Perkins County, South Dakota

County Distress Index: Healthy · 33.9 | 2,834 people · 23rd most distressed in South Dakota
American Default Research

Behind on your mortgage or facing eviction? Take a 2-minute assessment to see your options.

Perkins County, SD ranks among the least distressed counties in the country at 33.9 — 2703rd nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Income & Poverty, where income and poverty levels indicate moderate economic strain. Within South Dakota, it ranks 23rd of 66 counties. Its score is in the middle of its 6 neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Perkins County's primary driver is Income & Poverty at 65.0 — above the national median.

Income & Poverty Primary driver 65.0
Poverty Rate 58
Income vs. State Median 85
Child Poverty Rate 52
Community Vulnerability 41.8
Uninsured Rate 52
Disability Rate 31
Employment & Wages 28.5
Unemployment Rate 5
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 63
Business Formation Rate 17
Housing Cost Burden 19.7
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 10
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 25
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 6
Homeownership Rate 24
Rent-to-Income Ratio 34
Debt & Delinquency 14.6
Debt in Collections 5
Medical Debt 25
Student Loan Delinquency 14
Auto Loan Delinquency 18
Credit Card Delinquency 22
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 5

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Perkins County
Perkins County, SD 33.9 Healthy —
Corson County, SD 60.0 Elevated +26.1
Ziebach County, SD 53.1 Elevated +19.2
Butte County, SD 43.4 Normal +9.5
Adams County, ND 33.1 Healthy -0.8
Meade County, SD 32.1 Healthy -1.8
Harding County, SD 26.7 Healthy -7.2

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Perkins County
Coffey County, KS 33.9 Healthy -0.0
Wheeler County, NE 33.9 Healthy -0.0
Miner County, SD 33.9 Healthy -0.0
Hinsdale County, CO 34.0 Healthy +0.1
Bear Lake County, ID 34.0 Healthy +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Perkins 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 Perkins County residents at no cost.

East River Legal Services 1-800-952-3015
Dakota Plains Legal Services 1-800-658-2297

American Default Research does not endorse, rate, or rank any provider. Verify attorney credentials with your state bar.

Need legal help? Find a foreclosure defense attorney in South Dakota →

Continue Reading

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Perkins County, South Dakota?

    Perkins County has a County Distress Index score of 33.9 out of 100, placing it in the Healthy zone. It ranks 2,703rd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 23rd in South Dakota out of 66 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Perkins County?

    The primary driver of distress in Perkins County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 65.0 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.

  • How does Perkins County compare to neighboring counties?

    Perkins County (33.9) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Corson County, SD (60.0); Ziebach County, SD (53.1); 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 Perkins County?

    Perkins County, South Dakota has a population of approximately 2,834 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.