Hand County, South Dakota

County Distress Index: Healthy · 20.1 | 3,107 people · 61st most distressed in South Dakota
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Hand County, SD ranks among the least distressed counties in the country at 20.1 — 3114th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Employment & Wages, where the job market is relatively stable with wages that keep pace with costs. Within South Dakota, it ranks 61st of 66 counties. It scores lower than all 6 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Hand County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 28.9 — above the national median.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 28.9
Unemployment Rate 5
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 54
Business Formation Rate 28
Housing Cost Burden 24.2
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 5
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 5
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 19
Homeownership Rate 86
Rent-to-Income Ratio 6
Income & Poverty 19.8
Poverty Rate 10
Income vs. State Median 41
Child Poverty Rate 8
Community Vulnerability 16.7
Uninsured Rate 9
Disability Rate 24
Debt & Delinquency 11.1
Debt in Collections 5
Medical Debt 7
Student Loan Delinquency 14
Auto Loan Delinquency 18
Credit Card Delinquency 11
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 13

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Hand County
Hand County, SD 20.1 Healthy —
Buffalo County, SD 61.9 Elevated +41.8
Beadle County, SD 45.2 Normal +25.1
Jerauld County, SD 33.7 Healthy +13.5
Faulk County, SD 24.1 Healthy +4.0
Spink County, SD 22.6 Healthy +2.4
Hyde County, SD 20.4 Healthy +0.2

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Hand County
Hanson County, SD 20.2 Healthy +0.0
Hyde County, SD 20.4 Healthy +0.2
Sargent County, ND 20.5 Healthy +0.3
Ransom County, ND 19.8 Healthy -0.4
McLean County, ND 19.6 Healthy -0.6

Download Data

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

Find Help in Hand 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 Hand 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 Hand County, South Dakota?

    Hand County has a County Distress Index score of 20.1 out of 100, placing it in the Healthy zone. It ranks 3,114th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 61st in South Dakota out of 66 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Hand County?

    The primary driver of distress in Hand County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 28.9 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Hand County compare to neighboring counties?

    Hand County (20.1) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Buffalo County, SD (61.9); Beadle County, SD (45.2); Jerauld County, SD (33.7).

  • 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 Hand County?

    Hand County, South Dakota has a population of approximately 3,107 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.