South Dakota has seven counties among the 30 with the highest overall poverty rates. However, greater suburban Sioux Falls in Lincoln County has the ninth-lowest poverty rate in the nation, a mere 4.2%. Median household income in Lincoln County is $72,894, almost four times the median in Buffalo County.
Child poverty in Lincoln County is a mere 5.4%, compared with 76.7% in Ziebach County. As this PDF map of South Dakota school districts shows, we have a concentration of white districts (o.k., pale green) around Sioux Falls with exceptionally low child poverty rates, below 9%.
Add those extremes, and South Dakota comes out right in the middle, with a 14.2% poverty rate among all ages, just below the national average of 14.3%. We rank 27th among the states and D.C. New Hampshire, Alaska, Maryland, Connecticut, and New Jersey are best off, with poverty below 10%. West Virginia, New Mexico, Kentucky, Arkansas, and Mississippi have the most poverty, with Mississippi the only state cracking 20% (21.8%, to be exact).
We are similarly middling in child poverty: our state rate of 18.9% of all kids (i.e., under 18) in poverty ranks us 26th nationally, under the national average of 20.0%. But being a little above average still means nearly 111,000 of our neighbors, including 37,000 of our kids, are in poverty.
Table 1: Poverty and Income in the United States Source: U.S. Census Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2009 | |||||
State and County | People in Poverty | % in Poverty | Kids (Under 18) in Poverty | % Under 18 in Poverty | Median Income |
United States | 42,868,163 | 14.3 | 14,656,962 | 20 | 50,221 |
Alabama | 805,223 | 17.5 | 274,243 | 24.6 | 40,547 |
Alaska | 61,949 | 9.1 | 22,221 | 12.3 | 66,712 |
Arizona | 1,065,728 | 16.5 | 396,006 | 23.3 | 48,711 |
Arkansas | 519,026 | 18.5 | 185,268 | 26.6 | 37,888 |
California | 5,132,640 | 14.2 | 1,846,994 | 19.9 | 58,925 |
Colorado | 618,676 | 12.6 | 201,208 | 16.6 | 55,735 |
Connecticut | 318,008 | 9.3 | 95,570 | 12 | 66,906 |
Delaware | 96,409 | 11.2 | 33,851 | 16.7 | 56,985 |
Dist. Columbia | 100,489 | 17.6 | 32,621 | 29 | 58,906 |
Florida | 2,712,692 | 15 | 857,326 | 21.5 | 44,755 |
Georgia | 1,585,116 | 16.6 | 575,429 | 22.7 | 47,469 |
Hawaii | 131,896 | 10.4 | 39,214 | 13.7 | 63,741 |
Idaho | 217,528 | 14.4 | 76,630 | 18.5 | 44,644 |
Illinois | 1,671,343 | 13.3 | 586,040 | 18.7 | 53,974 |
Indiana | 895,619 | 14.4 | 310,140 | 19.9 | 45,427 |
Iowa | 342,309 | 11.8 | 109,384 | 15.6 | 48,065 |
Kansas | 359,692 | 13.2 | 118,187 | 17.1 | 47,709 |
Kentucky | 771,876 | 18.4 | 251,684 | 25.3 | 40,061 |
Louisiana | 769,001 | 17.6 | 274,805 | 24.8 | 42,460 |
Maine | 161,504 | 12.6 | 46,349 | 17.5 | 45,708 |
Maryland | 509,141 | 9.2 | 157,164 | 11.8 | 69,193 |
Massachusetts | 658,497 | 10.3 | 187,931 | 13.3 | 64,057 |
Michigan | 1,565,559 | 16.1 | 513,550 | 22.2 | 45,254 |
Minnesota | 558,118 | 10.9 | 172,134 | 13.9 | 55,621 |
Mississippi | 620,446 | 21.8 | 230,409 | 30.7 | 36,764 |
Missouri | 850,316 | 14.6 | 291,359 | 20.7 | 45,149 |
Montana | 142,257 | 15 | 44,840 | 20.9 | 42,222 |
Nebraska | 212,312 | 12.2 | 67,346 | 15.3 | 47,470 |
Nevada | 323,738 | 12.4 | 117,742 | 17.6 | 53,310 |
New Hampshire | 110,769 | 8.6 | 31,278 | 11 | 60,734 |
New Jersey | 798,258 | 9.4 | 269,659 | 13.3 | 68,444 |
New Mexico | 359,030 | 18.2 | 129,552 | 25.8 | 42,830 |
New York | 2,708,119 | 14.2 | 878,114 | 20.2 | 54,554 |
North Carolina | 1,475,063 | 16.2 | 503,713 | 22.5 | 43,754 |
North Dakota | 72,911 | 11.7 | 20,022 | 14.1 | 47,898 |
Ohio | 1,699,288 | 15.1 | 577,026 | 21.6 | 45,467 |
Oklahoma | 575,711 | 16.1 | 199,277 | 22.1 | 41,716 |
Oregon | 536,813 | 14.3 | 166,073 | 19.4 | 48,325 |
Pennsylvania | 1,517,347 | 12.5 | 466,423 | 17.1 | 49,501 |
