South Dakota earns a composite livability score of 55.9, placing it significantly ahead of the national median of 50.0. The state maintains this competitive ranking with consistent performance across all 66 of its counties.

High Environmental Safety and Affordability

The state excels in safety with a remarkable risk score of 73.2, indicating very low vulnerability to natural hazards. Residents also enjoy high levels of affordability, evidenced by a strong cost score of 62.9 and a healthy income score of 57.3.

Tax Burdens Impact Overall Scores

The state's primary challenge is its tax score of 34.1, which reflects a higher tax profile relative to other livability dimensions. However, a solid health score of 60.3 helps mitigate these costs and supports the state's overall quality of life.

Harding and Hand Lead the State

Harding County ranks first with a composite score of 74.8, powered by an elite cost score of 86.7. Hand County and Sully County follow closely with scores of 72.3 and 70.0, respectively, offering excellent balances of income and affordability.

A Secure Choice for Pragmatic Families

South Dakota is a premier destination for those prioritizing safety and economic stability over tax incentives. Its blend of high environmental security and strong income potential makes it an excellent fit for families seeking a resilient home base.

All County Rankings in South Dakota

Search, sort, and filter all 66 ranked counties

Showing 1–25 of 66 counties

Rank
1	Harding County	74.8	42.8	86.7	77	97.5	68	66.3	98.5	86	34.1	46	49.2
2	Hand County	72.3	45	79.3	71.5	92	74.4	60.3	93.6	86	40.2	66.5	58.9
3	Sully County	70	48.6	48.8	67.2	93.3	86.9	70	93.7	86	35.1	64.7	55.3
4	Grant County	68.9	48.8	67.3	75.2	97.5	73.9	53.4	81.1	44.5	40.5	63.5	58.8
5	Faulk County	68.8	56.4	78.5	32.8	91.7	63.1	52.3	92.1	86	36.7	67.4	56.2
6	Miner County	68	30.6	86.3	72.9	89.6	70.4	53.6	96.6	22.5	47	73.9	61.8
7	Deuel County	67.3	51.5	73.3	83.4	81.4	74.5	50.3	93.2	19.4	47.6	64.6	60.5
8	Jackson County	66.7	N/A	92	0	97.5	8.9	68.8	89.9	86	31.9		39
9	Kingsbury County	66.5	38.4	67.7	67.1	85.5	76.7	50.4	92.2	86	46.8	68	59.6
10	Perkins County	66.3	19.8	80.9	55.8	90.7	72.7	52.2	97.4	86	34.1	56	51.1
11	Potter County	66.2	18.3	61.4	70.7	91.2	83	64.1	90	86	38.1	65.6	55.7
12	Buffalo County	65.9	54.9	99.3	9.4	97.5	9.6	N/A	86.3	N/A	36.4		52.6
13	Jerauld County	65.9	41.4	81.6	77.9	89.5	80.7	13.9	90.5	86	38.4	69.3	55.3
14	Hutchinson County	65.7	30	73.6	76.4	93.5	75.5	56.6	52.1	28.5	41.5		46.2
15	Haakon County	65.5	49.2	81.9	36.5	97.5	73.9	29.1	90.3	13.4	31.9	40.8	46.5
16	Oglala Lakota County	65.4	91.6	98.5	0.9	97.5	7.5	42	50.2	N/A	33		33.4
17	Marshall County	64.5	44.7	70.9	72.5	88.3	75.4	24.5	85.6	86	44.5	64.7	59.9
18	Ziebach County	63.9	75.9	80.2	9.9	97.5	12.8	52.8	74.8	86	35.3	43.5	53.6
19	Clark County	63	39.5	73.3	47.9	90.5	78.1	16.4	95.5	86	45.9	65.7	57.1
20	Campbell County	62.9	15.5	83.8	54.5	91.9	69.2	45.9	95.6	17.8	36.5	60.5	53.1
21	Edmunds County	62.8	47.9	45.9	80.4	93.8	75.8	41	93.1	38.8	41.5	68	56
22	Hanson County	62.2	36.4	58.7	89.7	97.5	76.7	28.3	85.2	25.3	35.8		45.1
23	Bon Homme County	61.9	23.5	78.8	43	93.9	66.7	40.8	89.2	27.2	40.1	65.2	48.5
24	Gregory County	61.9	31	90.7	19.6	86.5	37.8	53.6	83.9	86	39.5	48.2	46
25	Sanborn County	61.6	22.5	72.3	66.1	90.7	68.5	29.8	96.5	86	36.5	56.6	52.3

