Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Wisconsin instead of South Dakota, you would:
Health
live 1.0 years longer
In South Dakota, the average life expectancy is 77 years (76 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2020. In Wisconsin, that number is 78 years (77 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2020.
Economy
be 25.0% more likely to be unemployed
In South Dakota, 2.4% of adults are unemployed as of 2025. In Wisconsin, that number is 3.0% as of 2025.
Safety
be 16.9% 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 Wisconsin, that number is 286 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 24.3% 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 Wisconsin, that number is 1,204 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Housing & Income
pay 14.6% more in rent
The median monthly gross rent in South Dakota is $912 as of 2023, while in Wisconsin, it is $1,045 as of 2023.
Lifestyle
be 40.2% less likely to be uninsured
In South Dakota, 8.7% of the population is without health insurance as of 2023. In Wisconsin, that number is 5.2% as of 2023.
live among residents who are 2.4 years older on average
The median age in South Dakota is 37.7 years as of 2023. In Wisconsin, the median age is 40.1 years as of 2023.
be 12.6% 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 Wisconsin, that number is 22.3% as of 2023.
be 23.8% 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 Wisconsin, that number is 2.6% as of 2023.
commute 4.6 minutes longer
The average one-way commute in South Dakota takes 17.6 minutes as of 2023. In Wisconsin, it takes 22.2 minutes as of 2023.
live in an area that is 9.0 times more densely populated
South Dakota has a population density of 4.7 people per sq km as of 2023. In Wisconsin, that number is 42.2 people per sq km as of 2023.
The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: OECD Regional Demography, Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting.
