Counties in South Dakota by poverty rate

Ziebach County had the highest poverty rate of 66 counties in 2020, at 43.9%. Lincoln County had the lowest, at 4.5%. The median was 12.3% and the figure for South Dakota was 11.6%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest43.9Ziebach County
Median12.366 counties
South Dakota11.6History

Top 40 counties, 2020

CSVChart (SVG)

Ziebach CountyZiebach County: 43.9 %43.9Todd CountyTodd County: 42.5 %42.5Oglala Lakota CountyOglala Lakota County: 38.1 %38.1Corson CountyCorson County: 37.1 %37.1Buffalo CountyBuffalo County: 32.8 %32.8Mellette CountyMellette County: 29.9 %29.9Jackson CountyJackson County: 28.7 %28.7Bennett CountyBennett County: 28.3 %28.3Dewey CountyDewey County: 24.9 %24.9Charles Mix CountyCharles Mix County: 24 %24Lyman CountyLyman County: 23.9 %23.9Tripp CountyTripp County: 19.3 %19.3Faulk CountyFaulk County: 18.7 %18.7McPherson CountyMcPherson County: 18.4 %18.4Roberts CountyRoberts County: 17.8 %17.8Clay CountyClay County: 16.2 %16.2Fall River CountyFall River County: 15.4 %15.4Perkins CountyPerkins County: 15.4 %15.4Gregory CountyGregory County: 15.1 %15.1Bon Homme CountyBon Homme County: 15 %15Walworth CountyWalworth County: 15 %15Jones CountyJones County: 14.9 %14.9Jerauld CountyJerauld County: 14.4 %14.4Brule CountyBrule County: 13.7 %13.7Sanborn CountySanborn County: 13.7 %13.7Marshall CountyMarshall County: 13.2 %13.2Day CountyDay County: 12.9 %12.9Hutchinson CountyHutchinson County: 12.8 %12.8Spink CountySpink County: 12.8 %12.8Beadle CountyBeadle County: 12.6 %12.6Miner CountyMiner County: 12.6 %12.6Butte CountyButte County: 12.5 %12.5Clark CountyClark County: 12.3 %12.3Edmunds CountyEdmunds County: 12.2 %12.2Pennington CountyPennington County: 12.1 %12.1Douglas CountyDouglas County: 11.8 %11.8Haakon CountyHaakon County: 11.7 %11.7Hyde CountyHyde County: 11.5 %11.5Lawrence CountyLawrence County: 11.5 %11.5Harding CountyHarding County: 11 %11
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2020 (%)Change on 2019
1Ziebach County43.9-3.8 pts
2Todd County42.5-0.9 pts
3Oglala Lakota County38.1-2 pts
4Corson County37.1-3.2 pts
5Buffalo County32.8-7 pts
6Mellette County29.9-3.4 pts
7Jackson County28.7-1.2 pts
8Bennett County28.3-3.3 pts
9Dewey County24.9-2.7 pts
10Charles Mix County24+2.8 pts
11Lyman County23.9+2.8 pts
12Tripp County19.3+0.5 pts
13Faulk County18.7+3 pts
14McPherson County18.4-1.1 pts
15Roberts County17.8-1.8 pts
16Clay County16.2-2.8 pts
17Fall River County15.4+1.5 pts
17Perkins County15.4+0.9 pts
19Gregory County15.1-0.4 pts
20Bon Homme County15+0.9 pts
20Walworth County15-0.1 pts
22Jones County14.9+2 pts
23Jerauld County14.4-1.9 pts
24Brule County13.7+1.1 pts
24Sanborn County13.7+1.1 pts
26Marshall County13.2+1.4 pts
27Day County12.9-0.3 pts
28Hutchinson County12.8+2.3 pts
28Spink County12.8+1.3 pts
30Beadle County12.6-0.3 pts
30Miner County12.6+2.1 pts
32Butte County12.5-0.4 pts
33Clark County12.3+0.2 pts
34Edmunds County12.2+1.5 pts
35Pennington County12.1+0.1 pts
36Douglas County11.8+0.6 pts
37Haakon County11.7+0.3 pts
38Hyde County11.50 pts
38Lawrence County11.5-0.9 pts
40Harding County11-0.9 pts
41Campbell County10.7+0.2 pts
41Davison County10.7-1 pts
43Hanson County10.4+2.5 pts
43Yankton County10.4+0.3 pts
45Aurora County10.20 pts
45Kingsbury County10.2+1.7 pts
47Brookings County9.9-2 pts
47Lake County9.9+0.4 pts
49Custer County9.7+0.1 pts
50McCook County9.6+0.4 pts
51Deuel County9.5+0.8 pts
52Hughes County9.4+0.5 pts
52Moody County9.4+0.7 pts
52Potter County9.4-1 pts
55Grant County9.3+0.2 pts
56Brown County9.1-0.3 pts
56Hand County9.1-1.2 pts
58Codington County9-0.7 pts
59Hamlin County8.90 pts
60Turner County8.8-1.3 pts
61Meade County8.70 pts
62Minnehaha County8.1-0.6 pts
63Sully County7.8-0.4 pts
64Stanley County7.5-0.2 pts
65Union County5.9-0.4 pts
66Lincoln County4.5+0.7 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/2020/2020-state-and-county/est20all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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Questions

Which county has the highest poverty rate?

Ziebach County, with 43.9% in 2020, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Lincoln County, with 4.5% in 2020.

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