Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Ohio instead of South Dakota, you would:
Health
live 1.4 years less
In South Dakota, the average life expectancy is 77 years (76 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2020. In Ohio, that number is 75 years (74 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2020.
be 11.0% more likely to be obese
In South Dakota, 35.6% of adults are obese as of 2022. In Ohio, that number is 39.5% of people as of 2022.
be 37.2% more likely to have diabetes
In South Dakota, 8.6% of adults have diabetes as of 2022. In Ohio, that number is 11.8% as of 2022.
Economy
be 66.7% more likely to be unemployed
In South Dakota, 2.4% of adults are unemployed as of 2025. In Ohio, that number is 4.0% as of 2025.
be 14.3% more likely to live below the poverty line
In South Dakota, 11.2% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Ohio, however, that number is 12.8% as of 2023.
Safety
be 17.5% 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 Ohio, that number is 284 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Housing & Income
pay 15.9% less for a home
The median home value in South Dakota is $236,800 as of 2023, compared to $199,200 in Ohio as of 2023.
Lifestyle
be 28.7% less likely to be uninsured
In South Dakota, 8.7% of the population is without health insurance as of 2023. In Ohio, that number is 6.2% as of 2023.
live among residents who are 1.9 years older on average
The median age in South Dakota is 37.7 years as of 2023. In Ohio, the median age is 39.6 years as of 2023.
commute 6.0 minutes longer
The average one-way commute in South Dakota takes 17.6 minutes as of 2023. In Ohio, it takes 23.6 minutes as of 2023.
be 18.2% more likely to smoke
In South Dakota, 15.9% of adults smoke as of 2022. In Ohio, that number is 18.8% as of 2022.
be 13.2% more likely to be physically inactive
In South Dakota, 22.7% of adults are physically inactive as of 2022. In Ohio, that number is 25.7% as of 2022.
live in an area that is 23.7 times more densely populated
South Dakota has a population density of 4.7 people per sq km as of 2023. In Ohio, that number is 111.5 people per sq km as of 2023.
be 50.0% more likely to be food insecure
In South Dakota, 7.8% of the population is food insecure as of 2021. In Ohio, that number is 11.7% 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.
