Quality of life comparison
If you lived in South Dakota instead of Pennsylvania, you would:
Health
be 16.5% less likely to have diabetes
In Pennsylvania, 10.3% 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 Pennsylvania, 3.7% of adults are unemployed as of 2025. In South Dakota, that number is 2.4% as of 2025.
Safety
be 30.0% more likely to be a victim of violent crime
Pennsylvania has a violent crime rate of 264 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In South Dakota, that number is 344 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Housing & Income
pay 21.5% less in rent
The median monthly gross rent in Pennsylvania is $1,162 as of 2023, while in South Dakota, it is $912 as of 2023.
Lifestyle
commute 9.0 minutes less
The average one-way commute in Pennsylvania takes 26.6 minutes as of 2023. In South Dakota, it takes 17.6 minutes as of 2023.
live in an area that is 95.8% less densely populated
Pennsylvania has a population density of 112.2 people per sq km as of 2023. In South Dakota, that number is 4.7 people per sq km as of 2023.
be 16.1% less likely to be food insecure
In Pennsylvania, 9.3% of the population is food insecure as of 2021. In South Dakota, that number is 7.8% as of 2021.
be 58.2% more likely to be uninsured
In Pennsylvania, 5.5% of the population is without health insurance as of 2023. In South Dakota, that number is 8.7% as of 2023.
live among residents who are 3.2 years older on average
The median age in Pennsylvania is 40.9 years as of 2023. In South Dakota, the median age is 37.7 years as of 2023.
be 18.2% less likely to have a bachelor's degree
In Pennsylvania, 24.2% 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 36.4% less likely to have a foreign-born neighbor
In Pennsylvania, 3.3% 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), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting.
