Quality of life comparison
If you lived in South Dakota instead of Utah, you would:
Health
live 1.9 years less
In Utah, the average life expectancy is 79 years (78 years for men, 82 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 10.2% more likely to be obese
In Utah, 32.3% of adults are obese as of 2022. In South Dakota, that number is 35.6% of people as of 2022.
Economy
be 31.4% less likely to be unemployed
In Utah, 3.5% of adults are unemployed as of 2025. In South Dakota, that number is 2.4% as of 2025.
be 41.8% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Utah, 7.9% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In South Dakota, however, that number is 11.2% as of 2023.
Safety
be 53.3% more likely to be a victim of violent crime
Utah has a violent crime rate of 224 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In South Dakota, that number is 344 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Housing & Income
pay 48.0% less for a home
The median home value in Utah is $455,000 as of 2023, compared to $236,800 in South Dakota as of 2023.
pay 35.1% less in rent
The median monthly gross rent in Utah is $1,405 as of 2023, while in South Dakota, it is $912 as of 2023.
earn 21.1% less money
The median household income in Utah is $91,750 as of 2023, while in South Dakota, it is $72,421 as of 2023.
Lifestyle
commute 4.4 minutes less
The average one-way commute in Utah takes 22.0 minutes as of 2023. In South Dakota, it takes 17.6 minutes as of 2023.
live among residents who are 6.0 years older on average
The median age in Utah is 31.7 years as of 2023. In South Dakota, the median age is 37.7 years as of 2023.
live in an area that is 71.0% less densely populated
Utah has a population density of 16.2 people per sq km as of 2023. In South Dakota, that number is 4.7 people per sq km as of 2023.
be 13.3% less likely to be food insecure
In Utah, 9.0% of the population is food insecure as of 2021. In South Dakota, that number is 7.8% as of 2021.
be 89.3% more likely to smoke
In Utah, 8.4% of adults smoke as of 2022. In South Dakota, that number is 15.9% as of 2022.
be 24.7% more likely to be physically inactive
In Utah, 18.2% of adults are physically inactive as of 2022. In South Dakota, that number is 22.7% as of 2022.
be 54.3% less likely to have a foreign-born neighbor
In Utah, 4.6% 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.
