Quality of life comparison
If you lived in South Dakota instead of Missouri, you would:
Health
live 1.6 years longer
In Missouri, the average life expectancy is 75 years (74 years for men, 80 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 17.3% less likely to have diabetes
In Missouri, 10.4% of adults have diabetes as of 2022. In South Dakota, that number is 8.6% as of 2022.
Economy
be 27.3% less likely to be unemployed
In Missouri, 3.3% of adults are unemployed as of 2025. In South Dakota, that number is 2.4% as of 2025.
Safety
be 24.1% less likely to be a victim of violent crime
Missouri has a violent crime rate of 453 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In South Dakota, that number is 344 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 23.2% less likely to be a victim of property crime
Missouri has a property crime rate of 2,070 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In South Dakota, that number is 1,591 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Lifestyle
commute 6.1 minutes less
The average one-way commute in Missouri takes 23.7 minutes as of 2023. In South Dakota, it takes 17.6 minutes as of 2023.
be 14.5% less likely to smoke
In Missouri, 18.6% of adults smoke as of 2022. In South Dakota, that number is 15.9% as of 2022.
live in an area that is 86.5% less densely populated
Missouri has a population density of 34.8 people per sq km as of 2023. In South Dakota, that number is 4.7 people per sq km as of 2023.
be 31.6% less likely to be food insecure
In Missouri, 11.4% of the population is food insecure as of 2021. In South Dakota, that number is 7.8% as of 2021.
live among residents who are 1.2 years older on average
The median age in Missouri is 38.9 years as of 2023. In South Dakota, the median age is 37.7 years 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.
