Counties in South Dakota by unemployment rate

Jackson County had the highest unemployment rate of 66 counties in February 2026, at 5.9%. Harding County had the lowest, at 1.3%. The median was 2.7% and the figure for South Dakota was 2.3%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Highest5.9Jackson County
Median2.766 counties
South Dakota2.3History

Top 40 counties, February 2026

CSVChart (SVG)

Jackson CountyJackson County: 5.9 %5.9Oglala Lakota CountyOglala Lakota County: 5.7 %5.7Todd CountyTodd County: 5.6 %5.6Grant CountyGrant County: 4.4 %4.4Jones CountyJones County: 4.3 %4.3Roberts CountyRoberts County: 4.3 %4.3Buffalo CountyBuffalo County: 4.2 %4.2Mellette CountyMellette County: 4.2 %4.2Deuel CountyDeuel County: 4 %4Dewey CountyDewey County: 4 %4Corson CountyCorson County: 3.8 %3.8Fall River CountyFall River County: 3.7 %3.7Potter CountyPotter County: 3.7 %3.7Bennett CountyBennett County: 3.5 %3.5Moody CountyMoody County: 3.4 %3.4Walworth CountyWalworth County: 3.4 %3.4Hanson CountyHanson County: 3.3 %3.3McPherson CountyMcPherson County: 3.3 %3.3Day CountyDay County: 3.2 %3.2Lyman CountyLyman County: 3.2 %3.2Marshall CountyMarshall County: 3.2 %3.2Campbell CountyCampbell County: 3.1 %3.1Custer CountyCuster County: 2.9 %2.9Gregory CountyGregory County: 2.9 %2.9Spink CountySpink County: 2.9 %2.9Ziebach CountyZiebach County: 2.9 %2.9Bon Homme CountyBon Homme County: 2.8 %2.8Brookings CountyBrookings County: 2.8 %2.8Charles Mix CountyCharles Mix County: 2.8 %2.8Hamlin CountyHamlin County: 2.8 %2.8Kingsbury CountyKingsbury County: 2.8 %2.8Union CountyUnion County: 2.8 %2.8Clark CountyClark County: 2.7 %2.7Hutchinson CountyHutchinson County: 2.7 %2.7Miner CountyMiner County: 2.7 %2.7Minnehaha CountyMinnehaha County: 2.7 %2.7Clay CountyClay County: 2.6 %2.6McCook CountyMcCook County: 2.6 %2.6Meade CountyMeade County: 2.6 %2.6Turner CountyTurner County: 2.6 %2.6
%. Source: BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCountiesFebruary 2026 (%)Change on February 2025
1Jackson County5.9+1.7 pts
2Oglala Lakota County5.7+1.2 pts
3Todd County5.6+0.7 pts
4Grant County4.4+0.2 pts
5Jones County4.3+0.6 pts
5Roberts County4.3+0.3 pts
7Buffalo County4.2-0.5 pts
7Mellette County4.2+1.1 pts
9Deuel County4+0.4 pts
9Dewey County4+0.6 pts
11Corson County3.8+1.2 pts
12Fall River County3.7+0.6 pts
12Potter County3.7+1.8 pts
14Bennett County3.5+0.7 pts
15Moody County3.4+1 pts
15Walworth County3.4-0.2 pts
17Hanson County3.3+0.2 pts
17McPherson County3.3+1 pts
19Day County3.2+0.1 pts
19Lyman County3.2+0.6 pts
19Marshall County3.2+0.1 pts
22Campbell County3.1+0.1 pts
23Custer County2.9-0.1 pts
23Gregory County2.9+0.2 pts
23Spink County2.9-0.2 pts
23Ziebach County2.9+0.8 pts
27Bon Homme County2.8+0.4 pts
27Brookings County2.8+0.6 pts
27Charles Mix County2.8+0.6 pts
27Hamlin County2.8+0.5 pts
27Kingsbury County2.8-0.1 pts
27Union County2.8+0.5 pts
33Clark County2.7-0.2 pts
33Hutchinson County2.7+0.3 pts
33Miner County2.7-0.5 pts
33Minnehaha County2.7+0.4 pts
37Clay County2.6+0.6 pts
37McCook County2.6+0.4 pts
37Meade County2.6+0.3 pts
37Turner County2.6+0.2 pts
41Beadle County2.5+0.3 pts
41Brown County2.5+0.1 pts
41Butte County2.5+0.3 pts
41Codington County2.5+0.3 pts
41Davison County2.5+0.4 pts
41Edmunds County2.5+0.1 pts
41Hand County2.5+0.6 pts
41Pennington County2.5+0.2 pts
49Hughes County2.4+0.4 pts
49Lincoln County2.4+0.5 pts
51Aurora County2.3+0.5 pts
51Hyde County2.3+1 pts
51Jerauld County2.3+0.2 pts
51Lawrence County2.3+0.2 pts
51Stanley County2.3+0.5 pts
51Tripp County2.3+0.8 pts
57Douglas County2.2-0.1 pts
57Haakon County2.2+0.5 pts
57Lake County2.2+0.4 pts
57Perkins County2.2+0.6 pts
57Yankton County2.2+0.2 pts
62Brule County2+0.7 pts
62Faulk County2+0.3 pts
64Sanborn County1.9+0.1 pts
64Sully County1.9-0.1 pts
66Harding County1.3-0.5 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?

Jackson County, with 5.9% in February 2026, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest unemployment rate?

Harding County, with 1.3% in February 2026.

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