Counties in South Dakota by poverty rate

Todd County had the highest poverty rate of 66 counties in 2016, at 48.6%. Lincoln County had the lowest, at 3.7%. The median was 11.8% and the figure for South Dakota was 12.9%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest48.6Todd County
Median11.866 counties
South Dakota12.9History

Top 40 counties, 2016

CSVChart (SVG)

Todd CountyTodd County: 48.6 %48.6Ziebach CountyZiebach County: 43.7 %43.7Oglala Lakota CountyOglala Lakota County: 40.7 %40.7Buffalo CountyBuffalo County: 39.5 %39.5Corson CountyCorson County: 39.1 %39.1Bennett CountyBennett County: 33.8 %33.8Mellette CountyMellette County: 33 %33Jackson CountyJackson County: 30.7 %30.7Dewey CountyDewey County: 27.5 %27.5Lyman CountyLyman County: 22.3 %22.3Charles Mix CountyCharles Mix County: 21.7 %21.7Clay CountyClay County: 20 %20Roberts CountyRoberts County: 17.9 %17.9Tripp CountyTripp County: 17.3 %17.3Gregory CountyGregory County: 15.9 %15.9McPherson CountyMcPherson County: 15.1 %15.1Walworth CountyWalworth County: 14.8 %14.8Bon Homme CountyBon Homme County: 14.6 %14.6Pennington CountyPennington County: 14.5 %14.5Beadle CountyBeadle County: 14 %14Brookings CountyBrookings County: 14 %14Day CountyDay County: 14 %14Butte CountyButte County: 13.9 %13.9Faulk CountyFaulk County: 13.8 %13.8Jones CountyJones County: 13 %13Fall River CountyFall River County: 12.9 %12.9Brule CountyBrule County: 12.7 %12.7Hutchinson CountyHutchinson County: 12.7 %12.7Perkins CountyPerkins County: 12.7 %12.7Jerauld CountyJerauld County: 12.6 %12.6Miner CountyMiner County: 12.2 %12.2Lawrence CountyLawrence County: 11.9 %11.9Codington CountyCodington County: 11.8 %11.8Yankton CountyYankton County: 11.8 %11.8Sanborn CountySanborn County: 11.7 %11.7Clark CountyClark County: 11.6 %11.6Harding CountyHarding County: 11.4 %11.4Haakon CountyHaakon County: 11.2 %11.2Douglas CountyDouglas County: 11 %11Marshall CountyMarshall County: 11 %11
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2016 (%)Change on 2015
1Todd County48.6+4.6 pts
2Ziebach County43.7-3.4 pts
3Oglala Lakota County40.7-3.5 pts
4Buffalo County39.5+2.7 pts
5Corson County39.1-8.3 pts
6Bennett County33.8-1.3 pts
7Mellette County33-2.6 pts
8Jackson County30.7-1.8 pts
9Dewey County27.5+2.8 pts
10Lyman County22.3-0.4 pts
11Charles Mix County21.7-1.6 pts
12Clay County20+1 pts
13Roberts County17.9-2.1 pts
14Tripp County17.3-0.4 pts
15Gregory County15.9-2.2 pts
16McPherson County15.1-0.6 pts
17Walworth County14.80 pts
18Bon Homme County14.60 pts
19Pennington County14.5+2.3 pts
20Beadle County14-1.5 pts
20Brookings County14-0.5 pts
20Day County14-0.2 pts
23Butte County13.90 pts
24Faulk County13.8+0.9 pts
25Jones County13-0.5 pts
26Fall River County12.9-1.7 pts
27Brule County12.70 pts
27Hutchinson County12.7+0.4 pts
27Perkins County12.7-0.4 pts
30Jerauld County12.6-1.1 pts
31Miner County12.2+1.4 pts
32Lawrence County11.9-1 pts
33Codington County11.8+1 pts
33Yankton County11.8-1.8 pts
35Sanborn County11.7-0.2 pts
36Clark County11.6-1 pts
37Harding County11.4+1.2 pts
38Haakon County11.2+0.4 pts
39Douglas County11+0.6 pts
39Marshall County11-1.3 pts
39Spink County11-1.1 pts
42Davison County10.8-2.6 pts
43Brown County10.6+0.4 pts
43Custer County10.6-0.1 pts
45Moody County10.5-0.2 pts
46Aurora County10.4+0.8 pts
47Edmunds County10.1-0.6 pts
48McCook County10+0.5 pts
49Grant County9.9+0.7 pts
49Meade County9.90 pts
49Minnehaha County9.9-2.3 pts
52Deuel County9.8-0.2 pts
52Potter County9.8-0.2 pts
54Campbell County9.6+0.1 pts
55Hamlin County9.5+0.5 pts
56Kingsbury County9.4-0.1 pts
57Hyde County9.3-1.8 pts
58Turner County9.2-0.8 pts
59Hand County9+0.5 pts
60Hanson County8.8+0.1 pts
61Lake County8.6-1.5 pts
62Hughes County8.5-2.3 pts
63Stanley County7.9-0.4 pts
64Sully County7.2+0.3 pts
65Union County6.6+0.3 pts
66Lincoln County3.7-0.6 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

People living in families or alone with income below the official US poverty thresholds, as a percentage of people whose poverty status can be determined. United States: Census Bureau Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE), all ages.

Absolute thresholds set by the US government, so not comparable with the EU at_risk_of_poverty_rate.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the counties are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Census Bureau. Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people of all ages in poverty, states and counties. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2016/2016-state-and-county/est16all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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Questions

Which county has the highest poverty rate?

Todd County, with 48.6% in 2016, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Lincoln County, with 3.7% in 2016.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people of all ages in poverty, states and counties. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Poverty rate (US official measure): other rankings

Counties in South Dakota: more rankings