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USDA eligibility map: South Dakota

About 99.8% of South Dakota's area is in USDA-eligible rural areas, by HeritageDeed's estimate from USDA Rural Development's published eligibility map, the 3rd highest share among the 50 states, DC and Puerto Rico. 62 of 66 counties have no ineligible area at all. 4 Census places in South Dakota lie mostly inside ineligible areas, including Sioux Falls city and Rapid City city.

99.8%
of the area is USDA eligible (estimate)
173
square miles mapped ineligible
62 of 66
counties with no ineligible area
4
Census places mostly ineligible

Check a South Dakota address

USDA eligible area by county

The share of each county's area that is USDA eligible, and the places (cities, towns and census-designated places) at least half inside ineligible areas. These are estimates; check any single property with the lookup.

USDA eligible share of area and mostly ineligible places by county in South Dakota
countyArea eligibleMostly ineligible places
Aurora County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Beadle County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Bennett County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Bon Homme County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Brookings County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Brown County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Brule County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Buffalo County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Butte County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Campbell County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Charles Mix County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Clark County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Clay County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Codington County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Corson County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Custer County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Davison County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Day County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Deuel County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Dewey County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Douglas County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Edmunds County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Fall River County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Faulk County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Grant County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Gregory County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Haakon County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Hamlin County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Hand County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Hanson County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Harding County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Hughes County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Hutchinson County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Hyde County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Jackson County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Jerauld County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Jones County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Kingsbury County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Lake County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Lawrence County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Lincoln County95.7%None mostly inside; part of the area is ineligible
Lyman County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Marshall County100%None: the whole county is eligible
McCook County100%None: the whole county is eligible
McPherson County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Meade County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Mellette County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Miner County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Minnehaha County89.2%Sioux Falls city, Brandon city, Pine Lakes Addition CDP
Moody County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Oglala Lakota County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Pennington County97.8%Rapid City city
Perkins County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Potter County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Roberts County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Sanborn County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Spink County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Stanley County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Sully County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Todd County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Tripp County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Turner County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Union County99.9%None mostly inside; part of the area is ineligible
Walworth County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Yankton County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Ziebach County100%None: the whole county is eligible

How USDA decides what is rural

The rural-area definition is section 520 of the Housing Act of 1949 (42 U.S.C. 1490): open country and places not part of or associated with an urban area with up to 2,500 people, up to 10,000 if rural in character, or up to 20,000 outside a metropolitan statistical area with a serious lack of mortgage credit for lower and moderate-income families. Areas that lost rural status in the 1990 to 2020 censuses stay rural until 2030 census data arrive if they have 10,000 to 35,000 people and meet the same conditions. Income is a separate test, applied to the household by the lender and USDA.

For other address-level designations in South Dakota, the free census tract lookup shows the income level and QCT and DDA status, and South Dakota has 25 designated Opportunity Zone tracts (Opportunity Zone lookup).

Questions

Is South Dakota eligible for USDA loans?

Much of it is. About 99.8% of the state's area is outside USDA's ineligible areas (173 of about 76,954 square miles are ineligible). 62 counties are entirely eligible. Most people live in the larger towns, which are often ineligible, so check the specific address.

Which South Dakota counties have the least USDA eligible area?

Minnehaha County (89.2% eligible), Lincoln County (95.7% eligible), Pennington County (97.8% eligible), Union County (99.9% eligible). The share is of land area, by HeritageDeed's estimate from USDA's map; eligibility is decided for each property.

Which South Dakota towns are not eligible for USDA loans?

Places USDA's map shows as mostly inside an ineligible area include Sioux Falls city and Rapid City city. The county table on this page lists every place that is mostly ineligible. Edges matter: part of a town, or land just outside it, can be on the other side of the line, so check the address.

How do I check a South Dakota address for USDA eligibility?

Enter the street address in the lookup on this page. It locates the address and checks it against USDA's published rural eligibility map. It is a screening: Rural Development makes the final determination on a complete application, and household income is a separate test (USDA's income eligibility tool).

When was the USDA eligibility map for South Dakota last updated?

The ineligible areas on USDA's map for South Dakota carry an effective date of July 25, 2023. USDA updates the map from ineligible-area changes sent in by its state offices. The statute keeps formerly rural areas of 10,000 to 35,000 people rural until data from the 2030 census arrive, if they still meet its conditions.

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Legal references

Areas are computed by HeritageDeed: estimates, not USDA figures. USDA's map is not a final determination; Rural Development decides on a complete application. HeritageDeed is not affiliated with USDA.

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