Counties in South Dakota by poverty rate

Ziebach County had the highest poverty rate of 66 counties in 2023, at 46.2%. Lincoln County had the lowest, at 3.3%. The median was 11.2% and the figure for South Dakota was 11.4%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest46.2Ziebach County
Median11.266 counties
South Dakota11.4History

Top 40 counties, 2023

CSVChart (SVG)

Ziebach CountyZiebach County: 46.2 %46.2Oglala Lakota CountyOglala Lakota County: 37.1 %37.1Todd CountyTodd County: 35.6 %35.6Corson CountyCorson County: 33.7 %33.7Buffalo CountyBuffalo County: 33.1 %33.1Jackson CountyJackson County: 29.8 %29.8Bennett CountyBennett County: 27.7 %27.7Dewey CountyDewey County: 26.2 %26.2Mellette CountyMellette County: 26 %26Charles Mix CountyCharles Mix County: 21.4 %21.4Lyman CountyLyman County: 19.3 %19.3Clay CountyClay County: 17.5 %17.5Beadle CountyBeadle County: 16.3 %16.3Roberts CountyRoberts County: 16.3 %16.3Tripp CountyTripp County: 16.1 %16.1Walworth CountyWalworth County: 15.8 %15.8McPherson CountyMcPherson County: 15.4 %15.4Gregory CountyGregory County: 14.5 %14.5Perkins CountyPerkins County: 14.5 %14.5Fall River CountyFall River County: 14.1 %14.1Jones CountyJones County: 14.1 %14.1Bon Homme CountyBon Homme County: 13.4 %13.4Day CountyDay County: 13.3 %13.3Faulk CountyFaulk County: 13 %13Jerauld CountyJerauld County: 12.7 %12.7Brule CountyBrule County: 12.6 %12.6Sanborn CountySanborn County: 12.4 %12.4Harding CountyHarding County: 12.1 %12.1Butte CountyButte County: 12 %12Pennington CountyPennington County: 11.6 %11.6Codington CountyCodington County: 11.4 %11.4Yankton CountyYankton County: 11.4 %11.4Brookings CountyBrookings County: 11.2 %11.2Hyde CountyHyde County: 11.2 %11.2Clark CountyClark County: 11.1 %11.1Lawrence CountyLawrence County: 11.1 %11.1Marshall CountyMarshall County: 11.1 %11.1Aurora CountyAurora County: 11 %11Campbell CountyCampbell County: 11 %11Spink CountySpink County: 10.7 %10.7
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2023 (%)Change on 2022
1Ziebach County46.2+7.3 pts
2Oglala Lakota County37.1-5.2 pts
3Todd County35.6-3.9 pts
4Corson County33.7-8.7 pts
5Buffalo County33.1-6.6 pts
6Jackson County29.8+1 pts
7Bennett County27.7-3 pts
8Dewey County26.2+0.8 pts
9Mellette County26-9 pts
10Charles Mix County21.4-0.1 pts
11Lyman County19.3-3 pts
12Clay County17.5-2.5 pts
13Beadle County16.3+3.4 pts
13Roberts County16.3-1.1 pts
15Tripp County16.1-3.7 pts
16Walworth County15.8+0.7 pts
17McPherson County15.4-0.9 pts
18Gregory County14.5-1.7 pts
18Perkins County14.5-1 pts
20Fall River County14.1-1 pts
20Jones County14.1-0.8 pts
22Bon Homme County13.4-1.1 pts
23Day County13.3-1.9 pts
24Faulk County13-5 pts
25Jerauld County12.7-2.2 pts
26Brule County12.6-2.2 pts
27Sanborn County12.4-1.2 pts
28Harding County12.1+0.2 pts
29Butte County12-0.3 pts
30Pennington County11.6-2.7 pts
31Codington County11.4+0.5 pts
31Yankton County11.4+0.2 pts
33Brookings County11.2-2.1 pts
33Hyde County11.2-1.1 pts
35Clark County11.1-2.4 pts
35Lawrence County11.1+0.3 pts
35Marshall County11.1-1.4 pts
38Aurora County11-0.1 pts
38Campbell County11-1.4 pts
40Spink County10.7-1.4 pts
41Haakon County10.6-2.3 pts
42Miner County10.5-1.6 pts
43Edmunds County10.2+0.1 pts
44Brown County10-1 pts
44Kingsbury County100 pts
46Grant County9.9-1 pts
47Hutchinson County9.8-2.9 pts
47Moody County9.8-1.8 pts
49Minnehaha County9.7+0.5 pts
50Davison County9.4-4.3 pts
50Lake County9.4-0.6 pts
52Deuel County9.2+0.7 pts
52Potter County9.2-0.6 pts
54Hanson County9-0.3 pts
55Douglas County8.7-3.4 pts
56Hughes County8.6-1 pts
57Custer County8.5-0.8 pts
57Hand County8.5-1.2 pts
59Turner County8.4+0.1 pts
60McCook County8-1.6 pts
61Meade County7.9+0.1 pts
62Stanley County7.6-0.8 pts
62Sully County7.60 pts
64Hamlin County7.2-1 pts
65Union County5.7-0.3 pts
66Lincoln County3.3-2 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/2023/2023-state-and-county/est23all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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Questions

Which county has the highest poverty rate?

Ziebach County, with 46.2% in 2023, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Lincoln County, with 3.3% in 2023.

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