South Dakota natural disaster risk
South Dakota ranks #4 of 51 from the lowest population-weighted county-score mean in our state comparison. Its highest hazard-score means are winter weather, hail, wildfire.
RelocateMath computes these state means by weighting FEMA county scores by population. A mean of county percentiles is not a national state percentile or an official FEMA state rating.
The vertical line marks county-score scale midpoint (50).
Find your county's risk in South Dakota
All 66 county rows with a FEMA score are available below, initially ordered by population.
| County | Population | Risk score | FEMA rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minnehaha County | 203,289 | 89.5 | Relatively Moderate |
| Pennington County | 113,512 | 78.6 | Relatively Low |
| Lincoln County | 70,638 | 63.0 | Relatively Low |
| Brown County | 37,877 | 73.5 | Relatively Low |
| Brookings County | 35,353 | 50.1 | Relatively Low |
| Meade County | 30,546 | 49.5 | Relatively Low |
| Codington County | 28,767 | 61.8 | Relatively Low |
| Lawrence County | 27,233 | 49.3 | Relatively Low |
| Yankton County | 23,414 | 63.4 | Relatively Low |
| Davison County | 19,952 | 39.2 | Very Low |
| Beadle County | 19,309 | 47.1 | Relatively Low |
| Hughes County | 17,664 | 16.5 | Very Low |
| Union County | 17,081 | 37.1 | Very Low |
| Clay County | 15,219 | 20.5 | Very Low |
| Oglala Lakota County | 13,491 | 49.8 | Relatively Low |
| Lake County | 10,972 | 32.6 | Very Low |
| Butte County | 10,676 | 23.3 | Very Low |
| Roberts County | 10,221 | 37.8 | Very Low |
| Charles Mix County | 9,281 | 48.5 | Relatively Low |
| Todd County | 9,244 | 36.6 | Very Low |
| Custer County | 8,892 | 16.3 | Very Low |
| Turner County | 8,882 | 24.0 | Very Low |
| Grant County | 7,563 | 18.9 | Very Low |
| Hutchinson County | 7,404 | 47.9 | Relatively Low |
| Fall River County | 7,258 | 30.9 | Very Low |
| Bon Homme County | 7,044 | 10.8 | Very Low |
| Moody County | 6,397 | 26.9 | Very Low |
| Hamlin County | 6,373 | 10.0 | Very Low |
| Spink County | 6,219 | 17.7 | Very Low |
| McCook County | 5,751 | 43.4 | Relatively Low |
| Tripp County | 5,611 | 36.5 | Very Low |
| Day County | 5,437 | 27.6 | Very Low |
| Brule County | 5,283 | 58.7 | Relatively Low |
| Walworth County | 5,271 | 39.5 | Very Low |
| Kingsbury County | 5,244 | 7.9 | Very Low |
| Dewey County | 5,205 | 78.7 | Relatively Low |
| Marshall County | 4,344 | 14.5 | Very Low |
| Deuel County | 4,328 | 6.9 | Very Low |
| Edmunds County | 4,048 | 7.0 | Very Low |
| Gregory County | 4,016 | 16.2 | Very Low |
| Clark County | 3,917 | 4.5 | Very Low |
| Corson County | 3,806 | 38.1 | Very Low |
| Lyman County | 3,724 | 26.5 | Very Low |
| Hanson County | 3,472 | 14.8 | Very Low |
| Bennett County | 3,345 | 5.9 | Very Low |
| Hand County | 3,140 | 6.5 | Very Low |
| Stanley County | 3,015 | 5.1 | Very Low |
| Perkins County | 3,001 | 2.6 | Very Low |
| Douglas County | 2,828 | 10.4 | Very Low |
| Jackson County | 2,802 | 10.2 | Very Low |
| Aurora County | 2,642 | 19.6 | Very Low |
| Potter County | 2,388 | 10.0 | Very Low |
| Sanborn County | 2,384 | 3.6 | Very Low |
| Ziebach County | 2,377 | 25.2 | Very Low |
| Miner County | 2,300 | 3.4 | Very Low |
| McPherson County | 2,145 | 11.1 | Very Low |
| Faulk County | 2,126 | 8.0 | Very Low |
| Mellette County | 1,943 | 5.2 | Very Low |
| Buffalo County | 1,808 | 13.7 | Very Low |
| Jerauld County | 1,772 | 9.5 | Very Low |
| Haakon County | 1,722 | 9.7 | Very Low |
| Campbell County | 1,593 | 4.4 | Very Low |
| Sully County | 1,526 | 6.3 | Very Low |
| Hyde County | 1,191 | 6.5 | Very Low |
| Harding County | 1,148 | 1.5 | Very Low |
| Jones County | 1,004 | 1.3 | Very Low |
The county rows show FEMA's own county percentile scores and rating categories; the state figures above are our weighted means. County data cannot establish a property's safety. Expected loss is modeled annual loss per resident, not a premium quote. The insurance figure is what owners with a mortgage reported paying in 2024 (Census American Community Survey), not a current quote. For a specific home, check the address on FEMA's flood map and get insurance quotes before you commit. Our guide explains how to check natural disaster risk before you move.
Lowest FEMA county risk scores in South Dakota
- Lawrence County 49.3
- Meade County 49.5
- Brookings County 50.1
- Codington County 61.8
- Lincoln County 63.0
- Yankton County 63.4
- Brown County 73.5
- Pennington County 78.6
Cities in South Dakota
- Sioux Falls, SD county-score mean 77.9
Frequently asked questions
Is South Dakota safe from natural disasters?
South Dakota's population-weighted county-score mean is 56.6 out of 100 (midrange county-score mean), #4 of 51 from the lowest mean in our state comparison. A state average cannot show whether an individual home is safe. No residents in this dataset live in counties FEMA rates relatively high or very high.
What natural disasters happen in South Dakota?
The highest population-weighted county hazard-score means in South Dakota are winter weather, hail, wildfire (means 86, 77, 75 on the 0–100 county-score scale). These are not national state percentiles.
Which counties have the lowest modeled risk scores in South Dakota?
Among counties with at least 20,000 people, the lowest FEMA county risk scores are in Lawrence County, Meade County, Brookings County. Conditions vary within each county; check an individual address separately.