Quality of life comparison
If you lived in South Dakota instead of Texas, you would:
Health
be 35.8% less likely to have diabetes
In Texas, 13.4% of adults have diabetes as of 2022. In South Dakota, that number is 8.6% as of 2022.
Economy
be 38.5% less likely to be unemployed
In Texas, 3.9% of adults are unemployed as of 2025. In South Dakota, that number is 2.4% as of 2025.
be 11.1% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Texas, 12.6% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In South Dakota, however, that number is 11.2% as of 2023.
make 11.9% less money
Texas has a GDP per capita of $70,071 as of 2024, while in South Dakota, the GDP per capita is $61,724 as of 2024.
Safety
be 12.0% less likely to be a victim of violent crime
Texas has a violent crime rate of 391 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In South Dakota, that number is 344 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 26.1% less likely to be a victim of property crime
Texas has a property crime rate of 2,153 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In South Dakota, that number is 1,591 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Housing & Income
pay 31.9% less in rent
The median monthly gross rent in Texas is $1,339 as of 2023, while in South Dakota, it is $912 as of 2023.
Lifestyle
commute 9.1 minutes less
The average one-way commute in Texas takes 26.7 minutes as of 2023. In South Dakota, it takes 17.6 minutes as of 2023.
be 45.6% less likely to be uninsured
In Texas, 16.0% of the population is without health insurance as of 2023. In South Dakota, that number is 8.7% as of 2023.
be 18.1% less likely to be physically inactive
In Texas, 27.7% of adults are physically inactive as of 2022. In South Dakota, that number is 22.7% as of 2022.
live among residents who are 2.2 years older on average
The median age in Texas is 35.5 years as of 2023. In South Dakota, the median age is 37.7 years as of 2023.
live in an area that is 89.6% less densely populated
Texas has a population density of 45.3 people per sq km as of 2023. In South Dakota, that number is 4.7 people per sq km as of 2023.
be 39.1% less likely to be food insecure
In Texas, 12.8% of the population is food insecure as of 2021. In South Dakota, that number is 7.8% as of 2021.
be 77.7% less likely to have a foreign-born neighbor
In Texas, 9.4% 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), Bureau of Economic Analysis, FBI Uniform Crime Reporting.
