Custer County, South Dakota

County Distress Index: Healthy · 33.6 | 9,117 people · 26th most distressed in South Dakota
American Default Research

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

Custer County, SD ranks among the least distressed counties in the country at 33.6 — 2723rd nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Community Vulnerability, where uninsured and disability rates are well above the national average. Within South Dakota, it ranks 26th of 66 counties. It scores lower than all 4 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Custer County's primary driver is Community Vulnerability at 72.2 — above the national median.

Community Vulnerability Primary driver 72.2
Uninsured Rate 66
Disability Rate 79
Employment & Wages 37.2
Unemployment Rate 19
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 78
Business Formation Rate 14
Housing Cost Burden 27.0
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 10
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 7
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 90
Homeownership Rate 5
Rent-to-Income Ratio 22
Income & Poverty 19.6
Poverty Rate 10
Income vs. State Median 23
Child Poverty Rate 26
Debt & Delinquency 11.9
Debt in Collections 5
Medical Debt 30
Student Loan Delinquency 14
Auto Loan Delinquency 10
Credit Card Delinquency 5
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 8

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Custer County compares to its 4 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Custer County
Custer County, SD 33.6 Healthy —
Fall River County, SD 60.9 Elevated +27.3
Niobrara County, WY 57.4 Elevated +23.8
Pennington County, SD 44.1 Normal +10.5
Weston County, WY 36.5 Normal +3.0

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Custer County
Phillips County, KS 33.5 Healthy -0.0
Johnson County, WY 33.5 Healthy -0.1
Stanton County, KS 33.5 Healthy -0.1
Merrick County, NE 33.5 Healthy -0.1
Jerauld County, SD 33.7 Healthy +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Custer 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 Custer 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 Custer County, South Dakota?

    Custer County has a County Distress Index score of 33.6 out of 100, placing it in the Healthy zone. It ranks 2,723rd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 26th in South Dakota out of 66 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Custer County?

    The primary driver of distress in Custer County is Community Vulnerability, where the county scores 72.2 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Uninsured Rate, Disability Rate.

  • How does Custer County compare to neighboring counties?

    Custer County (33.6) can be compared to its 4 neighboring counties: Fall River County, SD (60.9); Niobrara County, WY (57.4); Pennington County, SD (44.1).

  • 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 Custer County?

    Custer County, South Dakota has a population of approximately 9,117 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.