Quality of life comparison
If you lived in South Dakota instead of Kansas, you would:
Health
be 18.1% less likely to have diabetes
In Kansas, 10.5% of adults have diabetes as of 2022. In South Dakota, that number is 8.6% as of 2022.
Economy
be 29.4% less likely to be unemployed
In Kansas, 3.4% of adults are unemployed as of 2025. In South Dakota, that number is 2.4% as of 2025.
Safety
be 19.0% less likely to be a victim of violent crime
Kansas has a violent crime rate of 424 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In South Dakota, that number is 344 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 23.1% less likely to be a victim of property crime
Kansas has a property crime rate of 2,068 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In South Dakota, that number is 1,591 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Housing & Income
pay 11.4% less in rent
The median monthly gross rent in Kansas is $1,029 as of 2023, while in South Dakota, it is $912 as of 2023.
pay 16.4% more for a home
The median home value in Kansas is $203,400 as of 2023, compared to $236,800 in South Dakota as of 2023.
Lifestyle
commute 2.2 minutes less
The average one-way commute in Kansas takes 19.8 minutes as of 2023. In South Dakota, it takes 17.6 minutes as of 2023.
live in an area that is 66.2% less densely populated
Kansas has a population density of 13.9 people per sq km as of 2023. In South Dakota, that number is 4.7 people per sq km as of 2023.
be 20.4% less likely to be food insecure
In Kansas, 9.8% of the population is food insecure as of 2021. In South Dakota, that number is 7.8% as of 2021.
be 13.2% less likely to have a bachelor's degree
In Kansas, 22.8% 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 48.8% less likely to have a foreign-born neighbor
In Kansas, 4.1% 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), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting.
