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

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

Ziebach County had the highest unemployment rate (US five-year survey estimate) of 66 counties in 2021, at 32.4%. Jerauld County had the lowest, at 0%. The median was 2.6% and the figure for South Dakota was 3.2%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest32.4Ziebach County
Lowest0Jerauld County
Median2.666 counties
South Dakota3.2History

Map of counties, 2021

Aurora County: 0.3 %Beadle County: 2.3 %Bennett County: 10.6 %Bon Homme County: 3 %Brookings County: 4.1 %Brown County: 3 %Brule County: 3.4 %Buffalo County: 18.9 %Butte County: 9.3 %Campbell County: 3.7 %Charles Mix County: 8.5 %Clark County: 5.5 %Clay County: 6.5 %Codington County: 1.5 %Corson County: 25.2 %Custer County: 4.3 %Davison County: 1.7 %Day County: 2.2 %Deuel County: 1.8 %Dewey County: 18.9 %Douglas County: 0.8 %Edmunds County: 2.2 %Fall River County: 3.1 %Faulk County: 3.1 %Grant County: 2.5 %Gregory County: 3.6 %Haakon County: 1 %Hamlin County: 2.5 %Hand County: 0.3 %Hanson County: 2.3 %Harding County: 2.9 %Hughes County: 0.9 %Hutchinson County: 1.7 %Hyde County: 0.9 %Jackson County: 9.3 %Jerauld County: 0 %Jones County: 2.9 %Kingsbury County: 0.8 %Lake County: 2.4 %Lawrence County: 2.6 %Lincoln County: 1.5 %Lyman County: 5.9 %McCook County: 2.9 %McPherson County: 2.3 %Marshall County: 1.6 %Meade County: 3.5 %Mellette County: 14.1 %Miner County: 2.3 %Minnehaha County: 2.5 %Moody County: 1.9 %Oglala Lakota County: 12.3 %Pennington County: 2.9 %Perkins County: 1.9 %Potter County: 1.6 %Roberts County: 5 %Sanborn County: 1.7 %Spink County: 1.8 %Stanley County: 0.2 %Sully County: 0.3 %Todd County: 15.1 %Tripp County: 4.9 %Turner County: 2.6 %Union County: 3.3 %Walworth County: 5.2 %Yankton County: 1.8 %Ziebach County: 32.4 %
  • Under 1.5
  • 1.5 to 2.1
  • 2.1 to 2.6
  • 2.6 to 3.5
  • 3.5 to 6.8
  • 6.8 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