Rhode Island | 122,379 | 12 | 39,988 | 17.9 | 53,243 |
South Carolina | 753,286 | 17.1 | 258,848 | 24.4 | 42,580 |
South Dakota | 110,863 | 14.2 | 36,884 | 18.9 | 45,048 |
Tennessee | 1,055,635 | 17.2 | 352,943 | 24 | 41,715 |
Texas | 4,143,077 | 17.1 | 1,655,085 | 24.3 | 48,286 |
Utah | 321,441 | 11.7 | 110,852 | 12.9 | 55,183 |
Vermont | 69,137 | 11.5 | 17,371 | 14 | 51,219 |
Virginia | 805,555 | 10.6 | 255,156 | 14 | 59,372 |
Washington | 803,266 | 12.3 | 249,767 | 16.2 | 56,479 |
West Virginia | 316,155 | 17.8 | 91,059 | 24.1 | 37,423 |
Wisconsin | 682,973 | 12.4 | 215,052 | 16.7 | 49,994 |
Wyoming | 53,974 | 10.2 | 17,176 | 13.2 | 54,400 |
Breaking it down by county, my home county of Lake comes out 18th for median household income at $45,322, not quite $300 above the statewide median, and a few thousand above my own. Lake County's poverty rates for all residents and for kids are about the same, a tick or two above 12%.
1074 counties in the United States have higher median household incomes than our fair Lake County. 2101 counties have lower median household incomes than we do. Not bad!
Table 2: Poverty and income in South Dakota, by County. Source: U.S. Census Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2009 | |||||
Place | People in Poverty | % in Poverty | Kids (under 18) in Poverty | % Kids in Poverty | Median Income |
South Dakota | 110,863 | 14.2 | 36,884 | 18.9 | 45,048 |
Aurora | 348 | 13 | 127 | 19.7 | 40,900 |
Beadle | 2,138 | 13.5 | 719 | 19 | 42,348 |
Bennett | 1,242 | 37.8 | 530 | 49 | 32,137 |
Bon Homme | 864 | 15.5 | 196 | 15.9 | 39,485 |
Brookings | 3,942 | 14.7 | 574 | 10.3 | 46,733 |
Brown | 3,455 | 10.2 | 944 | 12.1 | 47,378 |
Brule | 739 | 14.6 | 256 | 20 | 40,113 |
Buffalo | 893 | 43.6 | 405 | 51.5 | 18,860 |
Butte | 1,343 | 14.2 | 488 | 20.6 | 38,015 |
Campbell | 162 | 12 | 31 | 12.9 | 39,048 |
Charles Mix | 2,137 | 24.3 | 954 | 36.2 | 33,135 |
Clark | 428 | 12.7 | 141 | 18.6 | 40,806 |
Clay | 2,573 | 23.1 | 441 | 19.5 | 38,421 |
Codington | 2,952 | 11.4 | 856 | 13.3 | 44,548 |
Corson | 1,578 | 39 | 691 | 52.6 | 26,426 |
Custer | 830 | 10.9 | 271 | 18.6 | 46,441 |
Davison | 2,384 | 13.1 | 670 | 15.4 | 41,441 |
Day | 848 | 15.9 | 275 | 22.2 | 36,702 |
Deuel | 403 | 9.6 | 132 | 13.3 | 43,678 |
Dewey | 1,834 | 31.2 | 849 | 40.9 | 29,804 |
Douglas | 355 | 12.6 | 108 | 16.8 | 41,049 |
Edmunds | 463 | 12.2 | 127 | 13.7 | 46,490 |
Fall River | 1,264 | 18.6 | 367 | 27.8 | 34,464 |
Faulk | 282 | 13 | 72 | 15.1 | 43,600 |
Grant | 744 | 10.7 | 192 | 12.2 | 42,559 |
Gregory | 796 | 20.3 | 252 | 30 | 31,580 |
Haakon | 233 | 13.5 | 72 | 18.3 | 40,447 |
Hamlin | 623 | 10.9 | 241 | 14.3 | 46,444 |
Hand | 377 | 11.9 | 109 | 15.7 | 42,791 |
Hanson | 287 | 8.1 | 124 | 12.4 | 53,377 |
Harding | 169 | 15.6 | 46 | 20.5 | 39,496 |
Hughes | 1,835 | 11.4 | 562 | 14.4 | 56,239 |
Hutchinson | 851 | 12.5 | 270 | 16.4 | 39,880 |
Hyde | 186 | 13.7 | 59 | 18.8 | 40,674 |
Jackson | 947 | 36.1 | 447 | 52.7 | 30,375 |
Jerauld | 305 | 16 | 79 | 20.4 | 39,786 |
Jones | 170 | 16.4 | 71 | 28.6 | 38,843 |
Kingsbury | 573 | 11.2 | 140 | 12.6 | 41,629 |
Lake | 1,390 | 12.2 | 294 | 12.1 | 45,322 |
Lawrence | 3,355 | 15 | 800 | 17.6 | 41,227 |
Lincoln | 1,704 | 4.2 | 641 | 5.4 | 72,894 |
Lyman | 921 | 23.8 | 383 | 32.8 | 34,318 |
McCook | 533 | 9.8 | 167 | 11.6 | 45,730 |
McPherson | 430 | 18.1 | 107 | 22.1 | 31,945 |
Marshall | 547 | 13.5 | 178 | 18.3 | 39,303 |
Meade | 3,001 | 12.9 | 921 | 16.6 | 44,568 |
Mellette | 757 | 38.2 | 332 | 52.7 | 27,455 |
Miner | 295 | 12.5 | 87 | 15.5 | 38,370 |
Minnehaha | 18,519 | 10.5 | 5,642 | 13.1 | 48,443 |
Moody | 609 | 9.7 | 204 | 13 | 47,045 |
Pennington | 13,863 | 14.1 | 5,013 | 20.4 | 46,972 |
