South Dakota County Poverty

What is commonly known about South Dakota is its natural beauty, historic landmarks, and Native American heritage, but hidden within this is a long-running economic problem, high poverty rates within most of the counties, and mostly relating to Native American reservations. Some of the poorest counties in the United States are located in the state, and poverty rates are more than twice as high, and almost four times higher, as compared to the national poverty rate of about 12.

A large number of these counties, including Oglala Lakota, Todd, and Buffalo, are situated on or near the reservations such as Pine Ridge, Rosebud, and Crow Creek. These neighborhoods experience a history of economic difficulties that are associated with historical injustices, employment disadvantages, insufficient infrastructure, poor access to healthcare, and insufficient schools. High unemployment rates and generational poverty also play a role in the cycle, and it is highly challenging to address family economic hardship.

Poverty in Selected Counties in South Dakota

The county data of counties with some of the highest levels of poverty in South Dakota are shown below (HDPulse):

County	Poverty Rate (%)	Families in Poverty	National Rank (out of 3,143 counties)	Notes
Oglala Lakota County	48.8%	1,101	3,143	Home to Pine Ridge Reservation; often cited as the poorest county in the U.S.
Jackson County	38.9%	213	3,142	Partly overlaps with Pine Ridge; small population but high poverty.
Todd County	38.4%	672	3,141	Located on Rosebud Reservation; among the top 5 poorest U.S. counties.
Corson County	35.2%	290	3,138	On Standing Rock Reservation; poverty tied to unemployment and rural isolation.
Ziebach County	34.0%	193	3,135	On Cheyenne River Reservation; very rural, limited services.
Bennett County	31.1%	227	3,128	Shares land with Pine Ridge Reservation; high poverty and unemployment.
Mellette County	30.9%	124	3,126	Located near Rosebud Reservation; persistent economic struggles.
Buffalo County	30.7%	98	3,123	Crow Creek Reservation; consistently ranks among the poorest per capita.
Dewey County	~30%	N/A	Among poorest	Cheyenne River Reservation; poverty tied to lack of industry & jobs.

Key Takeaways

• Covered by Oglala Lakota County (Pine Ridge Reservation), it is the poorest county in the US, as almost half the residents are below the poverty line.
• Jackson, Todd, and Corson counties are also in the bottom 10 in the country.
• It is closely associated with the high poverty rates in the reservation areas where historical and structural problems, e.g., no investments, low-funded schools, no healthcare, and high unemployment rates have remained the same.
• Despite its immensely small population, Buffalo County is always ranked among the poorest U.S. counties because its level of household income is very low.
• In all, 8 out of the 10 poorest counties in the U.S. are in South Dakota, which illustrates the fact that poverty is concentrated in rural and reservation communities.