Minnehaha County, South Dakota
Near the national median for bankruptcy filing rate — and 15.0× the rate of the healthiest U.S. county (Glacier County, MT — 7).
Main Findings
Minnehaha County, South Dakota ranks 2,806th most distressed in the United States on the County Distress Index. Minnehaha sits near the national median across major distress indicators.
- 2,806th of 3,144 counties on the County Distress Index — Least distressed fifth, 19th in South Dakota.
- A bankruptcy filing rate of 110 (U.S. median 126). Bankruptcy filing rate at the 41st percentile nationally.
- Uninsured rate at 8% — national median 8%, ranked at the 50th percentile.
- Debt Burden (housing basis) domain score 33 — weight 20.0% of the CDI composite.
- Safety Net & Buffer domain score 21 — weight 20.0% of the CDI composite.
"Minnehaha County ranks in the least distressed fifth of U.S. counties. The CDI reading is a county comparison, separate from national ADI bands."
"The CDI places this county in the least distressed fifth nationally. The rank is a comparative geography measure across counties, not a national ADI band."
The Indicators Behind Minnehaha County's CDI Score
Every number traces to a public source. Minnehaha County's value shown alongside SD's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.
| Indicator | Minnehaha | SD median | U.S. median | Pctile | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delinquency — domain score 35 · Rank 2,069 of 3,144 | |||||
| Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due | 4% | 3% | 5% | 36th | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due | 4% | 4% | 5% | 31st | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 | 21% | 16% | 23% | 39th | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Default & Legal — domain score 37 · Rank 2,143 of 3,144 | |||||
| Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections | 18% | 13% | 23% | 33rd | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents | 110 | 57 | 126 | 41st | US Courts F-5A (2025) |
| Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 33 · Rank 2,321 of 3,144 | |||||
| Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income | 19% | 17% | 21% | 28th | HUD FMR × Census ACS (2024) |
| Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent | 16% | 12% | 18% | 38th | Census ACS 5-yr (2023) |
| Labor — domain score 2 · Rank 3,135 of 3,144 | |||||
| Unemployment Share of labor force unemployed | 2% | 2% | 4% | 2nd | BLS LAUS (Dec 2025) |
| Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 21 · Rank 2,716 of 3,144 | |||||
| Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line | 10% | 13% | 18% | 12th | Census SAIPE (2023) |
| Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability | 10% | 12% | 16% | 6th | Census ACS 5-yr (2023) |
| Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line | 10% | 11% | 14% | 18th | Census SAIPE (2023) |
| Transfer-income dependency Share of personal income from government transfers | 14% | 20% | 27% | 6th | BEA Regional Personal Income (2023) |
| Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage | 8% | 8% | 8% | 50th | Census ACS 5-yr (2023) |
Five-Domain Breakdown
The CDI is an equal-weight composite of five family-v1 distress domains. Each domain contributes 20% of the county score.
Methodology
The County Distress Index is a 0–100 composite score of household financial distress, computed for all 3,144 U.S. counties. Higher scores indicate greater distress. The index is built from five equal-weighted domains: Delinquency, Default & Legal, Debt Burden, Labor, and Safety Net & Buffer. Each domain is the mean of distress-oriented indicator percentiles; the CDI score is the equal-weight mean of those domain scores.
Data sources include the Urban Institute Debt in America (Equifax consumer credit panel), U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, Business Formation Statistics), Bureau of Labor Statistics (Local Area Unemployment Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages), U.S. Courts Administrative Office (F-5A bankruptcy filings), and HUD Fair Market Rents. Data vintages range from 2023 to 2025 depending on source; full indicator-level vintage detail is in the methodology document.
For Press & Research
Everything you need to cite Minnehaha County data — in under 60 seconds.
Draft wire copy 145-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — Minnehaha County ranks 2,806th among the nation's most financially distressed counties, according to the County Distress Index released this month by American Default Research.
The composite score of 26 out of 100 places Minnehaha in the least distressed fifth. Among 3,144 U.S. counties scored, 2,805 counties rank more distressed. Within South Dakota, Minnehaha ranks 19th of 66 counties.
The index, which draws on 16 source indicators from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Urban Institute and federal court filings, finds Minnehaha sitting near the national median across major distress indicators, with no single domain emerging as a clear driver.
"Minnehaha County ranks in the least distressed fifth of U.S. counties. The CDI reading is a county comparison, separate from national ADI bands," said Ross Kilburn, founder of American Default Research.
Full methodology and county-by-county data are available at americandefault.org/methodology/cdi.
Frequently Asked Questions
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