Ziebach 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
Ziebach County, South Dakota ranks 2,113th most distressed in the United States on the County Distress Index. Ziebach sits near the national median across major distress indicators. Its highest-scoring domain is Debt Burden (housing basis).
- 2,113th of 3,144 counties on the County Distress Index — 40.5 · moderate-low county distress, 9th in South Dakota.
- A rent-to-income ratio of 26% (U.S. median 21%). Rent-to-income ratio at the 87th percentile nationally. Source: HUD FMR (FY2026); U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023).
- Child poverty rate at 56% — national median 18%, ranked at the 95th percentile. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023).
- Delinquency domain score 27 — weight 20.0% of the CDI composite. Source: American Default Research.
- Default & Legal domain score 12 — weight 20.0% of the CDI composite. Source: American Default Research.
Neighbors span four CDI score labels. The 39-point drop to Meade County marks where the South Dakota distress corridor ends.
Ziebach County has a moderate-low county distress score. The state rank and domain mix give the county-level context.
The CDI gives this county a moderate-low county distress label. The state rank and highest-scoring local domain add context that the composite alone cannot carry. 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 U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023), Ziebach County's disability rate indicator is at the 5th percentile. American Default Research's CDI places every other indicator in the Safety Net & Buffer domain at or above the 95th percentile. The gap stands out against child poverty rate and median household income. Worth a call to the source agency or a local subject-matter contact in Dupree.
According to U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023), 56% of children under 18 in Ziebach 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
Subprime credit population
The Indicators Behind Ziebach County's CDI Score
Every number traces to a public source. Ziebach County's value shown alongside SD's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.
| Indicator | Ziebach | SD median | U.S. median | Pctile | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delinquency — domain score 27 · Rank 2,344 of 3,144 | |||||
| Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due | 3% | 3% | 5% | 18th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due | 4% | 4% | 5% | 19th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 | 22% | 16% | 23% | 45th | Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Equifax (2025) |
| Default & Legal — domain score 12 · Rank 2,979 of 3,144 | |||||
| Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections | 13% | 13% | 23% | 12th | 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 77 · Rank 480 of 3,144 | |||||
| Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income | 26% | 17% | 21% | 87th | HUD FMR (FY2026); U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent | 21% | 12% | 18% | 68th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
| Labor — domain score 9 · Rank 2,846 of 3,144 | |||||
| Unemployment Share of labor force unemployed | 2% | 2% | 4% | 9th | 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 | 56% | 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 | 46% | 11% | 14% | 95th | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage | 26% | 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 Ziebach County data — in under 60 seconds.
Draft wire copy 125-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
DUPREE, S.D. — Ziebach County ranks 2,113th 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 40.5 out of 100 gives Ziebach a moderate-low county distress label. Among 3,144 U.S. counties scored, 2,112 counties rank more distressed. Within South Dakota, Ziebach ranks ninth 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, finds Ziebach sitting near the national median across major distress indicators, with no single domain emerging as a clear driver.
American Default Research founder Ross Kilburn is available for interview at press@americandefault.org.
Full methodology and county-by-county data are available at americandefault.org/methodology/cdi.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Ziebach County's CDI score, and what does it mean?
What drives Ziebach County's distress score?
How does Ziebach County compare to its neighbors?
How is the County Distress Index calculated?
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