McPherson County, South Dakota

County Distress Index: Healthy · 31.5 | 2,334 people · 34th most distressed in South Dakota
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McPherson County, SD ranks among the least distressed counties in the country at 31.5 — 2826th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Income & Poverty, where poverty rates are high and household incomes lag well behind state and national medians. Within South Dakota, it ranks 34th of 66 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 4 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. McPherson County's primary driver is Income & Poverty at 69.2 — above the national median.

Income & Poverty Primary driver 69.2
Poverty Rate 64
Income vs. State Median 87
Child Poverty Rate 56
Employment & Wages 35.8
Unemployment Rate 5
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 63
Business Formation Rate 39
Community Vulnerability 21.3
Uninsured Rate 21
Disability Rate 21
Debt & Delinquency 17.6
Debt in Collections 5
Medical Debt 43
Student Loan Delinquency 14
Auto Loan Delinquency 18
Credit Card Delinquency 19
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 7
Housing Cost Burden 13.8
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 5
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 5
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 5
Homeownership Rate 15
Rent-to-Income Ratio 40

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. McPherson County
McPherson County, SD 31.5 Healthy —
Walworth County, SD 46.9 Normal +15.4
Brown County, SD 32.4 Healthy +0.8
McIntosh County, ND 30.2 Healthy -1.3
Dickey County, ND 25.8 Healthy -5.7
Campbell County, SD 22.5 Healthy -9.0
Edmunds County, SD 15.8 Healthy -15.8

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. McPherson County
Lac qui Parle County, MN 31.5 Healthy -0.1
Haskell County, KS 31.6 Healthy +0.1
Powder River County, MT 31.6 Healthy +0.1
Wilkin County, MN 31.6 Healthy +0.1
Fallon County, MT 31.8 Healthy +0.2

Download Data

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

Find Help in McPherson 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 McPherson 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 McPherson County, South Dakota?

    McPherson County has a County Distress Index score of 31.5 out of 100, placing it in the Healthy zone. It ranks 2,826th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 34th in South Dakota out of 66 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in McPherson County?

    The primary driver of distress in McPherson County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 69.2 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.

  • How does McPherson County compare to neighboring counties?

    McPherson County (31.5) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Walworth County, SD (46.9); Brown County, SD (32.4); McIntosh County, ND (30.2).

  • 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 McPherson County?

    McPherson County, South Dakota has a population of approximately 2,334 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.