Harding County

42.886.77797.56866.398.58634.14649.2N/A

74.8

Hand County

4579.371.59274.460.393.68640.266.558.9N/A

72.3

Sully County

48.648.867.293.386.97093.78635.164.755.3N/A

Grant County

48.867.375.297.573.953.481.144.540.563.558.8N/A

68.9

Faulk County

56.478.532.891.763.152.392.18636.767.456.2N/A

68.8

Miner County

30.686.372.989.670.453.696.622.54773.961.8N/A

Deuel County

51.573.383.481.474.550.393.219.447.664.660.5N/A

67.3

Jackson County

N/A92097.58.968.889.98631.9N/A39N/A

66.7

Kingsbury County

38.467.767.185.576.750.492.28646.86859.6N/A

66.5

Perkins County

19.880.955.890.772.752.297.48634.15651.1N/A

66.3

Potter County

18.361.470.791.28364.1908638.165.655.7N/A

66.2

Buffalo County

54.999.39.497.59.6N/A86.3N/A36.4N/A52.6N/A

65.9

Jerauld County

41.481.677.989.580.713.990.58638.469.355.3N/A

65.9

Hutchinson County

3073.676.493.575.556.652.128.541.5N/A46.2N/A

65.7

Haakon County

49.281.936.597.573.929.190.313.431.940.846.5N/A

65.5

Oglala Lakota County

91.698.50.997.57.54250.2N/A33N/A33.4N/A

65.4

Marshall County

44.770.972.588.375.424.585.68644.564.759.9N/A

64.5

Ziebach County

75.980.29.997.512.852.874.88635.343.553.6N/A

63.9

Clark County

39.573.347.990.578.116.495.58645.965.757.1N/A

Campbell County

15.583.854.591.969.245.995.617.836.560.553.1N/A

62.9

Edmunds County

47.945.980.493.875.84193.138.841.56856N/A

62.8

Hanson County

36.458.789.797.576.728.385.225.335.8N/A45.1N/A

62.2

Bon Homme County

23.578.84393.966.740.889.227.240.165.248.5N/A

61.9

Gregory County

3190.719.686.537.853.683.98639.548.246N/A

61.9

Sanborn County

22.572.366.190.768.529.896.58636.556.652.3N/A

61.6

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Frequently Asked Questions about Counties in South Dakota

Common questions about county rankings and scores in South Dakota.

What is the best county in South Dakota?

Harding County is the top-ranked county in South Dakota with a CountyScore of 74.8/100. It leads the state across the available scoring dimensions, which include Property Tax, Cost of Living, Income & Jobs, Safety, Health, Schools, Disaster Risk, Water Quality, Weather & Climate, Soil Quality, Lawn Care, Farmers Markets.

How many counties are ranked in South Dakota?

South Dakota has 66 counties in total. Of those, 66 have been ranked with a composite score based on available data dimensions. The remaining 0 counties do not yet have enough data for a full score.

What factors determine a county's score?

Each county is scored 0–100 across up to eight data dimensions: Property Tax, Cost of Living, Income & Jobs, Safety, Health, Schools, Disaster Risk, and Water Quality. The composite score is a weighted average of whichever dimensions have data. Currently available dimensions are: Property Tax, Cost of Living, Income & Jobs, Safety, Health, Schools, Disaster Risk, Water Quality, Weather & Climate, Soil Quality, Lawn Care, Farmers Markets. Higher scores are always better — a score of 100 represents the best possible performance for that dimension.

What is the average county score in South Dakota?

The average composite CountyScore across all ranked counties in South Dakota is 56/100. The national average is 50/100, so South Dakota counties score 6 points above the national average.

How does South Dakota compare to other states?

South Dakota's average county score of 56/100 is 6 points above the national average of 50/100. You can compare South Dakota counties to counties in any other state using the county detail pages or the CountyScore compare tool.

Explore County Data by Category

Dive deeper into specific dimensions for counties in South Dakota.

TaxByCountyEffective property tax rate vs national benchmarks CostByCountyMedian rent, home values, and housing affordability IncomeByCountyMedian household income and per capita earnings CrimeByCountyViolent and property crime rates per 100K residents HealthByCountyLife expectancy, uninsured rates, and health access SchoolsByCountyGraduation rates, per-pupil spending, and attainment RiskByCountyFEMA National Risk Index — flood, fire, tornado, and more WaterByCountyEPA drinking water health violations and safety grades WeatherByCountyAverage temperatures, precipitation, and extreme weather events SoilByCountySoil composition, pH, drainage, and organic matter content LawnByCountyLawn difficulty score based on climate, soil, and grass suitability MarketsByCountyLocal market density, SNAP/EBT acceptance, and product variety

Data: U.S. Census Bureau ACS, FBI UCR, CDC, FEMA NRI, NCES, EPA SDWIS, 2019–2023 ACS — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.

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Understanding County Scores in South Dakota

South Dakota Outperforms the National Average