Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Rhode Island instead of South Dakota, you would:
Health
live 1.5 years longer
In South Dakota, the average life expectancy is 77 years (76 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2020. In Rhode Island, that number is 78 years (77 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2020.
be 11.2% less likely to be obese
In South Dakota, 35.6% of adults are obese as of 2022. In Rhode Island, that number is 31.6% of people as of 2022.
be 18.6% more likely to have diabetes
In South Dakota, 8.6% of adults have diabetes as of 2022. In Rhode Island, that number is 10.2% as of 2022.
Economy
be 83.3% more likely to be unemployed
In South Dakota, 2.4% of adults are unemployed as of 2025. In Rhode Island, that number is 4.4% as of 2025.
Safety
be 52.0% 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 Rhode Island, that number is 165 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 30.7% 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 Rhode Island, that number is 1,102 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Housing & Income
earn 19.3% more money
The median household income in South Dakota is $72,421 as of 2023, while in Rhode Island, it is $86,372 as of 2023.
pay 55.7% more for a home
The median home value in South Dakota is $236,800 as of 2023, compared to $368,800 in Rhode Island as of 2023.
pay 39.6% more in rent
The median monthly gross rent in South Dakota is $912 as of 2023, while in Rhode Island, it is $1,273 as of 2023.
Lifestyle
be 51.7% less likely to be uninsured
In South Dakota, 8.7% of the population is without health insurance as of 2023. In Rhode Island, that number is 4.2% as of 2023.
be 13.8% less likely to smoke
In South Dakota, 15.9% of adults smoke as of 2022. In Rhode Island, that number is 13.7% as of 2022.
live among residents who are 2.8 years older on average
The median age in South Dakota is 37.7 years as of 2023. In Rhode Island, the median age is 40.5 years as of 2023.
be 31.3% 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 Rhode Island, that number is 26.0% as of 2023.
be 3.1 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 Rhode Island, that number is 6.6% as of 2023.
commute 7.9 minutes longer
The average one-way commute in South Dakota takes 17.6 minutes as of 2023. In Rhode Island, it takes 25.5 minutes as of 2023.
live in an area that is 86.8 times more densely populated
South Dakota has a population density of 4.7 people per sq km as of 2023. In Rhode Island, that number is 407.8 people per sq km as of 2023.
be 17.9% more likely to be food insecure
In South Dakota, 7.8% of the population is food insecure as of 2021. In Rhode Island, that number is 9.2% 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.
