !! Percent
|-
| White || 442 || 94.0%
|-
| Black or African American || 1 || 0.2%
|-
| American Indian and Alaska Native || 10 || 2.1%
|-
| Asian || 5 || 1.1%
|-
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || 0 || 0.0%
|-
| Some other race || 2 || 0.4%
|-
| Two or more races || 10 || 2.1%
|-
| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) || 11 || 2.3%
|}
2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 502 people, 225 households, and 128 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 267 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 96.0% White, 0.4% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 3.2% from other races, and 0.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.4% of the population.
There were 225 households, of which 26.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.3% were married couples living together, 4.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 43.1% were non-families. 39.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 24% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 3.02.
The median age in the city was 45.3 years. 24.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 18.2% were from 25 to 44; 24% were from 45 to 64; and 26.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.6% male and 50.4% female.
2000 census
As of the census