Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Idaho instead of South Dakota, you would:
Health
live 1.7 years longer
In South Dakota, the average life expectancy is 77 years (76 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2020. In Idaho, that number is 78 years (78 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2020.
Economy
be 13.4% less likely to live below the poverty line
In South Dakota, 11.2% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Idaho, however, that number is 9.7% as of 2023.
make 20.5% less money
South Dakota has a GDP per capita of $61,724 as of 2024, while in Idaho, the GDP per capita is $49,054 as of 2024.
be 45.8% more likely to be unemployed
In South Dakota, 2.4% of adults are unemployed as of 2025. In Idaho, that number is 3.5% as of 2025.
Safety
be 34.1% less 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 Idaho, that number is 226 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 50.8% less 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 Idaho, that number is 784 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Housing & Income
pay 58.8% more for a home
The median home value in South Dakota is $236,800 as of 2023, compared to $376,000 in Idaho as of 2023.
pay 26.1% more in rent
The median monthly gross rent in South Dakota is $912 as of 2023, while in Idaho, it is $1,150 as of 2023.
Lifestyle
be 14.5% less likely to smoke
In South Dakota, 15.9% of adults smoke as of 2022. In Idaho, that number is 13.6% as of 2022.
be 38.1% 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 Idaho, that number is 2.9% as of 2023.
commute 4.0 minutes longer
The average one-way commute in South Dakota takes 17.6 minutes as of 2023. In Idaho, it takes 21.6 minutes as of 2023.
live in an area that is 95.7% more densely populated
South Dakota has a population density of 4.7 people per sq km as of 2023. In Idaho, that number is 9.2 people per sq km as of 2023.
The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: 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.
