Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Kansas instead of South Dakota, you would:
Health
be 22.1% more likely to have diabetes
In South Dakota, 8.6% of adults have diabetes as of 2022. In Kansas, that number is 10.5% as of 2022.
Economy
be 41.7% more likely to be unemployed
In South Dakota, 2.4% of adults are unemployed as of 2025. In Kansas, that number is 3.4% as of 2025.
Safety
be 23.4% 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 Kansas, that number is 424 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 30.0% 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 Kansas, that number is 2,068 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Housing & Income
pay 14.1% less for a home
The median home value in South Dakota is $236,800 as of 2023, compared to $203,400 in Kansas as of 2023.
pay 12.8% more in rent
The median monthly gross rent in South Dakota is $912 as of 2023, while in Kansas, it is $1,029 as of 2023.
Lifestyle
be 15.2% more likely to have a bachelor's degree
In South Dakota, 19.8% of the population holds a bachelor's degree or higher as of 2023. In Kansas, that number is 22.8% as of 2023.
be 95.2% 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 Kansas, that number is 4.1% as of 2023.
commute 2.2 minutes longer
The average one-way commute in South Dakota takes 17.6 minutes as of 2023. In Kansas, it takes 19.8 minutes as of 2023.
live in an area that is 3.0 times more densely populated
South Dakota has a population density of 4.7 people per sq km as of 2023. In Kansas, that number is 13.9 people per sq km as of 2023.
be 25.6% more likely to be food insecure
In South Dakota, 7.8% of the population is food insecure as of 2021. In Kansas, that number is 9.8% 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.
