#3,068 Top 100 Least Distressed Counties · 2026

Hyde County, South Dakota

Healthy 3,068th of 3,144 counties nationally · 1,186 residents How this is calculated →
The headline number
7% Hyde residents
vs.
8% U.S. median

Below the national median for uninsured rate.

Census ACS 5-yr (2023)

Main Findings

Wire lede · 27 words · paste-ready

Hyde County, South Dakota ranks 3,068th most distressed in the United States on the County Distress Index. Hyde sits near the national median across major distress indicators.

Key Findings
  • 3,068th of 3,144 counties on the County Distress Index — Healthy zone, 48th in South Dakota.
  • 7% of residents lack health insurance (U.S. median 8%). Uninsured rate at the 37th percentile nationally.
  • Household income relative to state at 0.99× — national median 1.00×, ranked at the 54th percentile.
  • House price change (yoy) at 3% — national median 4%, ranked at the 54th percentile.
  • Economic Vitality domain score 15 — weight 9.2% of the CDI composite.
County Distress Index cluster map. Hyde County, South Dakota and its neighbors colored by distress zone.
Hyde and its 7 geographic neighbors, graded by County Distress Index score. Hyde County ranks 3,068th of 3,144. American Default Research
Wire quote — paste-ready, any angle 31 words

"Hyde County is one of the steadier counties on the index — durable fundamentals across most domains. The risk pattern here is asymmetric: a single shock can change the picture quickly."

— Ross Kilburn, Founder, American Default Research
Analyst quote — for voice-y features 29 words

"Healthy-zone counties have durable fundamentals across most distress domains. The risk pattern here is asymmetric: a single shock — health, housing, or income — can change the picture quickly."

— Ross Kilburn, Founder, American Default Research

The Indicators Behind Hyde County's CDI Score

Every number traces to a public source. Hyde County's value shown alongside SD's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.

How to read the table. A domain score is a 0–100 composite of the indicators in that domain, where 50 = U.S. county median and higher = more distressed. Percentile is Hyde County's national rank among all 3,144 U.S. counties for that indicator, always oriented so higher = more distressed.
Indicator Hyde SD median U.S. median Pctile Source
Consumer Credit Distress — domain score 20 · Rank 2,694 of 3,144
Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections 13% 13% 23% 12th Urban Institute (2024)
Medical debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have medical debt in collections 1% 1% 4% 21st Urban Institute (2024)
Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due 3% 3% 5% 18th Urban Institute (2024)
Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due 4% 4% 5% 19th Urban Institute (2024)
Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage 7% 8% 8% 37th Census ACS 5-yr (2023)
Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 18% 16% 23% 25th Urban Institute (2024)
Housing Cost Burden — domain score 20 · Rank 2,803 of 3,144
Rent burden (30%+) Share of renter households paying 30%+ of income on rent 32% 27% 38% 26th Census ACS 5-yr (2023)
Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent 13% 12% 18% 22nd Census ACS 5-yr (2023)
Owner housing burden Share of owner households paying 30%+ of income on housing 17% 23% 24% 6th Census ACS 5-yr (2023)
Homeownership rate Share of occupied housing units that are owner-occupied 82% 75% 74% 10th Census ACS 5-yr (2023)
Structural Poverty — domain score 28 · Rank 2,461 of 3,144
Unemployment Share of labor force unemployed 2% 3% 4% 5th BLS LAUS (Dec 2025)
Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line 11% 11% 14% 31st Census SAIPE (2023)
Household income relative to state Median household income as share of state median 0.99× 1.00× 1.00× 54th Census SAIPE (2023)
Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line 13% 13% 18% 26th Census SAIPE (2023)
Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability 12% 12% 16% 16th Census ACS 5-yr (2023)
Transfer-income dependency Share of personal income from government transfers 21% 20% 27% 24th BEA Regional Personal Income (2023)
Legal Distress — domain score 13 · Rank 2,752 of 3,144
Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents 57 57 126 13th US Courts F-5A (2025)
Economic Vitality — domain score 15 · Rank 3,098 of 3,144
Wage-to-rent ratio Ratio of average weekly wage to fair-market rent 4.8× 4.2× 4.0× 11th BLS QCEW × HUD FMR (2024)
Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income 17% 17% 21% 13th HUD FMR × Census ACS (2024)
Business formation rate New business applications per 1,000 residents 19.4 10.1 10.0 6th Census Business Formation Statistics (2024)
House price change (yoy) House price index year-over-year change 3% 3% 4% 54th FHFA HPI (2024)
Data compiled April 2026 from Urban Institute Debt in America (Equifax 2024 panel), U.S. Census Bureau (ACS 5-yr 2023, SAIPE 2023, Business Formation Statistics 2024), Bureau of Labor Statistics (LAUS Dec 2025, QCEW 2024), U.S. Courts Administrative Office (F-5A bankruptcy filings 2025), and HUD Fair Market Rents (FY2024).

