Butte County, South Dakota

County Distress Index: Normal · 43.4 | 10,863 people · 18th most distressed in South Dakota
American Default Research

Behind on your mortgage or facing eviction? Take a 2-minute assessment to see your options.

Butte County, SD falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 43.4 — 2127th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Housing Cost Burden, where housing costs consume a moderate share of household income. Within South Dakota, it ranks 18th of 66 counties. It scores higher than all 6 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Butte County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 61.0 — above the national median.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 61.0
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 54
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 95
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 89
Homeownership Rate 17
Rent-to-Income Ratio 51
Community Vulnerability 58.5
Uninsured Rate 90
Disability Rate 27
Income & Poverty 47.0
Poverty Rate 38
Income vs. State Median 68
Child Poverty Rate 36
Employment & Wages 34.6
Unemployment Rate 5
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 75
Business Formation Rate 24
Debt & Delinquency 15.7
Debt in Collections 9
Medical Debt 7
Student Loan Delinquency 9
Auto Loan Delinquency 31
Credit Card Delinquency 17
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 22

Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed. The median line is shown on each bar.

Neighbors and Peers

How Butte County compares to its 6 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Butte County
Butte County, SD 43.4 Normal —
Carter County, MT 42.4 Normal -1.0
Lawrence County, SD 38.2 Normal -5.2
Perkins County, SD 33.9 Healthy -9.5
Meade County, SD 32.1 Healthy -11.3
Harding County, SD 26.7 Healthy -16.6
Crook County, WY 24.5 Healthy -18.9

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Butte County
Page County, IA 43.3 Normal -0.0
Dickinson County, MI 43.3 Normal -0.1
Fayette County, IA 43.5 Normal +0.1
Juneau County, WI 43.2 Normal -0.1
Caledonia County, VT 43.5 Normal +0.2

Download Data

Export all distress indicators for Butte County as a CSV file.

Find Help in Butte County

Find an Attorney

State Bar of South Dakota Lawyer Referral Service offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

State Bar of South Dakota Lawyer Referral Service 605-224-7554

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Butte County residents at no cost.

East River Legal Services 1-800-952-3015
Dakota Plains Legal Services 1-800-658-2297

American Default Research does not endorse, rate, or rank any provider. Verify attorney credentials with your state bar.

Need legal help? Find a foreclosure defense attorney in South Dakota →

Continue Reading

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Butte County, South Dakota?

    Butte County has a County Distress Index score of 43.4 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,127th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 18th in South Dakota out of 66 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Butte County?

    The primary driver of distress in Butte County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 61.0 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Butte County compare to neighboring counties?

    Butte County (43.4) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Carter County, MT (42.4); Lawrence County, SD (38.2); Perkins County, SD (33.9).

  • How is the County Distress Index calculated?

    The County Distress Index uses percentile-rank averaging across five domains: Debt & Delinquency, Income & Poverty, Housing Cost Burden, Employment & Wages, and Community Vulnerability. Each county's indicators are ranked against all 3,144 U.S. counties. A score of 50 means the county is at the national median; higher scores indicate greater distress.

  • What is the population of Butte County?

    Butte County, South Dakota has a population of approximately 10,863 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.