Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Tennessee instead of South Dakota, you would:
Health
live 2.9 years less
In South Dakota, the average life expectancy is 77 years (76 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2020. In Tennessee, that number is 74 years (73 years for men, 78 years for women) as of 2020.
be 45.3% more likely to have diabetes
In South Dakota, 8.6% of adults have diabetes as of 2022. In Tennessee, that number is 12.5% 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 Tennessee, that number is 3.4% as of 2025.
be 15.2% more likely to live below the poverty line
In South Dakota, 11.2% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Tennessee, however, that number is 12.9% as of 2023.
Safety
be 78.0% 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 Tennessee, that number is 612 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 44.6% 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 Tennessee, that number is 2,301 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Housing & Income
pay 23.0% more in rent
The median monthly gross rent in South Dakota is $912 as of 2023, while in Tennessee, it is $1,122 as of 2023.
Lifestyle
live among residents who are 1.2 years older on average
The median age in South Dakota is 37.7 years as of 2023. In Tennessee, the median age is 38.9 years as of 2023.
be 61.9% 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 Tennessee, that number is 3.4% as of 2023.
commute 8.1 minutes longer
The average one-way commute in South Dakota takes 17.6 minutes as of 2023. In Tennessee, it takes 25.7 minutes as of 2023.
be 22.6% more likely to smoke
In South Dakota, 15.9% of adults smoke as of 2022. In Tennessee, that number is 19.5% as of 2022.
be 21.6% more likely to be physically inactive
In South Dakota, 22.7% of adults are physically inactive as of 2022. In Tennessee, that number is 27.6% as of 2022.
live in an area that is 14.3 times more densely populated
South Dakota has a population density of 4.7 people per sq km as of 2023. In Tennessee, that number is 67.0 people per sq km as of 2023.
be 39.7% more likely to be food insecure
In South Dakota, 7.8% of the population is food insecure as of 2021. In Tennessee, that number is 10.9% 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.
