Data / Rankings / Poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate) / Counties in South Dakota

Counties in South Dakota by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate)

Todd County had the highest poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate) of 66 counties in 2021, at 59%. Stanley County had the lowest, at 4.1%. The median was 11.1% and the figure for South Dakota was 12.5%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest59Todd County
Lowest4.1Stanley County
Median11.166 counties
South Dakota12.5History

Map of counties, 2021

Aurora County: 7.2 %Beadle County: 12.2 %Bennett County: 34.9 %Bon Homme County: 11.5 %Brookings County: 12.1 %Brown County: 10.4 %Brule County: 14.9 %Buffalo County: 37.5 %Butte County: 9.3 %Campbell County: 5.3 %Charles Mix County: 23.6 %Clark County: 5.4 %Clay County: 20.1 %Codington County: 11.8 %Corson County: 43.6 %Custer County: 11.4 %Davison County: 14.3 %Day County: 15.2 %Deuel County: 5.5 %Dewey County: 35.1 %Douglas County: 8.9 %Edmunds County: 6.9 %Fall River County: 17.7 %Faulk County: 20.8 %Grant County: 7.8 %Gregory County: 13 %Haakon County: 16.5 %Hamlin County: 7.3 %Hand County: 9.1 %Hanson County: 7.9 %Harding County: 8.3 %Hughes County: 12.8 %Hutchinson County: 9.8 %Hyde County: 6.5 %Jackson County: 44.4 %Jerauld County: 8.3 %Jones County: 12.7 %Kingsbury County: 8 %Lake County: 11.4 %Lawrence County: 13.3 %Lincoln County: 4.7 %Lyman County: 22.2 %McCook County: 8.1 %McPherson County: 11.4 %Marshall County: 6.9 %Meade County: 7.4 %Mellette County: 50 %Miner County: 8.6 %Minnehaha County: 8.8 %Moody County: 9.7 %Oglala Lakota County: 50.5 %Pennington County: 12.6 %Perkins County: 10.8 %Potter County: 7.4 %Roberts County: 20.2 %Sanborn County: 9.8 %Spink County: 8 %Stanley County: 4.1 %Sully County: 8.2 %Todd County: 59 %Tripp County: 21.7 %Turner County: 10 %Union County: 7.6 %Walworth County: 14.7 %Yankton County: 8.8 %Ziebach County: 44.5 %
  • Under 7.4
  • 7.4 to 8.7
  • 8.7 to 11
  • 11 to 13
  • 13 to 22
  • 22 and over
%, 2021. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

