Editing Fort Thompson, South Dakota (section)

===Poverty===
With such high rates of poverty, unemployment, and other negative social indicators, the living conditions found in the town and county are often compared to a [[third world]] nation. Accounts of the town report rundown neighborhoods with old newspapers, tin foil, or old sheets covering windows of some homes. The latest census figures show that 21% of houses do not have a kitchen or plumbing. The housing stock is largely overcrowded, with cases of 15 to 20 people living in a modest house.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Peterson |first=Greg |date=Sep 20, 2007 |title="Crushing Poverty" - Humanitarian Day at Fort Thompson, SD Sept. 30, 2007 helps poorest Si |url=http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2007/09/365482.shtml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210124124825/http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2007/09/365482.shtml |archive-date=Jan 24, 2021 |website=portland independent media center}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Hetland |first=Cara |date=October 1, 2002 |title=South Dakota has nation's poorest county |url=http://news.minnesota.publicradio.org/features/200210/02_hetlandc_census-m |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221206145531/http://news.minnesota.publicradio.org/features/200210/02_hetlandc_census-m/ |archive-date=Dec 6, 2022 |website=Minnesota Public Radio}}</ref> 2000 census figures show that more than 21% of houses are overcrowded. A quarter of the residents do not have an automobile and have to walk or bicycle very long distances to work or services in the low density area.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.minnesota.publicradio.org/features/200210/02_hetlandc_census-m/|title=South Dakota has nation's poorest county|access-date=2023-08-06}}</ref>