Jones County, South Dakota

County Distress Index: Normal · 44.7 | 855 people · 16th most distressed in South Dakota
American Default Research

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Jones County, SD falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 44.7 — 2019th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Employment & Wages, where unemployment is elevated, wages are low relative to housing costs, and business formation lags. Within South Dakota, it ranks 16th of 66 counties. Among its 5 neighboring counties, 3 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Jones County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 69.8 — above the national median.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 69.8
Unemployment Rate 30
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 84
Business Formation Rate 95
Income & Poverty 67.7
Poverty Rate 55
Income vs. State Median 73
Child Poverty Rate 75
Community Vulnerability 38.3
Uninsured Rate 72
Disability Rate 5
Housing Cost Burden 31.4
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 5
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 5
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 70
Homeownership Rate 55
Rent-to-Income Ratio 22
Debt & Delinquency 16.1
Debt in Collections 12
Medical Debt 21
Student Loan Delinquency 14
Auto Loan Delinquency 18
Credit Card Delinquency 19
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 Jones County compares to its 5 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Jones County
Jones County, SD 44.7 Normal —
Jackson County, SD 62.3 Elevated +17.6
Lyman County, SD 54.4 Elevated +9.7
Mellette County, SD 52.4 Elevated +7.7
Stanley County, SD 31.9 Healthy -12.8
Haakon County, SD 25.6 Healthy -19.1

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Jones County
Arthur County, NE 44.7 Normal +0.0
Archer County, TX 44.8 Normal +0.1
Southeast Fairbanks Census Area, AK 44.8 Normal +0.1
Clay County, KS 44.8 Normal +0.1
Crockett County, TX 44.6 Normal -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Jones 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 Jones 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 Jones County, South Dakota?

    Jones County has a County Distress Index score of 44.7 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,019th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 16th in South Dakota out of 66 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Jones County?

    The primary driver of distress in Jones County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 69.8 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Jones County compare to neighboring counties?

    Jones County (44.7) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Jackson County, SD (62.3); Lyman County, SD (54.4); Mellette County, SD (52.4).

  • 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 Jones County?

    Jones County, South Dakota has a population of approximately 855 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.