What is the poverty rate in South Dakota?
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The poverty rate was about 11.8% of South Dakota’s population as of 2025. The poverty rate is the percentage of people whose household income falls below the poverty threshold set by the government. It measures the percentage of people in households that don’t earn enough to pay for basic needs like food, housing, and healthcare. In 2025, 106,700 people in South Dakota were considered in poverty.
11.8%
of the population (2025)
107K
people living under the poverty line (2025)
Based on data from the American Community Survey dating back to 2010, South Dakota's poverty rate hit a peak in 2010 of 14.4%. Its lowest point was in 2024 at 10.4%. The state's poverty rate was 11.8% in 2025, 1.4 percentage points higher than the previous year.
In 2025, 11.8% of South Dakota's population were living under the poverty line.
Poverty rate, 2010–2025
While the poverty rate shows the overall trend, the total number matters because many aid programs and funding decisions are based on how many people are in poverty, not just the percentage. In 2025, 106,700 people living in South Dakota were in poverty — down 8.7% from the 2014 peak of 116,800.
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In 2025, 106,700 people in South Dakota were in poverty.
People living under poverty line, 2010–2025
Poverty doesn’t affect all groups equally. Rates vary widely by demographic group, family type and location.
What is the child poverty rate in South Dakota?
From 2015 to 2025, the poverty rate for children under 18 in South Dakota decreased from 18.1% to 15.1%. During the same period, the poverty rate for adults under 65 years decreased from 13.3% to 10.7%. For those older than 65, the poverty rate increased from 8.3% to 11%.
In 2025, 15.1% of children in South Dakota were living under the poverty line.
Poverty rate by age group, 2015–2025
How does poverty differ by race in South Dakota?
Among racial or ethnic groups in South Dakota during 2025, five had a higher poverty rate than the state’s overall rate: American Indian and Alaska Native; Black or African American; Hispanic or Latino origin (of any race); some other race; and two or more races
Two had a lower than average poverty rate: White, not Hispanic or Latino; and Asian.
Over the previous ten years, the poverty rate for the Black or African American population shifted the most, decreasing from 52.5% in 2015 to 20.3% in 2025.
In South Dakota, the poverty rate for the Black or African American population decreased from 52.5% in 2015 to 20.3% in 2025.
Poverty rate by race or ethnicity, 2015–2025
What counties in South Dakota have the highest and lowest poverty rates?
In 2020–2024, the poverty rate among South Dakota counties ranged from 5.1% in Stanley County to 57.6% in Oglala Lakota County. The poverty rate in the state’s largest county — Minnehaha County — was 8.8%
In 2020-2024, the poverty rate among South Dakota counties ranged from 5.1% to 57.6%.
Poverty rate
Poverty rate, by county (2024)
| 1. | Oglala Lakota County | 57.6% |
| 2. | Todd County | 48.4% |
| 3. | Corson County | 44.2% |
| 4. | Jackson County | 42.4% |
| 5. | Mellette County | 41.7% |
| 6. | Buffalo County | 33.9% |
| 7. | Ziebach County | 33.5% |
| 8. | Dewey County | 33.0% |
| 9. | Bennett County | 29.9% |
| 10. | Faulk County | 28.3% |
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Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
Page sources
USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.
