Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Texas instead of South Dakota, you would:
Health
be 55.8% more likely to have diabetes
In South Dakota, 8.6% of adults have diabetes as of 2022. In Texas, that number is 13.4% as of 2022.
Economy
make 13.5% more money
South Dakota has a GDP per capita of $61,724 as of 2024, while in Texas, the GDP per capita is $70,071 as of 2024.
be 62.5% more likely to be unemployed
In South Dakota, 2.4% of adults are unemployed as of 2025. In Texas, that number is 3.9% as of 2025.
be 12.5% more likely to live below the poverty line
In South Dakota, 11.2% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Texas, however, that number is 12.6% as of 2023.
Safety
be 13.6% 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 Texas, that number is 391 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 35.3% 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 Texas, that number is 2,153 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Housing & Income
pay 46.8% more in rent
The median monthly gross rent in South Dakota is $912 as of 2023, while in Texas, it is $1,339 as of 2023.
Lifestyle
be 4.5 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 Texas, that number is 9.4% as of 2023.
commute 9.1 minutes longer
The average one-way commute in South Dakota takes 17.6 minutes as of 2023. In Texas, it takes 26.7 minutes as of 2023.
be 83.9% more likely to be uninsured
In South Dakota, 8.7% of the population is without health insurance as of 2023. In Texas, that number is 16.0% as of 2023.
be 22.0% more likely to be physically inactive
In South Dakota, 22.7% of adults are physically inactive as of 2022. In Texas, that number is 27.7% as of 2022.
live among residents who are 2.2 years older on average
The median age in South Dakota is 37.7 years as of 2023. In Texas, the median age is 35.5 years as of 2023.
live in an area that is 9.6 times more densely populated
South Dakota has a population density of 4.7 people per sq km as of 2023. In Texas, that number is 45.3 people per sq km as of 2023.
be 64.1% more likely to be food insecure
In South Dakota, 7.8% of the population is food insecure as of 2021. In Texas, that number is 12.8% 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), Bureau of Economic Analysis, FBI Uniform Crime Reporting.
