Hamlin County, South Dakota

County Distress Index: Healthy · 18.3 | 6,451 people · 64th most distressed in South Dakota
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Hamlin County, SD ranks among the least distressed counties in the country at 18.3 — 3132nd nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Community Vulnerability, where health coverage and disability rates are better than the national average. Within South Dakota, it ranks 64th of 66 counties. It scores lower than all 5 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Hamlin County's primary driver is Community Vulnerability at 34.6 — above the national median.

Community Vulnerability Primary driver 34.6
Uninsured Rate 64
Disability Rate 5
Housing Cost Burden 24.3
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 5
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 5
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 94
Homeownership Rate 12
Rent-to-Income Ratio 5
Employment & Wages 18.9
Unemployment Rate 5
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 9
Business Formation Rate 43
Income & Poverty 6.9
Poverty Rate 5
Income vs. State Median 11
Child Poverty Rate 5
Debt & Delinquency 6.7
Debt in Collections 5
Medical Debt 7
Student Loan Delinquency 14
Auto Loan Delinquency 5
Credit Card Delinquency 5
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 Hamlin County compares to its 5 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Hamlin County
Hamlin County, SD 18.3 Healthy —
Codington County, SD 30.5 Healthy +12.3
Kingsbury County, SD 28.9 Healthy +10.6
Clark County, SD 26.0 Healthy +7.7
Brookings County, SD 23.6 Healthy +5.4
Deuel County, SD 21.0 Healthy +2.7

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Hamlin County
LaMoure County, ND 18.7 Healthy +0.4
Boone County, NE 18.7 Healthy +0.4
Traill County, ND 18.8 Healthy +0.5
Hamilton County, NE 17.5 Healthy -0.8
Billings County, ND 17.3 Healthy -1.0

Download Data

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

Find Help in Hamlin 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 Hamlin 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 Hamlin County, South Dakota?

    Hamlin County has a County Distress Index score of 18.3 out of 100, placing it in the Healthy zone. It ranks 3,132nd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 64th in South Dakota out of 66 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Hamlin County?

    The primary driver of distress in Hamlin County is Community Vulnerability, where the county scores 34.6 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Uninsured Rate, Disability Rate.

  • How does Hamlin County compare to neighboring counties?

    Hamlin County (18.3) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Codington County, SD (30.5); Kingsbury County, SD (28.9); Clark County, SD (26.0).

  • 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 Hamlin County?

    Hamlin County, South Dakota has a population of approximately 6,451 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.