Day County, South Dakota

County Distress Index: Healthy · 33.0 | 5,451 people · 28th most distressed in South Dakota
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Day County, SD ranks among the least distressed counties in the country at 33.0 — 2757th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Income & Poverty, where income and poverty levels indicate moderate economic strain. Within South Dakota, it ranks 28th of 66 counties. Among its 7 neighboring counties, 6 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Day County's primary driver is Income & Poverty at 55.1 — above the national median.

Income & Poverty Primary driver 55.1
Poverty Rate 48
Income vs. State Median 74
Child Poverty Rate 44
Community Vulnerability 34.9
Uninsured Rate 45
Disability Rate 25
Housing Cost Burden 33.3
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 8
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 29
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 63
Homeownership Rate 43
Rent-to-Income Ratio 23
Employment & Wages 26.8
Unemployment Rate 16
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 49
Business Formation Rate 16
Debt & Delinquency 15.3
Debt in Collections 13
Medical Debt 18
Student Loan Delinquency 14
Auto Loan Delinquency 5
Credit Card Delinquency 37
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 5

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Day County compares to its 7 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Day County
Day County, SD 33.0 Healthy —
Roberts County, SD 47.7 Normal +14.6
Brown County, SD 32.4 Healthy -0.7
Codington County, SD 30.5 Healthy -2.5
Grant County, SD 30.1 Healthy -3.0
Clark County, SD 26.0 Healthy -7.1
Spink County, SD 22.6 Healthy -10.5
Marshall County, SD 22.3 Healthy -10.7

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Day County
Brule County, SD 33.0 Healthy 0.0
Bath County, VA 33.1 Healthy +0.0
Adams County, ND 33.1 Healthy +0.1
Clark County, KS 33.2 Healthy +0.2
Warren County, IN 33.2 Healthy +0.2

Download Data

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

Find Help in Day 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 Day 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 Day County, South Dakota?

    Day County has a County Distress Index score of 33.0 out of 100, placing it in the Healthy zone. It ranks 2,757th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 28th in South Dakota out of 66 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Day County?

    The primary driver of distress in Day County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 55.1 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.

  • How does Day County compare to neighboring counties?

    Day County (33.0) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Roberts County, SD (47.7); Brown County, SD (32.4); 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 Day County?

    Day County, South Dakota has a population of approximately 5,451 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.