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 2021, at 43.5%. Lincoln County had the lowest, at 3.9%. The median was 11.6% and the figure for South Dakota was 11.9%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest43.5Oglala Lakota County
Lowest3.9Lincoln County
Median11.666 counties
South Dakota11.9History

Top 40 counties, 2021

CSVChart (SVG)

Oglala Lakota CountyOglala Lakota County: 43.5 %43.5Corson CountyCorson County: 41.9 %41.9Todd CountyTodd County: 39.8 %39.8Ziebach CountyZiebach County: 38.1 %38.1Buffalo CountyBuffalo County: 35.9 %35.9Bennett CountyBennett County: 31 %31Mellette CountyMellette County: 30 %30Jackson CountyJackson County: 28.1 %28.1Dewey CountyDewey County: 23.7 %23.7Charles Mix CountyCharles Mix County: 22.6 %22.6Lyman CountyLyman County: 20.7 %20.7Tripp CountyTripp County: 20.5 %20.5Roberts CountyRoberts County: 17.6 %17.6Clay CountyClay County: 16.8 %16.8McPherson CountyMcPherson County: 16.7 %16.7Walworth CountyWalworth County: 16.4 %16.4Faulk CountyFaulk County: 15.7 %15.7Day CountyDay County: 14.5 %14.5Perkins CountyPerkins County: 14.3 %14.3Gregory CountyGregory County: 14.2 %14.2Bon Homme CountyBon Homme County: 14 %14Fall River CountyFall River County: 13.5 %13.5Jerauld CountyJerauld County: 13.2 %13.2Lawrence CountyLawrence County: 13 %13Jones CountyJones County: 12.9 %12.9Brule CountyBrule County: 12.8 %12.8Hutchinson CountyHutchinson County: 12.8 %12.8Beadle CountyBeadle County: 12.7 %12.7Brookings CountyBrookings County: 12.6 %12.6Sanborn CountySanborn County: 12.4 %12.4Butte CountyButte County: 12.2 %12.2Brown CountyBrown County: 11.6 %11.6Pennington CountyPennington County: 11.6 %11.6Harding CountyHarding County: 11.5 %11.5Davison CountyDavison County: 11.4 %11.4Douglas CountyDouglas County: 11.4 %11.4Hyde CountyHyde County: 11.3 %11.3Marshall CountyMarshall County: 11.2 %11.2Spink CountySpink County: 11.2 %11.2Yankton CountyYankton County: 11 %11
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2021 (%)Change on 2020
1Oglala Lakota County43.5+5.4 pts
2Corson County41.9+4.8 pts
3Todd County39.8-2.7 pts
4Ziebach County38.1-5.8 pts
5Buffalo County35.9+3.1 pts
6Bennett County31+2.7 pts
7Mellette County30+0.1 pts
8Jackson County28.1-0.6 pts
9Dewey County23.7-1.2 pts
10Charles Mix County22.6-1.4 pts
11Lyman County20.7-3.2 pts
12Tripp County20.5+1.2 pts
13Roberts County17.6-0.2 pts
14Clay County16.8+0.6 pts
15McPherson County16.7-1.7 pts
16Walworth County16.4+1.4 pts
17Faulk County15.7-3 pts
18Day County14.5+1.6 pts
19Perkins County14.3-1.1 pts
20Gregory County14.2-0.9 pts
21Bon Homme County14-1 pts
22Fall River County13.5-1.9 pts
23Jerauld County13.2-1.2 pts
24Lawrence County13+1.5 pts
25Jones County12.9-2 pts
26Brule County12.8-0.9 pts
26Hutchinson County12.80 pts
28Beadle County12.7+0.1 pts
29Brookings County12.6+2.7 pts
30Sanborn County12.4-1.3 pts
31Butte County12.2-0.3 pts
32Brown County11.6+2.5 pts
32Pennington County11.6-0.5 pts
34Harding County11.5+0.5 pts
35Davison County11.4+0.7 pts
35Douglas County11.4-0.4 pts
37Hyde County11.3-0.2 pts
38Marshall County11.2-2 pts
38Spink County11.2-1.6 pts
40Yankton County11+0.6 pts
41Campbell County10.9+0.2 pts
41Miner County10.9-1.7 pts
43Haakon County10.7-1 pts
44Clark County10.6-1.7 pts
45Moody County10.5+1.1 pts
46Edmunds County10.1-2.1 pts
46Potter County10.1+0.7 pts
48Aurora County9.9-0.3 pts
49Custer County9.8+0.1 pts
49Grant County9.8+0.5 pts
49Hughes County9.8+0.4 pts
52Turner County9.7+0.9 pts
53Codington County9.6+0.6 pts
53Lake County9.6-0.3 pts
55Minnehaha County9.5+1.4 pts
56Kingsbury County9.3-0.9 pts
56Meade County9.3+0.6 pts
58McCook County9.2-0.4 pts
59Deuel County9.1-0.4 pts
60Hand County8.7-0.4 pts
61Hanson County8.2-2.2 pts
62Hamlin County7.8-1.1 pts
63Stanley County7.50 pts
63Sully County7.5-0.3 pts
65Union County6.5+0.6 pts
66Lincoln County3.9-0.6 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/2021/2021-state-and-county/est21all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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Questions

Which county has the highest poverty rate?

Oglala Lakota County, with 43.5% in 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Lincoln County, with 3.9% in 2021.

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