AreaProfile

South Dakota Area Profiles

13 published city profiles across South Dakota, each built from the same authoritative sources and compared on the same terms.

Find places in South Dakota that fit you →

Statewide signals

OpportunityTop 36% of 51 states measured56
GrowthTop 22% of 51 states measured63
Housing affordabilityTop 2% of 51 states measured82
Climate38th of 51 states measured55
Physical resilienceTop 38% of 51 states measured61
Access46th of 51 states measured0
Economic stabilityTop 36% of 51 states measured63

Cities

13 published profiles across 11 areas

Sioux Falls, SD-MN

2 cities

CityCountyPopulationArea Score
Sioux FallsMinnehaha County201,46968
BrandonMinnehaha County10,99677

Rapid City, SD

2 cities

CityCountyPopulationArea Score
Rapid CityPennington County77,94653
Box ElderMeade County12,90257

Aberdeen, SD

1 city

CityCountyPopulationArea Score
AberdeenBrown County28,18955

Brookings, SD

1 city

CityCountyPopulationArea Score
BrookingsBrookings County23,94863

Watertown, SD

1 city

CityCountyPopulationArea Score
WatertownCodington County23,04467

Mitchell, SD

1 city

CityCountyPopulationArea Score
MitchellDavison County15,64961

Yankton, SD

1 city

CityCountyPopulationArea Score
YanktonYankton County15,54061

Huron, SD

1 city

CityCountyPopulationArea Score
HuronBeadle County14,38546

Pierre, SD

1 city

CityCountyPopulationArea Score
PierreHughes County13,94853

Spearfish, SD

1 city

CityCountyPopulationArea Score
SpearfishLawrence County12,93058

Vermillion, SD

1 city

CityCountyPopulationArea Score
VermillionClay County11,87858

Strongest opportunity

  1. Brandon 78
  2. Sioux Falls 73
  3. Spearfish 72
  4. Brookings 69
  5. Watertown 65

Fastest development

  1. Watertown 79
  2. Spearfish 75
  3. Sioux Falls 73
  4. Brandon 70
  5. Brookings 67

Statewide physical risk

Winter weatherModerate
HailModerate
WildfireElevated
TornadoModerate
Inland floodingModerate
Strong windModerate
Heat waveModerate

Low or minimal exposure: cold wave, ice storm, drought, landslide, lightning, earthquake, avalanche, coastal flooding, tsunami, volcanic activity, hurricane.

Population-weighted across every county in South Dakota, derived from the FEMA National Risk Index. Exposure varies substantially within a state — check the individual city and ZIP profiles.

