Roberts County, South Dakota

County Distress Index: Normal · 47.7 | 10,206 people · 12th most distressed in South Dakota
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Roberts County, SD falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 47.7 — 1779th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Employment & Wages, where unemployment is elevated, wages are low relative to housing costs, and business formation lags. Within South Dakota, it ranks 12th of 66 counties. It scores higher than all 7 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Roberts County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 65.6 — above the national median.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 65.6
Unemployment Rate 64
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 47
Business Formation Rate 86
Income & Poverty 62.7
Poverty Rate 69
Income vs. State Median 58
Child Poverty Rate 60
Community Vulnerability 50.4
Uninsured Rate 95
Disability Rate 6
Debt & Delinquency 31.7
Debt in Collections 44
Medical Debt 27
Student Loan Delinquency 14
Auto Loan Delinquency 76
Credit Card Delinquency 21
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 9
Housing Cost Burden 28.0
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 17
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 11
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 26
Homeownership Rate 73
Rent-to-Income Ratio 13

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Roberts County compares to its 7 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Roberts County
Roberts County, SD 47.7 Normal —
Big Stone County, MN 36.1 Normal -11.6
Traverse County, MN 35.3 Normal -12.4
Richland County, ND 33.9 Healthy -13.8
Day County, SD 33.0 Healthy -14.6
Grant County, SD 30.1 Healthy -17.6
Marshall County, SD 22.3 Healthy -25.4
Sargent County, ND 20.5 Healthy -27.2

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Roberts County
Aitkin County, MN 47.7 Normal 0.0
Dakota County, NE 47.7 Normal 0.0
Montgomery County, MO 47.7 Normal +0.0
Pike County, GA 47.7 Normal +0.0
Lincoln County, NE 47.6 Normal -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Roberts County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Roberts County.

NORTHEAST SOUTH DAKOTA COMMUNITY ACTION PROGRAM - GROW SOUTH DAKOTA
Sisseton
605-698-7654 Website
Financial CounselingHome Improvement/RehabPre-PurchaseRental Help

See all counselors in South Dakota →

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 Roberts 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 →

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Frequently Asked Questions

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

    Roberts County has a County Distress Index score of 47.7 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 1,779th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 12th in South Dakota out of 66 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Roberts County?

    The primary driver of distress in Roberts County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 65.6 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Roberts County compare to neighboring counties?

    Roberts County (47.7) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Big Stone County, MN (36.1); Traverse County, MN (35.3); Richland County, ND (33.9).

  • 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 Roberts County?

    Roberts County, South Dakota has a population of approximately 10,206 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.