South Dakota County Distress Index
Financial distress scores for all 66 counties in South Dakota, scored 0–100 across five domains. Mean score: 23.4.
Data: Census, BLS, Urban Institute, HUD, US Courts | Scores as of 2026-03-26
South Dakota Snapshot
66 Counties Scored
23.4 Mean Score
19.8 Median Score
67.0 Oglala Lakota County Most Distressed
7.5 Hamlin County Least Distressed
2 moderate-high county distress1 moderate county distress7 moderate-low county distress6 low-moderate county distress16 low county distress31 very low county distress3 exceptionally low county distress
Score Label Distribution South Dakota County Map
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Low county distress Moderate-low county distress Moderate county distress High county distress Extreme county distress
All 66 South Dakota counties colored by county distress score range. Hover for details; click released counties for full reports.
Most & Least Distressed
Most Distressed
Least Distressed
Score Distribution
How South Dakota's 66 county scores are distributed across the 0–100 scale.
All South Dakota Counties
66 counties ranked by distress score. Click column headers to sort.
| State Rank | Nat'l Rank | County | Score | Score Label | Primary Driver |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 669 | Oglala Lakota County | 67.0 | moderate-high county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 2 | 870 | Todd County | 63.0 | moderate-high county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 3 | 1,299 | Dewey County | 55.3 | moderate county distress | Delinquency |
| 4 | 1,777 | Fall River County | 46.8 | moderate-low county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 5 | 1,806 | Buffalo County | 46.1 | moderate-low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 6 | 1,827 | Corson County | 45.8 | moderate-low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 7 | 1,870 | Jackson County | 45.1 | moderate-low county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 8 | 2,051 | Bennett County | 41.7 | moderate-low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 9 | 2,113 | Ziebach County | 40.5 | moderate-low county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 10 | 2,130 | Mellette County | 40.2 | moderate-low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 11 | 2,424 | Lyman County | 34.4 | low-moderate county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 12 | 2,446 | Butte County | 34.0 | low-moderate county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 13 | 2,455 | Gregory County | 33.7 | low-moderate county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 14 | 2,528 | Tripp County | 32.2 | low-moderate county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 15 | 2,547 | Pennington County | 31.7 | low-moderate county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 16 | 2,580 | Beadle County | 31.0 | low-moderate county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 17 | 2,644 | Roberts County | 29.4 | low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 18 | 2,769 | Clay County | 26.0 | low county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 19 | 2,780 | Minnehaha County | 25.7 | low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 20 | 2,805 | Charles Mix County | 25.1 | low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 21 | 2,863 | Moody County | 23.5 | low county distress | Delinquency |
| 22 | 2,864 | Walworth County | 23.4 | low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 23 | 2,881 | Lawrence County | 23.0 | low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 24 | 2,908 | Codington County | 22.1 | low county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 25 | 2,920 | Brown County | 21.8 | low county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 26 | 2,924 | Potter County | 21.6 | low county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 27 | 2,925 | Jones County | 21.6 | low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 28 | 2,929 | Lake County | 21.5 | low county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 29 | 2,931 | Jerauld County | 21.4 | low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 30 | 2,934 | Perkins County | 21.3 | low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 31 | 2,948 | Stanley County | 20.7 | low county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 32 | 2,955 | Davison County | 20.6 | low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 33 | 2,977 | Day County | 19.9 | very low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 34 | 2,983 | Sanborn County | 19.7 | very low county distress | Delinquency |
| 35 | 2,988 | Miner County | 19.6 | very low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 36 | 3,010 | McPherson County | 18.8 | very low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 37 | 3,019 | Clark County | 17.6 | very low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 38 | 3,021 | Brule County | 17.6 | very low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 39 | 3,032 | Hyde County | 17.0 | very low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 40 | 3,033 | Grant County | 16.9 | very low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 41 | 3,042 | Haakon County | 16.5 | very low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 42 | 3,045 | Kingsbury County | 16.4 | very low county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 43 | 3,049 | Meade County | 16.3 | very low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 44 | 3,052 | Marshall County | 16.1 | very low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 45 | 3,055 | McCook County | 15.7 | very low county distress | Delinquency |
| 46 | 3,066 | Yankton County | 15.3 | very low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 47 | 3,068 | Harding County | 15.2 | very low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 48 | 3,076 | Custer County | 14.7 | very low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 49 | 3,079 | Campbell County | 14.3 | very low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 50 | 3,084 | Hughes County | 14.1 | very low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 51 | 3,085 | Aurora County | 14.1 | very low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 52 | 3,100 | Union County | 13.2 | very low county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 53 | 3,104 | Bon Homme County | 13.1 | very low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 54 | 3,106 | Turner County | 13.1 | very low county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 55 | 3,107 | Spink County | 13.0 | very low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 56 | 3,108 | Faulk County | 13.0 | very low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 57 | 3,109 | Deuel County | 13.0 | very low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 58 | 3,119 | Douglas County | 12.2 | very low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 59 | 3,120 | Sully County | 12.2 | very low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 60 | 3,125 | Edmunds County | 11.1 | very low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 61 | 3,131 | Brookings County | 10.3 | very low county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 62 | 3,132 | Lincoln County | 10.2 | very low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 63 | 3,134 | Hutchinson County | 10.0 | very low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 64 | 3,138 | Hand County | 9.4 | exceptionally low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 65 | 3,139 | Hanson County | 9.4 | exceptionally low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 66 | 3,141 | Hamlin County | 7.5 | exceptionally low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
How County Scores Work
Each county is scored 0–100 using five equal-weighted domains. Each domain averages its member indicators' county ranks, and the composite is the mean of those domain scores. Higher scores indicate greater household financial distress.
extreme county distress — 0 South Dakota counties
very high county distress — 0 South Dakota counties
high county distress — 0 South Dakota counties
moderate-high county distress — 2 South Dakota counties
moderate county distress — 1 South Dakota county
moderate-low county distress — 7 South Dakota counties
low-moderate county distress — 6 South Dakota counties
low county distress — 16 South Dakota counties
very low county distress — 31 South Dakota counties
exceptionally low county distress — 3 South Dakota counties