Statewide data

MetricValueCompared nationallySource period
Broadband access ±0.4%2024 ACS 5-Year89.6%Bottom 31%of 522024 ACS 5-Year
Distance to major airportNASR current cycle142 miBottom 6%of 51NASR current cycle
Major airports within 100 milesNASR current cycle0Bottom 1%of 51NASR current cycle
No internet access ±0.3%2024 ACS 5-Year7.4%Bottom 33%of 522024 ACS 5-Year
Annual precipitation1991-2020 Normals20.2"28th percentileof 511991-2020 Normals
Annual snowfall1991-2020 Normals37.2"74th percentileof 201991-2020 Normals
Average January low1991-2020 Normals9°F16th percentileof 511991-2020 Normals
Average July high1991-2020 Normals88°F64th percentileof 511991-2020 Normals
Comfortable months1991-2020 Normals5Bottom 22%of 511991-2020 Normals
Seasonal temperature swing1991-2020 Normals56°F94th percentileof 511991-2020 Normals
Average household size ±0.012024 ACS 5-Year2.3920th percentileof 522024 ACS 5-Year
Households ±1,7282024 ACS 5-Year365,54410th percentileof 522024 ACS 5-Year
Median age ±0.22024 ACS 5-Year38.024th percentileof 522024 ACS 5-Year
Population2024 ACS 5-Year907,42810th percentileof 522024 ACS 5-Year
Population change (1 year)July 1, 2024 estimate+0.7%Bottom 46%of 51July 1, 2024 estimate
Population change (4 years)July 1, 2024 estimate+4.1%Top 26%of 51July 1, 2024 estimate
Population density2024 ACS 5-Year12/sq mi8th percentileof 522024 ACS 5-Year
Population estimateJuly 1, 2024 estimate924,66910th percentileof 51July 1, 2024 estimate
Average permitted value per unit12 months ending July 2026$251,94438th percentileof 5112 months ending July 2026
Housing units permitted (12 months)12 months ending July 20266,051Bottom 20%of 5112 months ending July 2026
Multifamily share of permits12 months ending July 202640.1%70th percentileof 5112 months ending July 2026
Permit change (3 years)12 months ending July 2026−9.8%Bottom 26%of 5112 months ending July 2026
Permit change (year over year)12 months ending July 2026+1.7%Bottom 48%of 5112 months ending July 2026
Permits per 1,000 residents12 months ending July 20266.7Top 10%of 5112 months ending July 2026
Cost of living index202388.1Top 4%of 512023
Home price change (1 year)2026 Q2+2.2%20th percentileof 512026 Q2
Home price change (5 years)2026 Q2+41.1%36th percentileof 512026 Q2
Home price change (10 years)2026 Q2+90.2%48th percentileof 512026 Q2
Home price to income ±0.02024 ACS 5-Year2.8Top 33%of 522024 ACS 5-Year
Homeownership rate ±0.5%2024 ACS 5-Year68.6%65th percentileof 522024 ACS 5-Year
Housing units ±4222024 ACS 5-Year408,58410th percentileof 522024 ACS 5-Year
Median gross rent ±$112024 ACS 5-Year$946Top 4%of 522024 ACS 5-Year
Median home value ±$3,0512024 ACS 5-Year$257,40035th percentileof 522024 ACS 5-Year
Median property taxes ±$282024 ACS 5-Year$2,72449th percentileof 522024 ACS 5-Year
Owner household income ±$1,1582024 ACS 5-Year$92,702Bottom 45%of 522024 ACS 5-Year
Property tax rate ±0.02%2024 ACS 5-Year1.06%67th percentileof 522024 ACS 5-Year
Rent as a share of income ±0.6%2024 ACS 5-Year25.9%Top 2%of 522024 ACS 5-Year
Seasonal and second homes ±8262024 ACS 5-Year13,1986th percentileof 522024 ACS 5-Year
Second homes2024 ACS 5-Year3.2%49th percentileof 522024 ACS 5-Year
Vacancy rate2024 ACS 5-Year7.3%59th percentileof 522024 ACS 5-Year
Vacant housing units ±1,5372024 ACS 5-Year43,0404th percentileof 522024 ACS 5-Year
Median household income ±$8882024 ACS 5-Year$75,081Bottom 41%of 522024 ACS 5-Year
Per capita income ±$5202024 ACS 5-Year$40,550Bottom 27%of 522024 ACS 5-Year
Poverty rate ±0.5%2024 ACS 5-Year11.1%Top 47%of 522024 ACS 5-Year
Average commute ±0.2 min2024 ACS 5-Year19.0 minTop 1%of 522024 ACS 5-Year
Bachelor's degree or higher ±0.6%2024 ACS 5-Year31.9%Bottom 33%of 522024 ACS 5-Year
Drove alone to work ±0.5%2024 ACS 5-Year77.0%84th percentileof 522024 ACS 5-Year
EmploymentAugust 2026476,793Bottom 10%of 51August 2026
Employment change (3 years)August 2026+0.3%Top 48%of 51August 2026
Employment change (year over year)August 2026−1.9%Bottom 26%of 51August 2026
Labor forceAugust 2026487,39110th percentileof 51August 2026
Labor force participation ±0.4%2024 ACS 5-Year83.2%Top 10%of 522024 ACS 5-Year
Public transit to work ±0.1%2024 ACS 5-Year0.5%20th percentileof 522024 ACS 5-Year
Unemployment change (year over year)August 20260.0%Bottom 42%of 51August 2026
Unemployment rateAugust 20262.2%Top 1%of 51August 2026
Worked from home ±0.3%2024 ACS 5-Year9.7%20th percentileof 522024 ACS 5-Year
Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility2024-25 school year38.7%9th percentileof 452024-25 school year
Math proficiency2018-19 school year45.9%Top 41%of 502018-19 school year
Public schools2024-25 school year68122nd percentileof 512024-25 school year
Reading proficiency2018-19 school year56.0%Top 27%of 492018-19 school year
Schools behind the staffing ratio2024-25 school year63722nd percentileof 502024-25 school year
Students per teacher2024-25 school year14.3Top 49%of 502024-25 school year

Counties in South Dakota

13 published

Some measures are published by county and nowhere finer — death rates by intent among them. On a county page those describe the geography they are printed on.

Minnehaha County, SD
203,289 residents · 3.5 homicide deaths per 100k
Pennington County, SD
113,512 residents · 6.4 homicide deaths per 100k
Lincoln County, SD
70,638 residents · 0.0 homicide deaths per 100k
Brown County, SD
37,877 residents · 2.6 homicide deaths per 100k
Brookings County, SD
35,353 residents · 0.0 homicide deaths per 100k
Meade County, SD
30,546 residents · 0.0 homicide deaths per 100k
Codington County, SD
28,767 residents · 0.0 homicide deaths per 100k
Lawrence County, SD
27,233 residents · 0.0 homicide deaths per 100k
Yankton County, SD
23,414 residents · 2.6 homicide deaths per 100k
Davison County, SD
19,952 residents · 0.0 homicide deaths per 100k
Beadle County, SD
19,309 residents · 0.0 homicide deaths per 100k
Hughes County, SD
17,664 residents · 0.0 homicide deaths per 100k
Clay County, SD
15,219 residents · 0.0 homicide deaths per 100k