Data / Rankings / Poverty rate (US official measure) / Counties in South Dakota

Counties in South Dakota by poverty rate

Oglala Lakota County had the highest poverty rate of 66 counties in 2018, at 54%. Lincoln County had the lowest, at 4.4%. The median was 12.1% and the figure for South Dakota was 12.9%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest54Oglala Lakota County
Lowest4.4Lincoln County
Median12.166 counties
South Dakota12.9History

Top 40 counties, 2018

CSVChart (SVG)

Oglala Lakota CountyOglala Lakota County: 54 %54Todd CountyTodd County: 48.4 %48.4Buffalo CountyBuffalo County: 45.7 %45.7Ziebach CountyZiebach County: 43.9 %43.9Mellette CountyMellette County: 35.2 %35.2Corson CountyCorson County: 33.6 %33.6Jackson CountyJackson County: 32.7 %32.7Bennett CountyBennett County: 32.5 %32.5Dewey CountyDewey County: 25.8 %25.8Roberts CountyRoberts County: 21.3 %21.3Lyman CountyLyman County: 21.1 %21.1Charles Mix CountyCharles Mix County: 20.9 %20.9Tripp CountyTripp County: 19.9 %19.9Clay CountyClay County: 19.5 %19.5McPherson CountyMcPherson County: 17.1 %17.1Gregory CountyGregory County: 16.5 %16.5Brule CountyBrule County: 15.8 %15.8Bon Homme CountyBon Homme County: 15.7 %15.7Faulk CountyFaulk County: 15.6 %15.6Day CountyDay County: 15.3 %15.3Walworth CountyWalworth County: 15 %15Jerauld CountyJerauld County: 14.5 %14.5Butte CountyButte County: 14.3 %14.3Perkins CountyPerkins County: 13.7 %13.7Pennington CountyPennington County: 13.3 %13.3Jones CountyJones County: 13.2 %13.2Fall River CountyFall River County: 13 %13Beadle CountyBeadle County: 12.9 %12.9Sanborn CountySanborn County: 12.9 %12.9Lawrence CountyLawrence County: 12.7 %12.7Clark CountyClark County: 12.6 %12.6Spink CountySpink County: 12.6 %12.6Douglas CountyDouglas County: 12.1 %12.1Davison CountyDavison County: 12 %12Marshall CountyMarshall County: 12 %12Brookings CountyBrookings County: 11.8 %11.8Edmunds CountyEdmunds County: 11.5 %11.5Hutchinson CountyHutchinson County: 11.5 %11.5Miner CountyMiner County: 11.5 %11.5Codington CountyCodington County: 11.3 %11.3
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2018 (%)Change on 2017
1Oglala Lakota County54+12.5 pts
2Todd County48.4-2 pts
3Buffalo County45.7+2.4 pts
4Ziebach County43.9-12.8 pts
5Mellette County35.2-2.8 pts
6Corson County33.6-8.8 pts
7Jackson County32.7-3.5 pts
8Bennett County32.5-2.4 pts
9Dewey County25.8-9.1 pts
10Roberts County21.3+3.7 pts
11Lyman County21.1-1.1 pts
12Charles Mix County20.9-4 pts
13Tripp County19.9+0.9 pts
14Clay County19.5-0.7 pts
15McPherson County17.1+1.5 pts
16Gregory County16.50 pts
17Brule County15.8+1.5 pts
18Bon Homme County15.7+2.6 pts
19Faulk County15.6+1.4 pts
20Day County15.3-0.4 pts
21Walworth County15+2.7 pts
22Jerauld County14.5+1.6 pts
23Butte County14.3+0.6 pts
24Perkins County13.7+0.9 pts
25Pennington County13.3+0.4 pts
26Jones County13.2-0.5 pts
27Fall River County13-1 pts
28Beadle County12.9-2.8 pts
28Sanborn County12.9-0.6 pts
30Lawrence County12.7-0.9 pts
31Clark County12.6+1.2 pts
31Spink County12.6+2.3 pts
33Douglas County12.10 pts
34Davison County12-0.8 pts
34Marshall County12-0.1 pts
36Brookings County11.8-1.2 pts
37Edmunds County11.5+0.8 pts
37Hutchinson County11.50 pts
37Miner County11.5-0.5 pts
40Codington County11.3+0.1 pts
41Brown County11+0.1 pts
41Haakon County11-1 pts
41Yankton County11-0.4 pts
44Campbell County10.9+1.1 pts
45Harding County10.7-0.2 pts
46Hyde County10.3+0.1 pts
47Aurora County10.2-0.7 pts
47Lake County10.2+0.1 pts
47Potter County10.2+0.8 pts
50Custer County10.1-1.2 pts
51Grant County9.9-0.1 pts
51Moody County9.9-0.8 pts
53Hand County9.8-0.7 pts
54McCook County9.6+0.2 pts
54Minnehaha County9.6+0.6 pts
56Hughes County9.4-0.9 pts
56Turner County9.4-0.8 pts
58Hamlin County9.3+0.3 pts
59Deuel County9.1-0.1 pts
60Kingsbury County9-1.3 pts
61Hanson County8.8-0.4 pts
61Sully County8.8+0.5 pts
63Meade County8.4-0.7 pts
64Stanley County7.8+0.2 pts
65Union County5.9-0.2 pts
66Lincoln County4.4+0.9 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/2018/2018-state-and-county/est18all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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Questions

Which county has the highest poverty rate?

Oglala Lakota County, with 54% in 2018, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Lincoln County, with 4.4% in 2018.

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