Meade County, South Dakota

County Distress Index: Healthy · 32.1 | 30,954 people · 31st most distressed in South Dakota
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Meade County, SD ranks among the least distressed counties in the country at 32.1 — 2798th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Community Vulnerability, where health coverage gaps and disability rates are moderately elevated. Within South Dakota, it ranks 31st of 66 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 5 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Meade County's primary driver is Community Vulnerability at 50.1 — above the national median.

Community Vulnerability Primary driver 50.1
Uninsured Rate 60
Disability Rate 40
Housing Cost Burden 49.8
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 42
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 6
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 98
Homeownership Rate 58
Rent-to-Income Ratio 45
Employment & Wages 34.2
Unemployment Rate 2
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 63
Business Formation Rate 37
Income & Poverty 13.2
Poverty Rate 7
Income vs. State Median 27
Child Poverty Rate 6
Debt & Delinquency 13.0
Debt in Collections 12
Medical Debt 22
Student Loan Delinquency 2
Auto Loan Delinquency 18
Credit Card Delinquency 17
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 8

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Meade County
Meade County, SD 32.1 Healthy —
Ziebach County, SD 53.1 Elevated +21.1
Pennington County, SD 44.1 Normal +12.0
Butte County, SD 43.4 Normal +11.3
Lawrence County, SD 38.2 Normal +6.1
Perkins County, SD 33.9 Healthy +1.8
Haakon County, SD 25.6 Healthy -6.5

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Meade County
Tipton County, IN 32.1 Healthy +0.0
Cumberland County, IL 32.0 Healthy -0.1
Franklin County, IN 32.2 Healthy +0.1
Oneida County, WI 32.2 Healthy +0.1
Buffalo County, WI 32.3 Healthy +0.2

Download Data

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

Find Help in Meade 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 Meade 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 Meade County, South Dakota?

    Meade County has a County Distress Index score of 32.1 out of 100, placing it in the Healthy zone. It ranks 2,798th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 31st in South Dakota out of 66 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Meade County?

    The primary driver of distress in Meade County is Community Vulnerability, where the county scores 50.1 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Uninsured Rate, Disability Rate.

  • How does Meade County compare to neighboring counties?

    Meade County (32.1) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Ziebach County, SD (53.1); Pennington County, SD (44.1); Butte County, SD (43.4).

  • 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 Meade County?

    Meade County, South Dakota has a population of approximately 30,954 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.