Sully County, South Dakota

County Distress Index: Healthy · 19.6 | 1,494 people · 63rd most distressed in South Dakota
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Sully County, SD ranks among the least distressed counties in the country at 19.6 — 3120th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Community Vulnerability, where health coverage and disability rates are better than the national average. Within South Dakota, it ranks 63rd of 66 counties. It scores lower than all 5 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Sully County's primary driver is Community Vulnerability at 26.7 — above the national median.

Community Vulnerability Primary driver 26.7
Uninsured Rate 48
Disability Rate 5
Employment & Wages 24.5
Unemployment Rate 5
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 11
Business Formation Rate 58
Housing Cost Burden 17.0
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 5
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 15
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 20
Homeownership Rate 41
Rent-to-Income Ratio 5
Debt & Delinquency 17.0
Debt in Collections 12
Medical Debt 21
Student Loan Delinquency 14
Auto Loan Delinquency 18
Credit Card Delinquency 19
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 18
Income & Poverty 12.5
Poverty Rate 5
Income vs. State Median 27
Child Poverty Rate 5

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Sully County compares to its 5 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Sully County
Sully County, SD 19.6 Healthy —
Dewey County, SD 60.2 Elevated +40.6
Potter County, SD 32.3 Healthy +12.8
Stanley County, SD 31.9 Healthy +12.3
Hughes County, SD 23.5 Healthy +3.9
Hyde County, SD 20.4 Healthy +0.8

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Sully County
McLean County, ND 19.6 Healthy +0.0
Ransom County, ND 19.8 Healthy +0.2
Bowman County, ND 19.3 Healthy -0.3
Hand County, SD 20.1 Healthy +0.6
Hanson County, SD 20.2 Healthy +0.6

Download Data

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

Find Help in Sully 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 Sully 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 Sully County, South Dakota?

    Sully County has a County Distress Index score of 19.6 out of 100, placing it in the Healthy zone. It ranks 3,120th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 63rd in South Dakota out of 66 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Sully County?

    The primary driver of distress in Sully County is Community Vulnerability, where the county scores 26.7 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Uninsured Rate, Disability Rate.

  • How does Sully County compare to neighboring counties?

    Sully County (19.6) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Dewey County, SD (60.2); Potter County, SD (32.3); Stanley County, SD (31.9).

  • 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 Sully County?

    Sully County, South Dakota has a population of approximately 1,494 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.