Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Utah instead of South Dakota, you would:
Health
live 1.9 years longer
In South Dakota, the average life expectancy is 77 years (76 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2020. In Utah, that number is 79 years (78 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2020.
Economy
be 29.5% less likely to live below the poverty line
In South Dakota, 11.2% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Utah, however, that number is 7.9% as of 2023.
be 45.8% more likely to be unemployed
In South Dakota, 2.4% of adults are unemployed as of 2025. In Utah, that number is 3.5% as of 2025.
Safety
be 34.8% 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 Utah, that number is 224 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Housing & Income
earn 26.7% more money
The median household income in South Dakota is $72,421 as of 2023, while in Utah, it is $91,750 as of 2023.
pay 92.1% more for a home
The median home value in South Dakota is $236,800 as of 2023, compared to $455,000 in Utah as of 2023.
pay 54.1% more in rent
The median monthly gross rent in South Dakota is $912 as of 2023, while in Utah, it is $1,405 as of 2023.
Lifestyle
be 47.2% less likely to smoke
In South Dakota, 15.9% of adults smoke as of 2022. In Utah, that number is 8.4% as of 2022.
be 19.8% less likely to be physically inactive
In South Dakota, 22.7% of adults are physically inactive as of 2022. In Utah, that number is 18.2% as of 2022.
be 2.2 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 Utah, that number is 4.6% as of 2023.
commute 4.4 minutes longer
The average one-way commute in South Dakota takes 17.6 minutes as of 2023. In Utah, it takes 22.0 minutes as of 2023.
live among residents who are 6.0 years older on average
The median age in South Dakota is 37.7 years as of 2023. In Utah, the median age is 31.7 years as of 2023.
live in an area that is 3.4 times more densely populated
South Dakota has a population density of 4.7 people per sq km as of 2023. In Utah, that number is 16.2 people per sq km as of 2023.
be 15.4% more likely to be food insecure
In South Dakota, 7.8% of the population is food insecure as of 2021. In Utah, that number is 9.0% 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.