Top 40 counties, 2021

Todd County: 59 %Todd County59Oglala Lakota County: 50.5 %Oglala Lakota County50.5Mellette County: 50 %Mellette County50Ziebach County: 44.5 %Ziebach County44.5Jackson County: 44.4 %Jackson County44.4Corson County: 43.6 %Corson County43.6Buffalo County: 37.5 %Buffalo County37.5Dewey County: 35.1 %Dewey County35.1Bennett County: 34.9 %Bennett County34.9Charles Mix County: 23.6 %Charles Mix County23.6Lyman County: 22.2 %Lyman County22.2Tripp County: 21.7 %Tripp County21.7Faulk County: 20.8 %Faulk County20.8Roberts County: 20.2 %Roberts County20.2Clay County: 20.1 %Clay County20.1Fall River County: 17.7 %Fall River County17.7Haakon County: 16.5 %Haakon County16.5Day County: 15.2 %Day County15.2Brule County: 14.9 %Brule County14.9Walworth County: 14.7 %Walworth County14.7Davison County: 14.3 %Davison County14.3Lawrence County: 13.3 %Lawrence County13.3Gregory County: 13 %Gregory County13Hughes County: 12.8 %Hughes County12.8Jones County: 12.7 %Jones County12.7Pennington County: 12.6 %Pennington County12.6Beadle County: 12.2 %Beadle County12.2Brookings County: 12.1 %Brookings County12.1Codington County: 11.8 %Codington County11.8Bon Homme County: 11.5 %Bon Homme County11.5Custer County: 11.4 %Custer County11.4Lake County: 11.4 %Lake County11.4McPherson County: 11.4 %McPherson County11.4Perkins County: 10.8 %Perkins County10.8Brown County: 10.4 %Brown County10.4Turner County: 10 %Turner County10Hutchinson County: 9.8 %Hutchinson County9.8Sanborn County: 9.8 %Sanborn County9.8Moody County: 9.7 %Moody County9.7Butte County: 9.3 %Butte County9.3Todd County: 59 %Todd County59Oglala Lakota County: 50.5 %Oglala Lakota County50.5Mellette County: 50 %Mellette County50Ziebach County: 44.5 %Ziebach County44.5Jackson County: 44.4 %Jackson County44.4Corson County: 43.6 %Corson County43.6Buffalo County: 37.5 %Buffalo County37.5Dewey County: 35.1 %Dewey County35.1Bennett County: 34.9 %Bennett County34.9Charles Mix County: 23.6 %Charles Mix County23.6Lyman County: 22.2 %Lyman County22.2Tripp County: 21.7 %Tripp County21.7Faulk County: 20.8 %Faulk County20.8Roberts County: 20.2 %Roberts County20.2Clay County: 20.1 %Clay County20.1Fall River County: 17.7 %Fall River County17.7Haakon County: 16.5 %Haakon County16.5Day County: 15.2 %Day County15.2Brule County: 14.9 %Brule County14.9Walworth County: 14.7 %Walworth County14.7Davison County: 14.3 %Davison County14.3Lawrence County: 13.3 %Lawrence County13.3Gregory County: 13 %Gregory County13Hughes County: 12.8 %Hughes County12.8Jones County: 12.7 %Jones County12.7Pennington County: 12.6 %Pennington County12.6Beadle County: 12.2 %Beadle County12.2Brookings County: 12.1 %Brookings County12.1Codington County: 11.8 %Codington County11.8Bon Homme County: 11.5 %Bon Homme County11.5Custer County: 11.4 %Custer County11.4Lake County: 11.4 %Lake County11.4McPherson County: 11.4 %McPherson County11.4Perkins County: 10.8 %Perkins County10.8Brown County: 10.4 %Brown County10.4Turner County: 10 %Turner County10Hutchinson County: 9.8 %Hutchinson County9.8Sanborn County: 9.8 %Sanborn County9.8Moody County: 9.7 %Moody County9.7Butte County: 9.3 %Butte County9.3
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2021 (%)
1Todd County59
2Oglala Lakota County50.5
3Mellette County50
4Ziebach County44.5
5Jackson County44.4
6Corson County43.6
7Buffalo County37.5
8Dewey County35.1
9Bennett County34.9
10Charles Mix County23.6
11Lyman County22.2
12Tripp County21.7
13Faulk County20.8
14Roberts County20.2
15Clay County20.1
16Fall River County17.7
17Haakon County16.5
18Day County15.2
19Brule County14.9
20Walworth County14.7
21Davison County14.3
22Lawrence County13.3
23Gregory County13
24Hughes County12.8
25Jones County12.7
26Pennington County12.6
27Beadle County12.2
28Brookings County12.1
29Codington County11.8
30Bon Homme County11.5
31Custer County11.4
32Lake County11.4
33McPherson County11.4
34Perkins County10.8
35Brown County10.4
36Turner County10
37Hutchinson County9.8
38Sanborn County9.8
39Moody County9.7
40Butte County9.3
41Hand County9.1
42Douglas County8.9
43Minnehaha County8.8
43Yankton County8.8
45Miner County8.6
46Jerauld County8.3
47Harding County8.3
48Sully County8.2
49McCook County8.1
50Kingsbury County8
50Spink County8
52Hanson County7.9
53Grant County7.8
54Union County7.6
55Meade County7.4
56Potter County7.4
57Hamlin County7.3
58Aurora County7.2
59Marshall County6.9
60Edmunds County6.9
61Hyde County6.5
62Deuel County5.5
63Clark County5.4
64Campbell County5.3
65Lincoln County4.7
66Stanley County4.1

Other periods

About this ranking

People with income in the past 12 months below the official US poverty thresholds, as a percentage of people whose poverty status is determined. United States: American Community Survey five-year estimate, where the period shown is the last year of the five-year span.

The headline single-year rate for states and counties is poverty_rate (SAIPE). Poverty status is not determined for people in institutions, military group quarters or college dormitories, or for unrelated children under 15. 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. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b17001.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Citation styles

The publisher is the author. Invokely is named only as the place the figures were read, where a style asks for it.

APA 7

U.S. Census Bureau. (2026). American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs (Counties in South Dakota by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2021) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b17001.dat

MLA 9

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, Counties in South Dakota by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2021. U.S. Census Bureau, 29 Jan. 2026, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b17001.dat. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/south-dakota-counties?period=2021. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Census Bureau. 2026. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs. Counties in South Dakota by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2021. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b17001.dat. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/south-dakota-counties?period=2021.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2026) American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, Counties in South Dakota by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2021 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b17001.dat, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/south-dakota-counties?period=2021 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_in_south_dakota_2021,
  author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
  title = {{American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs: Counties in South Dakota by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2021}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b17001.dat},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/south-dakota-counties?period=2021. Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary\_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b17001.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Census Bureau
TI  - American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs: Counties in South Dakota by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2021
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/01/29
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b17001.dat
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/south-dakota-counties?period=2021
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/south-dakota-counties?period=2021.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b17001.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -
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Questions

Which county has the highest poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate)?

Todd County, with 59% in 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate)?

Stanley County, with 4.1% 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, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate): other rankings

Counties in South Dakota: more rankings