Ziebach County: 32.4 %Ziebach County32.4Corson County: 25.2 %Corson County25.2Buffalo County: 18.9 %Buffalo County18.9Dewey County: 18.9 %Dewey County18.9Todd County: 15.1 %Todd County15.1Mellette County: 14.1 %Mellette County14.1Oglala Lakota County: 12.3 %Oglala Lakota County12.3Bennett County: 10.6 %Bennett County10.6Jackson County: 9.3 %Jackson County9.3Butte County: 9.3 %Butte County9.3Charles Mix County: 8.5 %Charles Mix County8.5Clay County: 6.5 %Clay County6.5Lyman County: 5.9 %Lyman County5.9Clark County: 5.5 %Clark County5.5Walworth County: 5.2 %Walworth County5.2Roberts County: 5 %Roberts County5Tripp County: 4.9 %Tripp County4.9Custer County: 4.3 %Custer County4.3Brookings County: 4.1 %Brookings County4.1Campbell County: 3.7 %Campbell County3.7Gregory County: 3.6 %Gregory County3.6Meade County: 3.5 %Meade County3.5Brule County: 3.4 %Brule County3.4Union County: 3.3 %Union County3.3Fall River County: 3.1 %Fall River County3.1Faulk County: 3.1 %Faulk County3.1Brown County: 3 %Brown County3Bon Homme County: 3 %Bon Homme County3Pennington County: 2.9 %Pennington County2.9Harding County: 2.9 %Harding County2.9McCook County: 2.9 %McCook County2.9Jones County: 2.9 %Jones County2.9Turner County: 2.6 %Turner County2.6Lawrence County: 2.6 %Lawrence County2.6Hamlin County: 2.5 %Hamlin County2.5Minnehaha County: 2.5 %Minnehaha County2.5Grant County: 2.5 %Grant County2.5Lake County: 2.4 %Lake County2.4Hanson County: 2.3 %Hanson County2.3Beadle County: 2.3 %Beadle County2.3Ziebach County: 32.4 %Ziebach County32.4Corson County: 25.2 %Corson County25.2Buffalo County: 18.9 %Buffalo County18.9Dewey County: 18.9 %Dewey County18.9Todd County: 15.1 %Todd County15.1Mellette County: 14.1 %Mellette County14.1Oglala Lakota County: 12.3 %Oglala Lakota County12.3Bennett County: 10.6 %Bennett County10.6Jackson County: 9.3 %Jackson County9.3Butte County: 9.3 %Butte County9.3Charles Mix County: 8.5 %Charles Mix County8.5Clay County: 6.5 %Clay County6.5Lyman County: 5.9 %Lyman County5.9Clark County: 5.5 %Clark County5.5Walworth County: 5.2 %Walworth County5.2Roberts County: 5 %Roberts County5Tripp County: 4.9 %Tripp County4.9Custer County: 4.3 %Custer County4.3Brookings County: 4.1 %Brookings County4.1Campbell County: 3.7 %Campbell County3.7Gregory County: 3.6 %Gregory County3.6Meade County: 3.5 %Meade County3.5Brule County: 3.4 %Brule County3.4Union County: 3.3 %Union County3.3Fall River County: 3.1 %Fall River County3.1Faulk County: 3.1 %Faulk County3.1Brown County: 3 %Brown County3Bon Homme County: 3 %Bon Homme County3Pennington County: 2.9 %Pennington County2.9Harding County: 2.9 %Harding County2.9McCook County: 2.9 %McCook County2.9Jones County: 2.9 %Jones County2.9Turner County: 2.6 %Turner County2.6Lawrence County: 2.6 %Lawrence County2.6Hamlin County: 2.5 %Hamlin County2.5Minnehaha County: 2.5 %Minnehaha County2.5Grant County: 2.5 %Grant County2.5Lake County: 2.4 %Lake County2.4Hanson County: 2.3 %Hanson County2.3Beadle County: 2.3 %Beadle County2.3
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2021 (%)
1Ziebach County32.4
2Corson County25.2
3Buffalo County18.9
4Dewey County18.9
5Todd County15.1
6Mellette County14.1
7Oglala Lakota County12.3
8Bennett County10.6
9Jackson County9.3
10Butte County9.3
11Charles Mix County8.5
12Clay County6.5
13Lyman County5.9
14Clark County5.5
15Walworth County5.2
16Roberts County5
17Tripp County4.9
18Custer County4.3
19Brookings County4.1
20Campbell County3.7
21Gregory County3.6
22Meade County3.5
23Brule County3.4
24Union County3.3
25Fall River County3.1
26Faulk County3.1
27Brown County3
28Bon Homme County3
29Pennington County2.9
30Harding County2.9
31McCook County2.9
32Jones County2.9
33Turner County2.6
34Lawrence County2.6
35Hamlin County2.5
36Minnehaha County2.5
37Grant County2.5
38Lake County2.4
39Hanson County2.3
40Beadle County2.3
41Miner County2.3
42McPherson County2.3
43Edmunds County2.2
44Day County2.2
45Perkins County1.9
46Moody County1.9
47Yankton County1.8
48Spink County1.8
49Deuel County1.8
50Hutchinson County1.7
51Sanborn County1.7
52Davison County1.7
53Potter County1.6
54Marshall County1.6
55Codington County1.5
56Lincoln County1.5
57Haakon County1
58Hyde County0.9
59Hughes County0.9
60Kingsbury County0.8
61Douglas County0.8
62Aurora County0.3
63Hand County0.3
64Sully County0.3
65Stanley County0.2
66Jerauld County0

Other periods

About this ranking

Unemployed civilians aged 16 and over as a percentage of the civilian labor force aged 16 and over. United States: American Community Survey five-year estimate, where the period shown is the last year of the five-year span.

An average over five years of survey responses, so it moves slowly. The official monthly and annual rates for states and counties are unemployment_rate, from BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics.

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 B23025: unemployed as a percentage of the civilian labor force aged 16 and over, calculated with stored inputs. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b23025.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 B23025: unemployed as a percentage of the civilian labor force aged 16 and over, calculated with stored inputs (Counties in South Dakota by unemployment 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-b23025.dat

MLA 9

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B23025: unemployed as a percentage of the civilian labor force aged 16 and over, calculated with stored inputs, Counties in South Dakota by unemployment 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-b23025.dat. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/unemployment-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 B23025: unemployed as a percentage of the civilian labor force aged 16 and over, calculated with stored inputs. Counties in South Dakota by unemployment 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-b23025.dat. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/unemployment-rate-acs/south-dakota-counties?period=2021.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2026) American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B23025: unemployed as a percentage of the civilian labor force aged 16 and over, calculated with stored inputs, Counties in South Dakota by unemployment 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-b23025.dat, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/unemployment-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 B23025: unemployed as a percentage of the civilian labor force aged 16 and over, calculated with stored inputs: Counties in South Dakota by unemployment 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-b23025.dat},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/unemployment-rate-acs/south-dakota-counties?period=2021. Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B23025: unemployed as a percentage of the civilian labor force aged 16 and over, calculated with stored inputs. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary\_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b23025.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Census Bureau
TI  - American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B23025: unemployed as a percentage of the civilian labor force aged 16 and over, calculated with stored inputs: Counties in South Dakota by unemployment 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-b23025.dat
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/unemployment-rate-acs/south-dakota-counties?period=2021
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/unemployment-rate-acs/south-dakota-counties?period=2021.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B23025: unemployed as a percentage of the civilian labor force aged 16 and over, calculated with stored inputs. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b23025.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -
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Questions

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

Ziebach County, with 32.4% in 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

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

Jerauld County, with 0% 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 B23025: unemployed as a percentage of the civilian labor force aged 16 and over, calculated with stored inputs. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

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

Counties in South Dakota: more rankings