Quality of life comparison
If you lived in South Dakota instead of Arizona, you would:
Health
be 20.4% less likely to have diabetes
In Arizona, 10.8% of adults have diabetes as of 2022. In South Dakota, that number is 8.6% as of 2022.
Economy
be 40.0% less likely to be unemployed
In Arizona, 4.0% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In South Dakota, that number is 2.4% as of 2025.
Safety
be 13.7% less likely to be a victim of violent crime
Arizona has a violent crime rate of 398 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In South Dakota, that number is 344 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Housing & Income
pay 34.0% less for a home
The median home value in Arizona is $358,900 as of 2023, compared to $236,800 in South Dakota as of 2023.
pay 36.3% less in rent
The median monthly gross rent in Arizona is $1,431 as of 2023, while in South Dakota, it is $912 as of 2023.
Lifestyle
commute 7.9 minutes less
The average one-way commute in Arizona takes 25.5 minutes as of 2023. In South Dakota, it takes 17.6 minutes as of 2023.
be 13.0% less likely to be uninsured
In Arizona, 10.0% of the population is without health insurance as of 2023. In South Dakota, that number is 8.7% as of 2023.
live in an area that is 81.5% less densely populated
Arizona has a population density of 25.4 people per sq km as of 2023. In South Dakota, that number is 4.7 people per sq km as of 2023.
be 21.2% less likely to be food insecure
In Arizona, 9.9% of the population is food insecure as of 2021. In South Dakota, that number is 7.8% as of 2021.
be 16.9% more likely to smoke
In Arizona, 13.6% of adults smoke as of 2022. In South Dakota, that number is 15.9% as of 2022.
be 67.2% less likely to have a foreign-born neighbor
In Arizona, 6.4% of the population was born outside the US as of 2023. In South Dakota, that number is 2.1% as of 2023.
Sources: US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) (2023), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES) (2022), Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (2023), OECD Regional Demography (2023), Feeding America (2021). How we calculate this
