Mellette County, South Dakota

County Distress Index: Elevated · 52.4 | 1,851 people · 11th most distressed in South Dakota
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Mellette County, SD registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 52.4 — 1425th 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 11th of 66 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 4 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Mellette County's primary driver is Income & Poverty at 94.7 — worse than roughly 95% of U.S. counties.

Income & Poverty Primary driver 94.7
Poverty Rate 95
Income vs. State Median 95
Child Poverty Rate 94
Community Vulnerability 56.1
Uninsured Rate 95
Disability Rate 17
Employment & Wages 48.9
Unemployment Rate 27
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 83
Business Formation Rate 37
Housing Cost Burden 37.6
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 5
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 15
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 5
Homeownership Rate 93
Rent-to-Income Ratio 70
Debt & Delinquency 24.6
Debt in Collections 78
Medical Debt 7
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 Mellette County compares to its 6 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Mellette County
Mellette County, SD 52.4 Elevated —
Jackson County, SD 62.3 Elevated +9.9
Todd County, SD 61.0 Elevated +8.6
Bennett County, SD 55.1 Elevated +2.7
Lyman County, SD 54.4 Elevated +2.0
Jones County, SD 44.7 Normal -7.7
Tripp County, SD 42.8 Normal -9.6

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Mellette County
Roger Mills County, OK 52.3 Elevated -0.1
Chattahoochee County, GA 52.3 Elevated -0.1
Schoolcraft County, MI 52.6 Elevated +0.2
Alfalfa County, OK 52.6 Elevated +0.2
Baca County, CO 52.2 Elevated -0.2

Download Data

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

Find Help in Mellette 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 Mellette 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 Mellette County, South Dakota?

    Mellette County has a County Distress Index score of 52.4 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,425th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 11th in South Dakota out of 66 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Mellette County?

    The primary driver of distress in Mellette County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 94.7 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.

  • How does Mellette County compare to neighboring counties?

    Mellette County (52.4) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Jackson County, SD (62.3); Todd County, SD (61.0); Bennett County, SD (55.1).

  • 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 Mellette County?

    Mellette County, South Dakota has a population of approximately 1,851 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.