McCook County, South Dakota

County Distress Index: Healthy · 26.9 | 5,809 people · 44th most distressed in South Dakota
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McCook County, SD ranks among the least distressed counties in the country at 26.9 — 2986th 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 44th of 66 counties. Its score is in the middle of its 6 neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. McCook County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 41.7 — above the national median.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 41.7
Unemployment Rate 5
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 68
Business Formation Rate 53
Community Vulnerability 36.4
Uninsured Rate 57
Disability Rate 16
Housing Cost Burden 25.2
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 12
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 15
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 80
Homeownership Rate 11
Rent-to-Income Ratio 7
Debt & Delinquency 22.0
Debt in Collections 5
Medical Debt 7
Student Loan Delinquency 14
Auto Loan Delinquency 67
Credit Card Delinquency 20
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 19
Income & Poverty 9.3
Poverty Rate 7
Income vs. State Median 12
Child Poverty Rate 8

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. McCook County
McCook County, SD 26.9 Healthy —
Miner County, SD 33.9 Healthy +6.9
Minnehaha County, SD 29.7 Healthy +2.8
Lake County, SD 28.3 Healthy +1.3
Turner County, SD 24.5 Healthy -2.4
Hutchinson County, SD 22.3 Healthy -4.6
Hanson County, SD 20.2 Healthy -6.7

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. McCook County
Scott County, KS 26.9 Healthy +0.0
Butler County, NE 27.0 Healthy +0.1
Fremont County, IA 27.1 Healthy +0.2
Harding County, SD 26.7 Healthy -0.2
Meade County, KS 27.1 Healthy +0.2

Download Data

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

Find Help in McCook 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 McCook 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 McCook County, South Dakota?

    McCook County has a County Distress Index score of 26.9 out of 100, placing it in the Healthy zone. It ranks 2,986th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 44th in South Dakota out of 66 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in McCook County?

    The primary driver of distress in McCook County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 41.7 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does McCook County compare to neighboring counties?

    McCook County (26.9) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Miner County, SD (33.9); Minnehaha County, SD (29.7); Lake County, SD (28.3).

  • 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 McCook County?

    McCook County, South Dakota has a population of approximately 5,809 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.