Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Arizona instead of South Dakota, you would:
Health
be 25.6% more likely to have diabetes
In South Dakota, 8.6% of adults have diabetes as of 2022. In Arizona, that number is 10.8% as of 2022.
Economy
be 66.7% more likely to be unemployed
In South Dakota, 2.4% of adults are unemployed as of 2025. In Arizona, that number is 4.0% as of 2025.
Safety
be 15.9% more likely to be a victim of violent crime
South Dakota has a violent crime rate of 344 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Arizona, that number is 398 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 10.1% more likely to be a victim of property crime
South Dakota has a property crime rate of 1,591 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Arizona, that number is 1,752 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Housing & Income
pay 51.6% more for a home
The median home value in South Dakota is $236,800 as of 2023, compared to $358,900 in Arizona as of 2023.
pay 56.9% more in rent
The median monthly gross rent in South Dakota is $912 as of 2023, while in Arizona, it is $1,431 as of 2023.
Lifestyle
be 14.5% less likely to smoke
In South Dakota, 15.9% of adults smoke as of 2022. In Arizona, that number is 13.6% as of 2022.
be 3.0 times more likely to have a foreign-born neighbor
In South Dakota, 2.1% of the population was born outside the US as of 2023. In Arizona, that number is 6.4% as of 2023.
commute 7.9 minutes longer
The average one-way commute in South Dakota takes 17.6 minutes as of 2023. In Arizona, it takes 25.5 minutes as of 2023.
be 14.9% more likely to be uninsured
In South Dakota, 8.7% of the population is without health insurance as of 2023. In Arizona, that number is 10.0% as of 2023.
live in an area that is 5.4 times more densely populated
South Dakota has a population density of 4.7 people per sq km as of 2023. In Arizona, that number is 25.4 people per sq km as of 2023.
be 26.9% more likely to be food insecure
In South Dakota, 7.8% of the population is food insecure as of 2021. In Arizona, that number is 9.9% as of 2021.
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.
