Quality of life comparison
If you lived in South Dakota instead of Tennessee, you would:
Health
live 2.9 years longer
In Tennessee, the average life expectancy is 74 years (73 years for men, 78 years for women) as of 2020. In South Dakota, that number is 77 years (76 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2020.
be 31.2% less likely to have diabetes
In Tennessee, 12.5% of adults have diabetes as of 2022. In South Dakota, that number is 8.6% as of 2022.
Economy
be 29.4% less likely to be unemployed
In Tennessee, 3.4% of adults are unemployed as of 2025. In South Dakota, that number is 2.4% as of 2025.
be 13.2% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Tennessee, 12.9% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In South Dakota, however, that number is 11.2% as of 2023.
Safety
be 43.8% less likely to be a victim of violent crime
Tennessee has a violent crime rate of 612 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In South Dakota, that number is 344 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 30.8% less likely to be a victim of property crime
Tennessee has a property crime rate of 2,301 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In South Dakota, that number is 1,591 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Housing & Income
pay 18.7% less in rent
The median monthly gross rent in Tennessee is $1,122 as of 2023, while in South Dakota, it is $912 as of 2023.
Lifestyle
commute 8.1 minutes less
The average one-way commute in Tennessee takes 25.7 minutes as of 2023. In South Dakota, it takes 17.6 minutes as of 2023.
be 18.5% less likely to smoke
In Tennessee, 19.5% of adults smoke as of 2022. In South Dakota, that number is 15.9% as of 2022.
be 17.8% less likely to be physically inactive
In Tennessee, 27.6% of adults are physically inactive as of 2022. In South Dakota, that number is 22.7% as of 2022.
live in an area that is 93.0% less densely populated
Tennessee has a population density of 67.0 people per sq km as of 2023. In South Dakota, that number is 4.7 people per sq km as of 2023.
be 28.4% less likely to be food insecure
In Tennessee, 10.9% of the population is food insecure as of 2021. In South Dakota, that number is 7.8% as of 2021.
live among residents who are 1.2 years older on average
The median age in Tennessee is 38.9 years as of 2023. In South Dakota, the median age is 37.7 years as of 2023.
be 38.2% less likely to have a foreign-born neighbor
In Tennessee, 3.4% of the population was born outside the US as of 2023. In South Dakota, that number is 2.1% as of 2023.
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.
