Some of you might be asking yourself, at this very moment: is South Dakota a good place?
The answer is unequivocally yes… if you know where to locate the best places to live in South Dakota.
Lucky for you, we’re here to help you identify the best counties to live in the Mount Rushmore State based on the most recently available data from the Census. And this isn’t our first rodeo — we’ve been helping people find the best places to live in America for years.
So, the question becomes, if you wanted to relocate to the best part of South Dakota, where would you go? To answer that we looked at crime, cost of living, and demographic data for all 64 counties in the state.
After the analytic dust settled, we identified the 10 best counties to live in Mount Rushmore State for 2022.
The 10 Best Counties To Live In South Dakota For 2022
Stanley County is the county to be when it comes to living the good life in South Dakota. And you might want to avoid Todd County if you can — at least according to the data.
So if you’re thinking of making the move South Dakota, we’ve got you covered. Keep on reading for a detailed methodology.
Or, check out the best places to live in South Dakota and the cheapest places to live in South Dakota.
The Best Counties To Live In South Dakota For 2022
1. Stanley County
Biggest Place: Fort Pierre
Population: 3,058
Median Income: $71,602.0 (3rd best)
Median Home Price: $154,900.0 (16th best)
Unemployment Rate: 0.0% (best)
More on Stanley County: Photos | Data
2. Union County
Biggest Place: Dakota Dunes
Population: 15,659
Median Income: $74,006.0 (2nd best)
Median Home Price: $206,300.0 (5th best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.3% (27th best)
More on Union County: Photos | Data
3. Hand County
Biggest Place: Miller
Population: 3,064
Median Income: $58,333.0 (29th best)
Median Home Price: $120,100.0 (3best)
Unemployment Rate: 0.0% (best)
More on Hand County: Data
4. Lincoln County
Biggest Place: Sioux Falls
Population: 58,887
Median Income: $84,260.0 (best)
Median Home Price: $240,200.0 (best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.7% (4best)
More on Lincoln County: Photos | Data
5. Sully County
Biggest Place: Onida
Population: 1,278
Median Income: $60,508.0 (27th best)
Median Home Price: $130,800.0 (26th best)
Unemployment Rate: 0.6% (7th best)
More on Sully County: Data
6. Minnehaha County
Biggest Place: Sioux Falls
Population: 191,682
Median Income: $63,699.0 (14th best)
Median Home Price: $201,500.0 (6th best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.6% (38th best)
More on Minnehaha County: Photos | Data
7. Potter County
Biggest Place: Gettysburg
Population: 2,311
Median Income: $57,120.0 (34th best)
Median Home Price: $106,000.0 (4best)
Unemployment Rate: 1.0% (10th best)
More on Potter County: Data
8. Hughes County
Biggest Place: Pierre
Population: 17,560
Median Income: $69,575.0 (4th best)
Median Home Price: $181,400.0 (10th best)
Unemployment Rate: 1.8% (2best)
More on Hughes County: Photos | Data
9. Hyde County
Biggest Place: Highmore
Population: 1,446
Median Income: $59,844.0 (28th best)
Median Home Price: $104,300.0 (42nd best)
Unemployment Rate: 0.5% (5th best)
More on Hyde County: Data
10. Deuel County
Biggest Place: Clear Lake
Population: 4,309
Median Income: $67,396.0 (7th best)
Median Home Price: $120,300.0 (30th best)
Unemployment Rate: 1.3% (13th best)
More on Deuel County: Data
Methodology: How do you determine which South Dakota county is the best?
To give you the best county in South Dakota, we have to look at a handful of metrics that signal the quality of a place. To do that, we need to make some assumptions about what’s a “best county” and what isn’t. And, for reference, we are trying to make the kind of argument you’d make at a bar using facts, don’t take this analysis to court.
With that in mind, we went to two of the best sources of data on the internet; the American Community Survey data and FBI Crime data for the most recent time period.
We paid particular attention to:
- Violent Crime Rates
- Property Crime Rates
- Median Home Values
- Median Income
- Unemployment Rates
- Adult Education Levels
- Health Insurance Coverage
- Poverty Rates
We then ranked each county in South Dakota across each of the criteria from one to 64, with one being the best.
Taking the average rank across all criteria, we created a quality of life score with the county posting the lowest overall score being the “Best County To Live In South Dakota”.
The result is some of the safest, quiet, and best counties to raise a family in the Mount Rushmore State.
Read on to see why Stanley County is the best county, while Todd County is probably in contention for being the worst county in South Dakota.
Summary: The Best Counties In South Dakota To Call Home For 2018
It turns out living in South Dakota can vary from one part of the state to the next — who woulda thought?
But now you the know the really good parts and the parts to avoid and that’s why you came here to learn at the end of the day. And for that, you are welcome.
Here’s a look at the worst counties in South Dakota according to the data:
- Todd County
- Oglala Lakota County
- Jackson County
For more South Dakota reading, check out:
- Safest Places In South Dakota
- Best Places To Buy A House In South Dakota
- Best Places To Raise A Family In South Dakota
- Cheapest Places To Live In South Dakota
