Quality of life comparison
If you lived in South Dakota instead of California, you would:
Health
be 20.4% less likely to have diabetes
In California, 10.8% of adults have diabetes as of 2022. In South Dakota, that number is 8.6% as of 2022.
live 2.3 years less
In California, the average life expectancy is 79 years (78 years for men, 83 years for women) as of 2020. In South Dakota, that number is 77 years (76 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2020.
be 25.4% more likely to be obese
In California, 28.4% of adults are obese as of 2022. In South Dakota, that number is 35.6% of people as of 2022.
Economy
be 52.9% less likely to be unemployed
In California, 5.1% of adults are unemployed as of 2025. In South Dakota, that number is 2.4% as of 2025.
make 26.5% less money
California has a GDP per capita of $84,028 as of 2024, while in South Dakota, the GDP per capita is $61,724 as of 2024.
Safety
be 31.7% less likely to be a victim of violent crime
California has a violent crime rate of 503 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In South Dakota, that number is 344 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 30.9% less likely to be a victim of property crime
California has a property crime rate of 2,303 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In South Dakota, that number is 1,591 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Housing & Income
pay 65.9% less for a home
The median home value in California is $695,400 as of 2023, compared to $236,800 in South Dakota as of 2023.
pay 53.4% less in rent
The median monthly gross rent in California is $1,956 as of 2023, while in South Dakota, it is $912 as of 2023.
be 22.9% more likely to own your home
In California, 55.8% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied as of 2023. In South Dakota, that number is 68.6% as of 2023.
earn 24.8% less money
The median household income in California is $96,334 as of 2023, while in South Dakota, it is $72,421 as of 2023.
Lifestyle
commute 11.4 minutes less
The average one-way commute in California takes 29.0 minutes as of 2023. In South Dakota, it takes 17.6 minutes as of 2023.
live in an area that is 95.2% less densely populated
California has a population density of 97.0 people per sq km as of 2023. In South Dakota, that number is 4.7 people per sq km as of 2023.
be 25.0% less likely to be food insecure
In California, 10.4% of the population is food insecure as of 2021. In South Dakota, that number is 7.8% as of 2021.
be 27.9% more likely to be uninsured
In California, 6.8% of the population is without health insurance as of 2023. In South Dakota, that number is 8.7% as of 2023.
be 37.1% more likely to smoke
In California, 11.6% of adults smoke as of 2022. In South Dakota, that number is 15.9% as of 2022.
be 20.8% less likely to have a bachelor's degree
In California, 25.0% of the population holds a bachelor's degree or higher as of 2023. In South Dakota, that number is 19.8% as of 2023.
be 82.8% less likely to have a foreign-born neighbor
In California, 12.2% 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.
