Now that we’re headed towards the next big election, we wanted to get a better sense of what parts of South Dakota would be the most likely to back Donald Trump again.
Specifically, which cities have the highest number of conservative voters in the Mount Rushmore State?
To do so, we used Saturday Night Science to measure how each city in South Dakota with populations greater than 5,000 voted in past elections. The cities with the highest percentage of voters who voted Republican were named the most conservative cities in the state.
77.7% Republican vote · #1 most conservative in South Dakota
Located in
Butte County, South DakotaBelle Fourche is a city in and the county seat of Butte County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 5,594 at the 2010 census.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
72.2% Republican vote · #2 most conservative in South Dakota
Located in
Pennington County, South DakotaData | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
72.2% Republican vote · #2 most conservative in South Dakota
Located in
Meade County, South DakotaSturgis is a city in Meade County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 6,627 as of the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Meade County and is named after Union General Samuel D. Sturgis.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
68.1% Republican vote · #4 most conservative in South Dakota
Located in
Codington County, South DakotaWatertown is a city in and the county seat of Codington County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 21,482 at the 2010 census. It is the fifth largest city in South Dakota. It is also the principal city of the Watertown Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Codington and Hamlin counties.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
67.9% Republican vote · #5 most conservative in South Dakota
Located in
Beadle County, South DakotaHuron is a city in Beadle County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 12,592 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Beadle County. Huron was the home of now-defunct Huron University. The Huron Plainsman, also referred to as the Plainsman, is the newspaper. The first settlement at Huron was made in 1880. The city was named after the Huron Indians. It is currently the ninth largest city in South Dakota, but it once was the fourth. Huron was in the running for capital of South Dakota but lost out to Pierre due to Pierres positioning.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
66.4% Republican vote · #6 most conservative in South Dakota
Located in
Davison County, South DakotaMitchell is the county seat of Davison County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 15,254 at the 2010 census.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
63.3% Republican vote · #7 most conservative in South Dakota
Located in
Hughes County, South DakotaData | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
63.3% Republican vote · #8 most conservative in South Dakota
Located in
Lawrence County, South DakotaSpearfish is a city in Lawrence County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 10,494 at the 2010 census.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
62.7% Republican vote · #9 most conservative in South Dakota
Located in
Lake County, South DakotaMadison is a city in Lake County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 6,474 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Lake County and is home to Dakota State University.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
61.0% Republican vote · #10 most conservative in South Dakota
Located in
Pennington County, South DakotaRapid City is the second most populous city in South Dakota and the county seat of Pennington County. Named after Rapid Creek, on which the city is established, it is set against the eastern slope of the Black Hills mountain range. The population was 67,956 as of the 2010 Census. Known as the “Gateway to the Black Hills” and the “City of Presidents”, it is split by a low mountain ridge that divides the western and eastern parts of the city. Ellsworth Air Force Base is located on the outskirts of the city. Camp Rapid, a part of the South Dakota Army National Guard, is located in the western part of the city. The historic “Old West” town of Deadwood is nearby. In the neighboring Black Hills are the popular tourist attractions of Mount Rushmore, the Crazy Horse Memorial, Custer State Park, and Wind Cave National Park.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is South Dakota’s statewide median.
On the map
Mapping the conservative strongholds in South Dakota
Saturday Night Science
How we determined the most conservative cities in South Dakota for 2026
To find the most conservative places in South Dakota, we used Saturday Night Science – the argument you’d make at a bar – to find the cities with the most conservatives.
We started by making a list of every city in South Dakota over 5,000 people based on the 2020-2024 American Community Survey. That left us with 18 cities and towns.
We then measured the voting record and MIT election data to determine which places rock the most rightward in their allegiances by:
- Percentage Of Votes For The Republican President In 2020
Because no voting data exists at the city level, we used county-level election results from the 2020 election. We assigned every city in a county the percentage of votes that went to the Republicans, effectively extending the county’s results to the city level. In cases where larger cities encompassed an entire county, the election outcomes accurately reflected the city’s political landscape.
Next, we ranked each city from 1 to 18 for each criterion, where number one was the most conservative.
The winner, Belle Fourche, is “The Most Conservative City in South Dakota For 2026”. The most liberal place in South Dakota was Vermillion.
We updated this article for 2026. This report is our eleventh time ranking the most conservative places to live in South Dakota.
The full plate
Most Conservative Places In South Dakota
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Conservative Score | Population | % Conservative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Belle Fourche | 1.00 | 5,804 | 77.7% |
| 2 | Box Elder | 2.50 | 12,902 | 72.2% |
| 2 | Sturgis | 2.50 | 7,086 | 72.2% |
| 4 | Watertown | 4.00 | 23,044 | 68.1% |
| 5 | Huron | 5.00 | 14,385 | 67.9% |
| 6 | Mitchell | 6.00 | 15,649 | 66.4% |
| 7 | Pierre | 7.00 | 13,948 | 63.3% |
| 8 | Spearfish | 8.00 | 12,930 | 63.3% |
| 9 | Madison | 9.00 | 6,094 | 62.7% |
| 10 | Rapid City | 10.50 | 77,946 | 61.0% |
| 12 | Harrisburg | 13.00 | 8,519 | 60.6% |
| 12 | Sioux Falls | 13.00 | 201,469 | 60.6% |
| 12 | Tea | 13.00 | 6,786 | 60.6% |
| 14 | Yankton | 15.00 | 15,540 | 60.4% |
| 15 | Aberdeen | 16.00 | 28,189 | 60.3% |
| 16 | Brookings | 17.00 | 23,948 | 54.9% |
| 17 | Brandon | 18.50 | 10,996 | 53.3% |
| 18 | Vermillion | 20.00 | 11,878 | 43.1% |
Source: county-level 2020 election results, U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024. 18 cities with more than 5,000 residents.
Summary
Summing Up The Conservative Strongholds in South Dakota
Well, there you have it, the places in South Dakota that have the highest number of conservatives per capita, with Belle Fourche ranking as the most conservative in the entire state.
The most conservative cities in South Dakota are Belle Fourche, Box Elder, Sturgis, Watertown, Huron, Mitchell, Pierre, Spearfish, Madison, and Rapid City.
If you’re curious, here are the least conservative cities in South Dakota. Not sold on South Dakota? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