Perkins | 490 | 17.4 | 139 | 22.9 | 33,755 |
Potter | 259 | 13 | 75 | 19.4 | 43,348 |
Roberts | 2,008 | 20.6 | 795 | 29 | 36,718 |
Sanborn | 333 | 13.9 | 103 | 18.6 | 41,364 |
Shannon | 6,977 | 51.6 | 3,090 | 57.2 | 25,048 |
Spink | 743 | 12.3 | 214 | 14.3 | 43,905 |
Stanley | 270 | 9.7 | 107 | 15.5 | 51,185 |
Sully | 146 | 10.9 | 39 | 11.3 | 48,816 |
Todd | 4,491 | 45.3 | 2,191 | 57.1 | 24,742 |
Tripp | 1,107 | 20.4 | 400 | 30.1 | 38,887 |
Turner | 739 | 9.2 | 203 | 10.9 | 47,749 |
Union | 889 | 6.2 | 290 | 8.1 | 58,785 |
Walworth | 867 | 17.2 | 275 | 24.2 | 36,704 |
Yankton | 2,484 | 12.3 | 711 | 14.5 | 46,028 |
Ziebach | 1,582 | 62 | 593 | 76.7 | 25,084 |
Thanks for posting this. Eye opening.
ReplyDeleteip posted this recently at Intelligent Discontent and at a myriad other places:
ReplyDelete"The reading of the Declaration of Independence by members of the reporting staff at NPR gets me every time. Past on-air personalities, some now correspondents at the pearly gates, also read for this decades-old feature. The tears stream down my face right up to the line that begins, ” He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavored to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare…”
That’s when it hits me right between the eyes.
When those words were being written, thousands of cultures inhabited a continent that seemed to keep growing huge ripe plums just waiting for Madison, Jefferson, Hamilton and the rest to pick and pick and pick and pick. Already, the Chesapeake Bay estuary had been mostly denuded of native vegetation, not to mention of its former human inhabitants. Slaves tilled the fields and built the infrastructure, the ancestors of the Lakota and other Siouan groups that had been forced westward out of North Carolina generations earlier, traded with the Spanish and French while forging their own alliances (and marriages) with other indigenous peoples.
So, we’ve come a long way, init?
Maybe it’s time to consider a radical alternative to reservations land-locked within South Dakota, Montana, and other States. Political manifestations on tribal lands are becoming more organized as frustrations mount with legislative bodies paralyzed by entrenched racism and dwindling federal appropriations to State and local governments.
Broken treaties reek of American exceptionalism.
While the Palestinian homeland looks like holes in the slice of Swiss cheese analogous to the illegal Israeli state, progress toward resolutions of Native trust disputes would have far more political traction after tribes secede from the States in which they reside and then be ratified to form one State sans contiguous borders with two Senators and a House member.
The United States Constitution is the finest instrument ever created by the human hand. The Preamble is the body, the Bill of Rights is the neck, the Amendments are the strings. It is a fluid universal execution of human and civil rights.
It’s time for all Americans to enjoy the protection of law by being part of one nation: erase the artificial borders and grant Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness to all the people of North America…Mexico, Central America, Canada, even the Caribbean if they’ll have us.
ip is not a New World Order guy, does not support the North American Union (god bless you. please, mr. roddenberry) and believes that the US Constitution is a big enough canvas in order to paint a more perfect masterpiece, a big enough score for all to sing. No violence. No more drug wars.
Read Alaska’s constitution. The last states ratified are the most egalitarian. Let’s debate it and draft a dream referendum to be delivered by and for the people of Mexico to dissolve their constitution and petition for Statehood."