Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Louisiana instead of South Dakota, you would:
Health
live 3.6 years less
In South Dakota, the average life expectancy is 77 years (76 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2020. In Louisiana, that number is 73 years (73 years for men, 79 years for women) as of 2020.
be 14.0% more likely to be obese
In South Dakota, 35.6% of adults are obese as of 2022. In Louisiana, that number is 40.6% of people as of 2022.
be 54.7% more likely to have diabetes
In South Dakota, 8.6% of adults have diabetes as of 2022. In Louisiana, that number is 13.3% as of 2022.
Economy
be 62.5% more likely to be unemployed
In South Dakota, 2.4% of adults are unemployed as of 2025. In Louisiana, that number is 3.9% as of 2025.
be 64.3% more likely to live below the poverty line
In South Dakota, 11.2% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Louisiana, however, that number is 18.4% as of 2023.
Safety
be 57.9% 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 Louisiana, that number is 543 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 63.7% 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 Louisiana, that number is 2,605 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Housing & Income
pay 11.9% less for a home
The median home value in South Dakota is $236,800 as of 2023, compared to $208,700 in Louisiana as of 2023.
earn 17.1% less money
The median household income in South Dakota is $72,421 as of 2023, while in Louisiana, it is $60,023 as of 2023.
pay 13.8% more in rent
The median monthly gross rent in South Dakota is $912 as of 2023, while in Louisiana, it is $1,038 as of 2023.
Lifestyle
be 33.3% 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 Louisiana, that number is 2.8% as of 2023.
commute 8.2 minutes longer
The average one-way commute in South Dakota takes 17.6 minutes as of 2023. In Louisiana, it takes 25.8 minutes as of 2023.
be 20.8% more likely to smoke
In South Dakota, 15.9% of adults smoke as of 2022. In Louisiana, that number is 19.2% as of 2022.
be 30.0% more likely to be physically inactive
In South Dakota, 22.7% of adults are physically inactive as of 2022. In Louisiana, that number is 29.5% as of 2022.
live in an area that is 8.7 times more densely populated
South Dakota has a population density of 4.7 people per sq km as of 2023. In Louisiana, that number is 40.7 people per sq km as of 2023.
be 89.7% more likely to be food insecure
In South Dakota, 7.8% of the population is food insecure as of 2021. In Louisiana, that number is 14.8% 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.
