Quality of life comparison
If you lived in South Dakota instead of Nebraska, you would:
Health
be 13.1% less likely to have diabetes
In Nebraska, 9.9% of adults have diabetes as of 2022. In South Dakota, that number is 8.6% as of 2022.
live 1.0 years less
In Nebraska, the average life expectancy is 78 years (77 years for men, 81 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.
Economy
be 20.0% less likely to be unemployed
In Nebraska, 3.0% of adults are unemployed as of 2025. In South Dakota, that number is 2.4% as of 2025.
make 15.9% less money
Nebraska has a GDP per capita of $73,391 as of 2024, while in South Dakota, the GDP per capita is $61,724 as of 2024.
be 14.3% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Nebraska, 9.8% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In South Dakota, however, that number is 11.2% as of 2023.
Safety
be 17.9% less likely to be a victim of property crime
Nebraska has a property crime rate of 1,937 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In South Dakota, that number is 1,591 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 52.7% more likely to be a victim of violent crime
Nebraska has a violent crime rate of 225 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In South Dakota, that number is 344 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Housing & Income
pay 11.9% less in rent
The median monthly gross rent in Nebraska is $1,035 as of 2023, while in South Dakota, it is $912 as of 2023.
Lifestyle
commute 1.5 minutes less
The average one-way commute in Nebraska takes 19.1 minutes as of 2023. In South Dakota, it takes 17.6 minutes as of 2023.
live in an area that is 53.0% less densely populated
Nebraska has a population density of 10.0 people per sq km as of 2023. In South Dakota, that number is 4.7 people per sq km as of 2023.
be 19.6% less likely to be food insecure
In Nebraska, 9.7% of the population is food insecure as of 2021. In South Dakota, that number is 7.8% as of 2021.
be 22.5% more likely to be uninsured
In Nebraska, 7.1% of the population is without health insurance as of 2023. In South Dakota, that number is 8.7% as of 2023.
be 51.2% less likely to have a foreign-born neighbor
In Nebraska, 4.3% 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.