Five-Domain Breakdown

The CDI is a PCA-weighted composite of five statistically derived factors. Weights are proportional to each factor's share of explained variance across 3,144 counties.

Structural Poverty 28
Weight 13.6% · Rank 2,461 of 3,144 · Pctile 22
Consumer Credit Distress Primary driver 20
Weight 47.5% · Rank 2,694 of 3,144 · Pctile 14
Housing Cost Burden 20
Weight 22.2% · Rank 2,803 of 3,144 · Pctile 11
Economic Vitality 15
Weight 9.2% · Rank 3,098 of 3,144 · Pctile 1
Legal Distress 13
Weight 7.4% · Rank 2,752 of 3,144 · Pctile 12

Methodology

The County Distress Index is a 0–100 composite score of household financial distress, computed for all 3,144 U.S. counties. A score of 50 represents the national county median; higher scores indicate greater distress. The index is built from 21 indicators grouped into five statistically derived factors via principal component analysis (PCA); factor weights are proportional to each factor's share of explained variance (shown in the Five-Domain Breakdown above).

Data sources include the Urban Institute Debt in America (Equifax consumer credit panel), U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, Business Formation Statistics), Bureau of Labor Statistics (Local Area Unemployment Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages), U.S. Courts Administrative Office (F-5A bankruptcy filings), and HUD Fair Market Rents. Data vintages range from 2023 to 2025 depending on source; full indicator-level vintage detail is in the methodology document.

For Press & Research

Everything you need to cite Hyde County data — in under 60 seconds.

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Press contact: Ross Kilburn · press@americandefault.org · (307) 264-2992 · same-day response, 9am–6pm ET
Draft wire copy 150-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
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HIGHMORE, S.D. — Hyde County ranks 3,068th among the nation's most financially distressed counties, according to the County Distress Index released this month by American Default Research.

The composite score of 20 out of 100 places Hyde in the "Healthy" zone. Among 3,144 U.S. counties scored, 3,067 counties rank more distressed. Within South Dakota, Hyde ranks 48th of 66 counties.

The index, which draws on 21 indicators from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Urban Institute and federal court filings, finds Hyde sitting near the national median across major distress indicators, with no single domain emerging as a clear driver.

"Hyde County is one of the steadier counties on the index — durable fundamentals across most domains. The risk pattern here is asymmetric: a single shock can change the picture quickly," said Ross Kilburn, founder of American Default Research.

Full methodology and county-by-county data are available at americandefault.org/methodology/cdi.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is Hyde County's CDI score, and what does it mean?

Hyde County scores 20 out of 100 on the County Distress Index, placing it in the Healthy zone. It ranks 3,068th of 3,144 U.S. counties and 48th of 66 South Dakota counties. A score of 50 is the national county median; higher = more distressed.

What drives Hyde County's distress score?

The primary driver is Consumer Credit Distress, at a domain score of 20. Uninsured rate ranks at the 37th percentile nationally.

How does Hyde County compare to its neighbors?

Hyde County's neighbors span two CDI zones. Highest-distress neighbor: Buffalo County (45.49, Normal). Lowest: Hand County (15.16, Healthy).

How is the County Distress Index calculated?

The CDI is a 0–100 composite of 21 indicators across five factors, derived via principal component analysis. Factor weights: Consumer Credit Distress 47.5%, Housing Cost Burden 22.3%, Structural Poverty 13.6%, Economic Vitality 9.2%, Legal Distress 7.4%. Data from Urban Institute, Census Bureau, BLS, U.S. Courts, and HUD. Full methodology →
Ross Kilburn
Written by

Ross Kilburn, Founder

Founder · American Default Research · Seattle, Washington

Two decades working directly with financially distressed American households — from property preservation in 2003, to negotiating over 1,000 short sales during the Great Recession, to foreclosure defense marketing today. Author, The Ark Law Group Complete Guide to Short Sales (Auroch Press, 2013). Founded American Default Research in 2026.

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