What it costs to live here, and how good a place it is to live, in plain numbers.
Best place to live rank
#14
14th out of 50 states overall.
Above average for overall quality of life.
How we rank states ›Cost to live here
#8
8th cheapest state, about 16% below average.
To live the way $75,000 affords in an average state, you would need about $63,100 here.
How we measure cost ›South Dakota ranks 14th of 50 states for overall quality of life and 8th for affordability. It does best on air quality, cost, and economy, and struggles most with dog friendly, walkability, and climate. A typical household earns about $65,300 a year, and the cost of living runs about 16% below average.
Our Best Life Rank scores every state on the things that shape daily life, from cost and climate to schools and safety. Here is how South Dakota scores on each, best to worst.
Each factor is ranked 1 (best) to 50 (worst) across all states. Green is strong, yellow is middling, red is weak.
Typical household income
$65,300
35th highest
Typical home price
$297,000
33rd highest
Overall cost of living
16% below average
8th cheapest
Total taxes on a typical household
About 7%
42nd highest income tax
Typical commute
About 17 min
one way
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