Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota

County Distress Index: Serious · 65.6 | 13,434 people · 1st most distressed in South Dakota
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Oglala Lakota County, SD shows significant household financial distress with a score of 65.6 — 469th 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 1st of 66 counties. Its strongest area is Community Vulnerability, where health coverage gaps and disability rates are moderately elevated.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Oglala Lakota County's primary driver is Income & Poverty at 95.0 — worse than roughly 95% of U.S. counties.

Income & Poverty Primary driver 95.0
Poverty Rate 95
Income vs. State Median 95
Child Poverty Rate 95
Employment & Wages 66.5
Unemployment Rate 92
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 12
Business Formation Rate 95
Debt & Delinquency 61.5
Debt in Collections 95
Medical Debt 58
Student Loan Delinquency 14
Auto Loan Delinquency 95
Credit Card Delinquency 95
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 13
Housing Cost Burden 55.1
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 18
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 73
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 5
Homeownership Rate 95
Rent-to-Income Ratio 85
Community Vulnerability 50.0
Uninsured Rate 95
Disability Rate 5

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Oglala Lakota County compares to its population peers.

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Oglala Lakota County
Claiborne County, TN 65.6 Serious +0.0
Johnson County, AR 65.7 Serious +0.0
Franklin County, IL 65.6 Serious -0.1
Grenada County, MS 65.6 Serious -0.1
Morgan County, KY 65.7 Serious +0.1

Download Data

Export all distress indicators for Oglala Lakota County as a CSV file.

Find Help in Oglala Lakota 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 Oglala Lakota 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 Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota?

    Oglala Lakota County has a County Distress Index score of 65.6 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 469th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 1st in South Dakota out of 66 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Oglala Lakota County?

    The primary driver of distress in Oglala Lakota County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 95.0 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.

  • How does Oglala Lakota County compare to neighboring counties?

    Neighbor comparison data is not available for Oglala Lakota County.

  • 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 Oglala Lakota County?

    Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota has a population of approximately 13,434 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.