Buffalo County, South Dakota
Behind on your mortgage or facing eviction? Take a 2-minute assessment to see your options.
Buffalo County, SD registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 61.9 — 693rd nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Income & Poverty, where poverty rates are high and household incomes lag well behind state and national medians. Within South Dakota, it ranks 3rd of 66 counties. It scores higher than all 5 of its neighboring counties.
The Numbers Behind the Score
The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Buffalo County's primary driver is Income & Poverty at 95.0 — worse than roughly 95% of U.S. counties.
Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed. The median line is shown on each bar.
Neighbors and Peers
How Buffalo County compares to its 5 neighboring counties and population peers.
Neighboring Counties
| County | Score | Zone | vs. Buffalo County |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo County, SD | 61.9 | Elevated | — |
| Lyman County, SD | 54.4 | Elevated | -7.6 |
| Jerauld County, SD | 33.7 | Healthy | -28.3 |
| Brule County, SD | 33.0 | Healthy | -28.9 |
| Hyde County, SD | 20.4 | Healthy | -41.6 |
| Hand County, SD | 20.1 | Healthy | -41.8 |
Population Peers
| County | Score | Zone | vs. Buffalo County |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nowata County, OK | 61.9 | Elevated | -0.0 |
| Mitchell County, TX | 62.0 | Elevated | +0.1 |
| Menifee County, KY | 62.0 | Elevated | +0.1 |
| Donley County, TX | 62.1 | Elevated | +0.1 |
| Pulaski County, IL | 61.7 | Elevated | -0.2 |
Download Data
Export all distress indicators for Buffalo County as a CSV file.
Find Help in Buffalo County
Find an Attorney
State Bar of South Dakota Lawyer Referral Service offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.
Free Legal Aid
Legal aid organizations serving Buffalo County residents at no cost.
American Default Research does not endorse, rate, or rank any provider. Verify attorney credentials with your state bar.