Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota
Above the national median for rent-to-income ratio — and 2.2× the rate of the healthiest U.S. county (Steele County, ND — 12%).
Main Findings
Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota ranks 669th most distressed in the United States on the County Distress Index. The driver: a rent-to-income ratio of 26% — above the national median of 21%. Its highest-scoring domain is Debt Burden (housing basis).
- 669th of 3,144 counties on the County Distress Index — 67.1 · moderate-high county distress, 1st in South Dakota.
- A rent-to-income ratio of 26% (U.S. median 21%). Rent-to-income ratio at the 85th percentile nationally. Source: HUD FMR (FY2026); U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023).
- Child poverty rate at 41% — national median 18%, ranked at the 95th percentile. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023).
- Auto loan delinquency at 19% — national median 5%, ranked at the 95th percentile. Source: Urban Institute Debt in America (2025).
- Unemployment at 4% — national median 4%, ranked at the 57th percentile. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (May 2026).
Unemployment is 4%, near the national median of 4%, while auto loan delinquency runs at the 95th percentile. Jobs exist; wages don't close the gap.
Neighbors span four CDI score labels. The 32-point drop to Custer County marks where the Pine Ridge distress corridor ends.
"Oglala Lakota County has a moderate-high county distress score. The domain mix shows whether pressure is concentrated or spread across the profile."
"The CDI gives this county a moderate-high county distress label. The domain table shows whether the score comes from debt, labor, safety-net pressure, or a mix. Its highest-scoring domain is Debt Burden (housing basis)."
Reporter's Notes
Two data points in the indicator table worth a follow-up call.
According to Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Equifax (2025), Oglala Lakota County's subprime credit share indicator is at the 16th percentile. American Default Research's CDI places every other indicator in the Delinquency domain at or above the 95th percentile. The gap stands out against auto loan delinquency and credit card delinquency. Worth a call to the source agency or a local subject-matter contact in Hot Springs.
According to U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023), 41% of children under 18 in Oglala Lakota County live below the federal poverty line, versus 18% nationally. When a county's adult poverty rate is accompanied by a materially higher child poverty rate, the gap typically reflects single-parent household concentration or limited access to workforce-participation supports (childcare, transportation). Worth a call to the local school district's free-and-reduced-lunch coordinator or a regional United Way affiliate.
Indicator History
Period-correct raw indicators from the county-history panel. The CDI composite is excluded because it is a current cross-sectional score.
Unemployment rate
Poverty rate
Transfer income share
Bankruptcy filing rate
The Indicators Behind Oglala Lakota County's CDI Score
Every number traces to a public source. Oglala Lakota County's value shown alongside SD's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.
| Indicator | Oglala Lakota | SD median | U.S. median | Pctile | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delinquency — domain score 69 · Rank 920 of 3,144 | |||||
| Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due | 19% | 3% | 5% | 95th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due | 17% | 4% | 5% | 95th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 | 16% | 16% | 23% | 16th | Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Equifax (2025) |
| Default & Legal — domain score 54 · Rank 1,373 of 3,144 | |||||
| Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections | 47% | 13% | 23% | 95th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents | 57 | 57 | 126 | 13th | Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, F-5A (2025) |
| Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 79 · Rank 437 of 3,144 | |||||
| Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income | 26% | 17% | 21% | 85th | HUD FMR (FY2026); U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent | 22% | 12% | 18% | 73rd | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
| Labor — domain score 57 · Rank 1,301 of 3,144 | |||||
| Unemployment Share of labor force unemployed | 4% | 2% | 4% | 57th | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (May 2026) |
| Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 77 · Rank 506 of 3,144 | |||||
| Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line | 41% | 13% | 18% | 95th | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability | 10% | 12% | 16% | 5th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
| Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line | 37% | 11% | 14% | 95th | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage | 44% | 8% | 8% | 95th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
Five-Domain Breakdown
The CDI is an equal-weight composite of five family-v1 distress domains. Each domain contributes 20% of the county score.
Methodology
The County Distress Index is a 0–100 composite score of household financial distress, computed for all 3,144 U.S. counties. Higher scores indicate greater distress. The index is built from five equal-weighted domains: Delinquency, Default & Legal, Debt Burden, Labor, and Safety Net & Buffer. Each domain is the mean of distress-oriented indicator percentiles; the CDI score is the equal-weight mean of those domain scores.
Data sources include the Urban Institute Debt in America (Equifax consumer credit panel), FRED/Equifax (subprime credit share), U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates), Bureau of Labor Statistics (Local Area Unemployment Statistics), U.S. Courts Administrative Office (F-5A bankruptcy filings), and HUD Fair Market Rents. Data vintages range from 2022 to 2026 depending on source; full indicator-level vintage detail is in the methodology document.
For Press & Research
Everything you need to cite Oglala Lakota County data — in under 60 seconds.
Draft wire copy 151-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
HOT SPRINGS, S.D. — Oglala Lakota County ranks 669th among the nation's most financially distressed counties, according to the County Distress Index released this month by American Default Research.
The composite score of 67.1 out of 100 gives Oglala Lakota a moderate-high county distress label. Among 3,144 U.S. counties scored, 668 counties rank more distressed. Within South Dakota, Oglala Lakota ranks first of 66 counties.
The index, which draws on 13 source indicators from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Urban Institute and federal court filings, identifies debt burden (housing basis) as the primary driver in Oglala Lakota. A rent-to-income ratio of 26% — above the national median of 21%.
"Oglala Lakota County has a moderate-high county distress score. The domain mix shows whether pressure is concentrated or spread across the profile," said Ross Kilburn, founder of American Default Research.
Full methodology and county-by-county data are available at americandefault.org/methodology/cdi.
Frequently Asked Questions
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