Clark County, South Dakota

County Distress Index: Healthy · 26.0 | 3,948 people · 47th most distressed in South Dakota
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Clark County, SD ranks among the least distressed counties in the country at 26.0 — 3015th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Income & Poverty, where household incomes are relatively strong and poverty rates are low. Within South Dakota, it ranks 47th of 66 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 4 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Clark County's primary driver is Income & Poverty at 37.9 — above the national median.

Income & Poverty Primary driver 37.9
Poverty Rate 30
Income vs. State Median 56
Child Poverty Rate 28
Employment & Wages 30.3
Unemployment Rate 5
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 40
Business Formation Rate 46
Community Vulnerability 24.1
Uninsured Rate 39
Disability Rate 9
Debt & Delinquency 20.6
Debt in Collections 25
Medical Debt 23
Student Loan Delinquency 14
Auto Loan Delinquency 18
Credit Card Delinquency 39
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 5
Housing Cost Burden 17.0
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 8
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 24
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 32
Homeownership Rate 10
Rent-to-Income Ratio 11

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Clark County
Clark County, SD 26.0 Healthy —
Beadle County, SD 45.2 Normal +19.2
Day County, SD 33.0 Healthy +7.1
Codington County, SD 30.5 Healthy +4.6
Kingsbury County, SD 28.9 Healthy +2.9
Spink County, SD 22.6 Healthy -3.4
Hamlin County, SD 18.3 Healthy -7.7

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Clark County
Humboldt County, IA 26.0 Healthy +0.0
Ness County, KS 25.9 Healthy -0.1
Stevens County, MN 25.9 Healthy -0.1
Dunn County, ND 26.1 Healthy +0.2
Dickey County, ND 25.8 Healthy -0.2

Download Data

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

Find Help in Clark 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 Clark County residents at no cost.

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

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Frequently Asked Questions

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

    Clark County has a County Distress Index score of 26.0 out of 100, placing it in the Healthy zone. It ranks 3,015th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 47th in South Dakota out of 66 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Clark County?

    The primary driver of distress in Clark County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 37.9 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.

  • How does Clark County compare to neighboring counties?

    Clark County (26.0) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Beadle County, SD (45.2); Day County, SD (33.0); Codington County, SD (30.5).

  • 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 Clark County?

    Clark County, South Dakota has a population of approximately 3,948 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.