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 the labor force is 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.
Sources: US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) (2023), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES) (2022), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (2023), Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), OECD Regional Demography (2023), Feeding America (2021). How we calculate this
