Quality of life comparison
If you lived in South Dakota instead of Alaska, you would:
Health
be 11.6% more likely to be obese
In Alaska, 31.9% of adults are obese as of 2022. In South Dakota, that number is 35.6% of people as of 2022.
Economy
be 52.0% less likely to be unemployed
In Alaska, 5.0% of adults are unemployed as of 2025. In South Dakota, that number is 2.4% as of 2025.
make 18.7% less money
Alaska has a GDP per capita of $75,882 as of 2024, while in South Dakota, the GDP per capita is $61,724 as of 2024.
be 13.1% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Alaska, 9.9% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In South Dakota, however, that number is 11.2% as of 2023.
Safety
be 52.4% less likely to be a victim of violent crime
Alaska has a violent crime rate of 722 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In South Dakota, that number is 344 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 14.8% less likely to be a victim of property crime
Alaska has a property crime rate of 1,868 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In South Dakota, that number is 1,591 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Housing & Income
pay 29.0% less for a home
The median home value in Alaska is $333,300 as of 2023, compared to $236,800 in South Dakota as of 2023.
pay 34.3% less in rent
The median monthly gross rent in Alaska is $1,388 as of 2023, while in South Dakota, it is $912 as of 2023.
earn 18.9% less money
The median household income in Alaska is $89,336 as of 2023, while in South Dakota, it is $72,421 as of 2023.
Lifestyle
commute 1.9 minutes less
The average one-way commute in Alaska takes 19.5 minutes as of 2023. In South Dakota, it takes 17.6 minutes as of 2023.
be 18.7% less likely to be uninsured
In Alaska, 10.7% of the population is without health insurance as of 2023. In South Dakota, that number is 8.7% as of 2023.
live among residents who are 2.1 years older on average
The median age in Alaska is 35.6 years as of 2023. In South Dakota, the median age is 37.7 years as of 2023.
be 26.4% less likely to be food insecure
In Alaska, 10.6% of the population is food insecure as of 2021. In South Dakota, that number is 7.8% as of 2021.
live in an area that is 9.4 times more densely populated
Alaska has a population density of 0.5 people per sq km as of 2023. In South Dakota, that number is 4.7 people per sq km as of 2023.
be 30.0% less likely to have a foreign-born neighbor
In Alaska, 3.0% of the population was born outside the US as of 2023. In South Dakota, that number is 2.1% as of 2023.
The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: Feeding America, OECD Regional Demography, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), Bureau of Economic Analysis, FBI Uniform Crime Reporting.
