South Dakota

Key Details

• With a population of 890,342, South Dakota is the fifth least populous state in the U.S.
• In 2024, South Dakota had 393,375 housing units and a 9.7% vacancy rate. On average, 2.43 people lived in South Dakota households.
• 30% of South Dakotans over 25 have completed high school or an equivalent level of education, and 31.6% have earned a bachelor's degree or more.
• Republican Party's Kristi Noem serves as governor of South Dakota in 2024.
• South Dakota's median household income is $69,728 after accounting for inflation, which is less than the national average.
• The life expectancy in South Dakota is 76.7 years at birth.

South Dakota Population Demographics

In terms of population density, South Dakota ranks fifth in the US. The white population makes up the bulk of the population, comprising 80.6% of the total.

American Indians make up 7.57% of the state's total population, while people of other races make up 11.83 percent. With a Diversity Index of 35.6%, South Dakota ranks 42nd in the US for ethnic diversity.

In the state, 49.2% of the population are women, and 50.8% are men. However, by the time people reach the benchmark age range of 75–79, the proportion of men in the population begins to dwindle.

With just 3.5% of all foreign-born people, Mount Rushmore State has the fifth-lowest immigrant population in the US.

Elections and Voting

Having only had five Democratic governors, South Dakota is overwhelmingly a Republican state. Although none of its candidates have won the governorship, South Dakota also has a Libertarian Party presence.

Harvey Wollman was the last Democratic governor of the state. Republicans have held the position since he left in 1979, with Kristi Noem currently in charge.

The two chambers are also controlled by the Republican party, creating a Republican trifecta.

This domination continues at the federal level. South Dakota Senators and its US Representatives are from the Republican Party.

Similar political inclinations can be seen in South Dakota's presidential election voting trends. With 61.8% of the vote, the Republic Party won South Dakota's popular vote in the 2020 presidential election. The Democratic Party (35.6%) and the Libertarian Party (2.63%) trailed behind. Of the past six presidential elections, the Republican Party saw its highest share of votes from South Dakota in 2020.

Housing, Income, and Employment

South Dakota has 393,375 housing units, many of which are one-, two-, or three-bedroom residences. Only 31.8% of homes in South Dakota have four or more bedrooms,

Most houses in South Dakota are expensive. 49.4% of all properties in the state are valued between $200,000 and $499,999. When compared to the 37.2% of people who moved into rented houses in 2021 or later, just 9.4% of residents moved into their houses.

The state's employment rate remains above the national average. The employment rate in South Dakota in 2021 was 64.3%, which was marginally higher than the 60.3% average for the US.

South Dakota Crime Rates

The crime rate in South Dakota is less than the national average. The state has reduced rates of violent and property crimes in addition to a decreased total crime rate. South Dakota had a violent crime rate of 377.4 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2020, compared to the national average of 380.7 per 100,000.

Property crime is a major issue in South Dakota, with 1737 offenses committed per 100,000 residents.

Rapid City is the most dangerous city in the state, with the highest rates of violent and property crime. Madison, Bradon, and Sisseton are considered the safest cities in the state.

How to Find People in South Dakota

Thanks to social media and public records, people can be easily located. To find a person's fundamental information, online search tools look through billions of government papers, Instagram, X, and TikTok profiles, professional profiles, and more.

Using these technologies, one can determine a person's address history and generate a map of their previous locations. Thus, a long-lost relative, former roommate, or childhood acquaintance can be easily located.

However, the information train continues beyond obtaining an individual's address. Additionally, a list of their professional and social media profiles is displayed. You may contact them by phone, email, or chat applications to see what they're up to.

Interesting Facts About South Dakota