Quality of life comparison
If you lived in South Dakota instead of Maryland, you would:
Health
be 20.4% less likely to have diabetes
In Maryland, 10.8% of adults have diabetes as of 2022. In South Dakota, that number is 8.6% as of 2022.
Economy
be 35.1% less likely to be unemployed
In Maryland, 3.7% of adults are unemployed as of 2025. In South Dakota, that number is 2.4% as of 2025.
make 10.7% less money
Maryland has a GDP per capita of $69,127 as of 2024, while in South Dakota, the GDP per capita is $61,724 as of 2024.
be 24.4% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Maryland, 9.0% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In South Dakota, however, that number is 11.2% as of 2023.
Safety
be 18.2% less likely to be a victim of violent crime
Maryland has a violent crime rate of 420 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In South Dakota, that number is 344 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 22.1% less likely to be a victim of property crime
Maryland has a property crime rate of 2,043 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In South Dakota, that number is 1,591 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Housing & Income
pay 40.5% less for a home
The median home value in Maryland is $397,700 as of 2023, compared to $236,800 in South Dakota as of 2023.
pay 45.1% less in rent
The median monthly gross rent in Maryland is $1,662 as of 2023, while in South Dakota, it is $912 as of 2023.
earn 28.8% less money
The median household income in Maryland is $101,652 as of 2023, while in South Dakota, it is $72,421 as of 2023.
Lifestyle
commute 13.9 minutes less
The average one-way commute in Maryland takes 31.5 minutes as of 2023. In South Dakota, it takes 17.6 minutes as of 2023.
live in an area that is 98.1% less densely populated
Maryland has a population density of 245.6 people per sq km as of 2023. In South Dakota, that number is 4.7 people per sq km as of 2023.
be 18.8% less likely to be food insecure
In Maryland, 9.6% of the population is food insecure as of 2021. In South Dakota, that number is 7.8% as of 2021.
be 45.0% more likely to be uninsured
In Maryland, 6.0% of the population is without health insurance as of 2023. In South Dakota, that number is 8.7% as of 2023.
be 32.5% more likely to smoke
In Maryland, 12.0% of adults smoke as of 2022. In South Dakota, that number is 15.9% as of 2022.
live among residents who are 1.6 years older on average
The median age in Maryland is 39.3 years as of 2023. In South Dakota, the median age is 37.7 years as of 2023.
be 32.0% less likely to have a bachelor's degree
In Maryland, 29.1% 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 71.2% less likely to have a foreign-born neighbor
In Maryland, 7.3% 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.
