Quality of life comparison
If you lived in North Carolina instead of South Dakota, you would:
Health
be 24.4% more likely to have diabetes
In South Dakota, 8.6% of adults have diabetes as of 2022. In North Carolina, that number is 10.7% 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 North Carolina, that number is 3.4% as of 2025.
Safety
be 10.2% 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 North Carolina, that number is 379 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 25.6% 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 North Carolina, that number is 1,998 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Housing & Income
pay 27.4% more in rent
The median monthly gross rent in South Dakota is $912 as of 2023, while in North Carolina, it is $1,162 as of 2023.
Lifestyle
live among residents who are 1.4 years older on average
The median age in South Dakota is 37.7 years as of 2023. In North Carolina, the median age is 39.1 years as of 2023.
be 13.6% 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 North Carolina, that number is 22.5% as of 2023.
be 2.3 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 North Carolina, that number is 4.8% as of 2023.
commute 7.5 minutes longer
The average one-way commute in South Dakota takes 17.6 minutes as of 2023. In North Carolina, it takes 25.1 minutes as of 2023.
be 10.3% more likely to be uninsured
In South Dakota, 8.7% of the population is without health insurance as of 2023. In North Carolina, that number is 9.6% as of 2023.
live in an area that is 18.3 times more densely populated
South Dakota has a population density of 4.7 people per sq km as of 2023. In North Carolina, that number is 86.2 people per sq km as of 2023.
be 43.6% more likely to be food insecure
In South Dakota, 7.8% of the population is food insecure as of 2021. In North Carolina, that number is 11.2% 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.
