Walworth County, South Dakota

County Distress Index: Normal · 46.9 | 5,269 people · 13th most distressed in South Dakota
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Walworth County, SD falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 46.9 — 1834th 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 13th of 66 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 4 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Walworth County's primary driver is Income & Poverty at 68.4 — above the national median.

Income & Poverty Primary driver 68.4
Poverty Rate 67
Income vs. State Median 83
Child Poverty Rate 55
Community Vulnerability 51.2
Uninsured Rate 69
Disability Rate 33
Housing Cost Burden 50.2
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 48
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 13
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 94
Homeownership Rate 51
Rent-to-Income Ratio 45
Employment & Wages 48.9
Unemployment Rate 23
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 51
Business Formation Rate 73
Debt & Delinquency 16.0
Debt in Collections 5
Medical Debt 24
Student Loan Delinquency 14
Auto Loan Delinquency 14
Credit Card Delinquency 25
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 13

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Walworth County
Walworth County, SD 46.9 Normal —
Dewey County, SD 60.2 Elevated +13.3
Corson County, SD 60.0 Elevated +13.1
Potter County, SD 32.3 Healthy -14.6
McPherson County, SD 31.5 Healthy -15.4
Campbell County, SD 22.5 Healthy -24.4
Edmunds County, SD 15.8 Healthy -31.1

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Walworth County
Stark County, IL 46.9 Normal -0.0
Hansford County, TX 47.0 Normal +0.0
Lyon County, KY 46.9 Normal -0.1
Wirt County, WV 47.0 Normal +0.1
Lemhi County, ID 47.1 Normal +0.2

Download Data

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

Find Help in Walworth 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 Walworth 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 Walworth County, South Dakota?

    Walworth County has a County Distress Index score of 46.9 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 1,834th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 13th in South Dakota out of 66 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Walworth County?

    The primary driver of distress in Walworth County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 68.4 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.

  • How does Walworth County compare to neighboring counties?

    Walworth County (46.9) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Dewey County, SD (60.2); Corson County, SD (60.0); Potter County, SD (32.3).

  • 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 Walworth County?

    Walworth County, South Dakota has a population of approximately 5,269 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.