Quality of life comparison
If you lived in South Dakota instead of New York, you would:
Health
be 14.9% less likely to have diabetes
In New York, 10.1% of adults have diabetes as of 2022. In South Dakota, that number is 8.6% as of 2022.
live 1.0 years less
In New York, the average life expectancy is 78 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 19.1% more likely to be obese
In New York, 29.9% of adults are obese as of 2022. In South Dakota, that number is 35.6% of people as of 2022.
Economy
be 45.5% less likely to be unemployed
In New York, 4.4% of adults are unemployed as of 2025. In South Dakota, that number is 2.4% as of 2025.
be 15.8% less likely to live below the poverty line
In New York, 13.3% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In South Dakota, however, that number is 11.2% as of 2023.
make 32.9% less money
New York has a GDP per capita of $91,992 as of 2024, while in South Dakota, the GDP per capita is $61,724 as of 2024.
Housing & Income
pay 41.2% less for a home
The median home value in New York is $403,000 as of 2023, compared to $236,800 in South Dakota as of 2023.
pay 42.1% less in rent
The median monthly gross rent in New York is $1,576 as of 2023, while in South Dakota, it is $912 as of 2023.
be 26.3% more likely to own your home
In New York, 54.3% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied as of 2023. In South Dakota, that number is 68.6% as of 2023.
earn 14.4% less money
The median household income in New York is $84,578 as of 2023, while in South Dakota, it is $72,421 as of 2023.
Lifestyle
commute 15.2 minutes less
The average one-way commute in New York takes 32.8 minutes as of 2023. In South Dakota, it takes 17.6 minutes as of 2023.
live in an area that is 97.1% less densely populated
New York has a population density of 161.4 people per sq km as of 2023. In South Dakota, that number is 4.7 people per sq km as of 2023.
be 31.0% less likely to be food insecure
In New York, 11.3% of the population is food insecure as of 2021. In South Dakota, that number is 7.8% as of 2021.
be 74.0% more likely to be uninsured
In New York, 5.0% of the population is without health insurance as of 2023. In South Dakota, that number is 8.7% as of 2023.
be 24.2% more likely to smoke
In New York, 12.8% of adults smoke as of 2022. In South Dakota, that number is 15.9% as of 2022.
live among residents who are 1.9 years older on average
The median age in New York is 39.6 years as of 2023. In South Dakota, the median age is 37.7 years as of 2023.
be 28.5% less likely to have a bachelor's degree
In New York, 27.7% 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 76.9% less likely to have a foreign-born neighbor
In New York, 9.1% 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), Bureau of Economic Analysis.
