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

Counties in South Dakota by poverty rate

Ziebach County had the highest poverty rate of 66 counties in 2019, at 47.7%. Lincoln County had the lowest, at 3.8%. The median was 11.9% and the figure for South Dakota was 11.9%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest47.7Ziebach County
Lowest3.8Lincoln County
Median11.966 counties
South Dakota11.9History

Top 40 counties, 2019

CSVChart (SVG)

Ziebach CountyZiebach County: 47.7 %47.7Todd CountyTodd County: 43.4 %43.4Corson CountyCorson County: 40.3 %40.3Oglala Lakota CountyOglala Lakota County: 40.1 %40.1Buffalo CountyBuffalo County: 39.8 %39.8Mellette CountyMellette County: 33.3 %33.3Bennett CountyBennett County: 31.6 %31.6Jackson CountyJackson County: 29.9 %29.9Dewey CountyDewey County: 27.6 %27.6Charles Mix CountyCharles Mix County: 21.2 %21.2Lyman CountyLyman County: 21.1 %21.1Roberts CountyRoberts County: 19.6 %19.6McPherson CountyMcPherson County: 19.5 %19.5Clay CountyClay County: 19 %19Tripp CountyTripp County: 18.8 %18.8Jerauld CountyJerauld County: 16.3 %16.3Faulk CountyFaulk County: 15.7 %15.7Gregory CountyGregory County: 15.5 %15.5Walworth CountyWalworth County: 15.1 %15.1Perkins CountyPerkins County: 14.5 %14.5Bon Homme CountyBon Homme County: 14.1 %14.1Fall River CountyFall River County: 13.9 %13.9Day CountyDay County: 13.2 %13.2Beadle CountyBeadle County: 12.9 %12.9Butte CountyButte County: 12.9 %12.9Jones CountyJones County: 12.9 %12.9Brule CountyBrule County: 12.6 %12.6Sanborn CountySanborn County: 12.6 %12.6Lawrence CountyLawrence County: 12.4 %12.4Clark CountyClark County: 12.1 %12.1Pennington CountyPennington County: 12 %12Brookings CountyBrookings County: 11.9 %11.9Harding CountyHarding County: 11.9 %11.9Marshall CountyMarshall County: 11.8 %11.8Davison CountyDavison County: 11.7 %11.7Hyde CountyHyde County: 11.5 %11.5Spink CountySpink County: 11.5 %11.5Haakon CountyHaakon County: 11.4 %11.4Douglas CountyDouglas County: 11.2 %11.2Edmunds CountyEdmunds County: 10.7 %10.7
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2019 (%)Change on 2018
1Ziebach County47.7+3.8 pts
2Todd County43.4-5 pts
3Corson County40.3+6.7 pts
4Oglala Lakota County40.1-13.9 pts
5Buffalo County39.8-5.9 pts
6Mellette County33.3-1.9 pts
7Bennett County31.6-0.9 pts
8Jackson County29.9-2.8 pts
9Dewey County27.6+1.8 pts
10Charles Mix County21.2+0.3 pts
11Lyman County21.10 pts
12Roberts County19.6-1.7 pts
13McPherson County19.5+2.4 pts
14Clay County19-0.5 pts
15Tripp County18.8-1.1 pts
16Jerauld County16.3+1.8 pts
17Faulk County15.7+0.1 pts
18Gregory County15.5-1 pts
19Walworth County15.1+0.1 pts
20Perkins County14.5+0.8 pts
21Bon Homme County14.1-1.6 pts
22Fall River County13.9+0.9 pts
23Day County13.2-2.1 pts
24Beadle County12.90 pts
24Butte County12.9-1.4 pts
24Jones County12.9-0.3 pts
27Brule County12.6-3.2 pts
27Sanborn County12.6-0.3 pts
29Lawrence County12.4-0.3 pts
30Clark County12.1-0.5 pts
31Pennington County12-1.3 pts
32Brookings County11.9+0.1 pts
32Harding County11.9+1.2 pts
34Marshall County11.8-0.2 pts
35Davison County11.7-0.3 pts
36Hyde County11.5+1.2 pts
36Spink County11.5-1.1 pts
38Haakon County11.4+0.4 pts
39Douglas County11.2-0.9 pts
40Edmunds County10.7-0.8 pts
41Campbell County10.5-0.4 pts
41Hutchinson County10.5-1 pts
41Miner County10.5-1 pts
44Potter County10.4+0.2 pts
45Hand County10.3+0.5 pts
46Aurora County10.20 pts
47Turner County10.1+0.7 pts
47Yankton County10.1-0.9 pts
49Codington County9.7-1.6 pts
50Custer County9.6-0.5 pts
51Lake County9.5-0.7 pts
52Brown County9.4-1.6 pts
53McCook County9.2-0.4 pts
54Grant County9.1-0.8 pts
55Hamlin County8.9-0.4 pts
55Hughes County8.9-0.5 pts
57Deuel County8.7-0.4 pts
57Meade County8.7+0.3 pts
57Minnehaha County8.7-0.9 pts
57Moody County8.7-1.2 pts
61Kingsbury County8.5-0.5 pts
62Sully County8.2-0.6 pts
63Hanson County7.9-0.9 pts
64Stanley County7.7-0.1 pts
65Union County6.3+0.4 pts
66Lincoln County3.8-0.6 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/2019/2019-state-and-county/est19all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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Questions

Which county has the highest poverty rate?

Ziebach County, with 47.7% in 2019, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Lincoln County, with 3.8% in 2019.

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