Haakon County, South Dakota

County Distress Index: Healthy · 17.1 | 1,851 people · 57th most distressed in South Dakota
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Haakon County, SD ranks among the least distressed counties in the country at 17.1 — 3115th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Economic Vitality, where wages keep pace with costs, business formation is healthy, and the local economy shows resilience. Within South Dakota, it ranks 57th of 66 counties. It scores lower than all 7 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. Haakon County's primary driver is Economic Vitality at 32.4 — above the national median.

Economic Vitality Primary driver 32.4
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 40
Rent-to-Income Ratio 21
Business Formation Rate 20
House Price Change (YoY) 54
Structural Poverty 30.7
Unemployment Rate 5
Poverty Rate 25
Income vs. State Median 67
Child Poverty Rate 23
Disability Rate 20
Transfer Income Dependency 25
Consumer Credit Distress 13.4
Debt in Collections 9
Medical Debt 7
Auto Loan Delinquency 18
Credit Card Delinquency 5
Uninsured Rate 69
Subprime Credit Population 5
Housing Cost Burden 12.6
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 7
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 21
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 6
Homeownership Rate 11
Legal Distress 11.2
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 11

Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed.

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Haakon County
Haakon County, SD 17.1 Healthy —
Dewey County, SD 58.2 Elevated +41.1
Jackson County, SD 51.3 Elevated +34.1
Ziebach County, SD 42.8 Normal +25.6
Pennington County, SD 42.7 Normal +25.5
Stanley County, SD 32.8 Healthy +15.7
Jones County, SD 26.1 Healthy +9.0
Meade County, SD 25.4 Healthy +8.3

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Haakon County
Cedar County, NE 17.3 Healthy +0.1
McHenry County, ND 17.0 Healthy -0.2
Stillwater County, MT 17.4 Healthy +0.2
Campbell County, SD 17.4 Healthy +0.2
Pembina County, ND 16.9 Healthy -0.3

Download Data

Export all distress indicators for Haakon County as a CSV file.

Find Help in Haakon County

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State Bar of South Dakota Lawyer Referral Service offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

State Bar of South Dakota Lawyer Referral Service 605-224-7554

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Haakon County residents at no cost.

East River Legal Services 1-800-952-3015
Dakota Plains Legal Services 1-800-658-2297

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Haakon County, South Dakota?

    Haakon County has a County Distress Index score of 17.1 out of 100, placing it in the Healthy zone. It ranks 3,115th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 57th in South Dakota out of 66 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Haakon County?

    The primary driver of distress in Haakon County is Economic Vitality, where the county scores 32.4 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Rent-to-Income Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Haakon County compare to neighboring counties?

    Haakon County (17.1) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Dewey County, SD (58.2); Jackson County, SD (51.3); Ziebach County, SD (42.8).

  • How is the County Distress Index calculated?

    The County Distress Index uses PCA-weighted percentile scoring across five statistically derived factors: Consumer Credit Distress (47.5%), Housing Cost Burden (22.3%), Structural Poverty (13.6%), Economic Vitality (9.2%), and Legal Distress (7.4%). Each county's indicators are ranked against all 3,144 U.S. counties. A score of 50 means the county is at the national median; higher scores indicate greater distress.

  • How often is the CDI updated?

    Annually, aligned to Census American Community Survey and Urban Institute Debt in America release windows — the slowest-moving source inputs. Between annual refreshes, faster-cadence indicators (BLS unemployment, QCEW wages) may drive light mid-year updates if a specific component moves meaningfully. Current data compiled April 14, 2026; next full refresh early 2027.

  • What does the Healthy zone mean?

    The CDI divides counties into five zones: Healthy (below 46), Normal (46–55), Elevated (55–71), Serious (71–86), and Crisis (86 and above). Haakon County's score of 17.1 sits in the Healthy zone (below 46).

  • What data sources power Haakon County's CDI score?

    Haakon County's CDI score draws on Urban Institute Debt in America (Equifax credit-bureau panel), U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates), Bureau of Labor Statistics (LAUS, QCEW), U.S. Courts Administrative Office (F-5A bankruptcy filings), and HUD Fair Market Rents. Every number on this page traces to one of these public sources.

  • What is the population of Haakon County?

    Haakon County, South Dakota has a population of approximately 1,851 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.