Counties in South Dakota by unemployment rate

Oglala Lakota County had the highest unemployment rate of 66 counties in December 2025, at 6.2%. Hyde County had the lowest, at 1.4%. The median was 2.35% and the figure for South Dakota was 2.2%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Lowest1.4Hyde County
Median2.3566 counties
South Dakota2.2History

Top 40 counties, December 2025

CSVChart (SVG)

Oglala Lakota CountyOglala Lakota County: 6.2 %6.2Todd CountyTodd County: 6 %6Jackson CountyJackson County: 4.9 %4.9Dewey CountyDewey County: 4.5 %4.5Buffalo CountyBuffalo County: 4.3 %4.3Corson CountyCorson County: 4.3 %4.3Roberts CountyRoberts County: 4.2 %4.2Grant CountyGrant County: 3.8 %3.8Jones CountyJones County: 3.3 %3.3Bennett CountyBennett County: 3.2 %3.2Fall River CountyFall River County: 3.2 %3.2Mellette CountyMellette County: 3.1 %3.1Potter CountyPotter County: 3.1 %3.1Deuel CountyDeuel County: 3 %3Hanson CountyHanson County: 3 %3Lyman CountyLyman County: 3 %3Campbell CountyCampbell County: 2.9 %2.9Marshall CountyMarshall County: 2.9 %2.9Moody CountyMoody County: 2.9 %2.9Walworth CountyWalworth County: 2.9 %2.9Custer CountyCuster County: 2.8 %2.8Day CountyDay County: 2.8 %2.8Ziebach CountyZiebach County: 2.7 %2.7Charles Mix CountyCharles Mix County: 2.6 %2.6Clay CountyClay County: 2.6 %2.6Hutchinson CountyHutchinson County: 2.6 %2.6Miner CountyMiner County: 2.6 %2.6Brookings CountyBrookings County: 2.5 %2.5Kingsbury CountyKingsbury County: 2.5 %2.5Union CountyUnion County: 2.5 %2.5Codington CountyCodington County: 2.4 %2.4Minnehaha CountyMinnehaha County: 2.4 %2.4Turner CountyTurner County: 2.4 %2.4Beadle CountyBeadle County: 2.3 %2.3Brown CountyBrown County: 2.3 %2.3Edmunds CountyEdmunds County: 2.3 %2.3Lawrence CountyLawrence County: 2.3 %2.3Spink CountySpink County: 2.3 %2.3Davison CountyDavison County: 2.2 %2.2Douglas CountyDouglas County: 2.2 %2.2
%. Source: BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCountiesDecember 2025 (%)Change on December 2024
1Oglala Lakota County6.2+0.7 pts
2Todd County6+1.2 pts
3Jackson County4.9+0.9 pts
4Dewey County4.5+0.9 pts
5Buffalo County4.3-0.7 pts
5Corson County4.3+1.4 pts
7Roberts County4.2+0.6 pts
8Grant County3.8+0.5 pts
9Jones County3.3+1 pts
10Bennett County3.2+0.3 pts
10Fall River County3.2+0.9 pts
12Mellette County3.1+0.1 pts
12Potter County3.1+0.9 pts
14Deuel County3+0.1 pts
14Hanson County3+0.2 pts
14Lyman County3+0.5 pts
17Campbell County2.9+0.1 pts
17Marshall County2.9+0.7 pts
17Moody County2.9+0.5 pts
17Walworth County2.9-0.1 pts
21Custer County2.8+0.1 pts
21Day County2.8+0.6 pts
23Ziebach County2.7-0.4 pts
24Charles Mix County2.6+0.7 pts
24Clay County2.6+0.5 pts
24Hutchinson County2.6+0.1 pts
24Miner County2.6-1 pts
28Brookings County2.5+0.3 pts
28Kingsbury County2.5+0.3 pts
28Union County2.5+0.4 pts
31Codington County2.4+0.4 pts
31Minnehaha County2.4+0.4 pts
31Turner County2.4+0.4 pts
34Beadle County2.3+0.5 pts
34Brown County2.3+0.3 pts
34Edmunds County2.3+0.1 pts
34Lawrence County2.3+0.4 pts
34Spink County2.3+0.3 pts
39Davison County2.2+0.5 pts
39Douglas County2.2+0.1 pts
39Hamlin County2.2+0.3 pts
39Pennington County2.2+0.3 pts
43Aurora County2.1+0.3 pts
43Butte County2.1+0.1 pts
43Gregory County2.1+0.3 pts
43Haakon County2.1+0.2 pts
43Hand County2.1+0.6 pts
43McCook County2.1+0.3 pts
43Meade County2.1+0.3 pts
43Perkins County2.1+0.6 pts
43Yankton County2.1+0.6 pts
52Bon Homme County2-0.2 pts
52Clark County2-0.2 pts
52Hughes County2+0.5 pts
52Lake County2+0.5 pts
52Lincoln County2+0.4 pts
52Tripp County2+0.6 pts
58McPherson County1.9-0.8 pts
59Harding County1.8+0.2 pts
60Brule County1.7+0.4 pts
60Faulk County1.70 pts
60Jerauld County1.7+0.1 pts
60Sanborn County1.70 pts
60Stanley County1.7+0.4 pts
65Sully County1.6+0.1 pts
66Hyde County1.4-0.2 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

Unemployed people as a percentage of the labour force, using the survey definition of unemployment: without work, available and looking for work. Spain: EPA, aged 16 and over. EU: Labour Force Survey, aged 15 to 74. United States: civilian labour force aged 16 and over, from the Current Population Survey for the nation and from BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics models, consistent with that survey, for states and counties. Other countries and the World: ILO modelled estimates published by the World Bank, aged 15 and over.

Survey-based. Available for Spain, regions, provinces, EU countries, US states and US counties, not Spanish municipalities. For municipalities use registered_unemployment_rate. US national and state rates are seasonally adjusted; county rates are not. Countries without a national or Eurostat series get the annual ILO modelled estimate, a model output rather than a survey result.

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. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Local Area Unemployment Statistics: unemployment rate by county, not seasonally adjusted. https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/la/la.data.0.CurrentU25-29. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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Questions

Which county has the highest unemployment rate?

Oglala Lakota County, with 6.2% in December 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest unemployment rate?

Hyde County, with 1.4% in December 2025.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics: unemployment rate by county, not seasonally adjusted. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Unemployment rate: other rankings

Counties in South Dakota: more rankings