In this article, we will explore some of the most liberal cities in South Dakota, where progressive ideas and inclusive attitudes flourish.
If you’re looking to move to South Dakota and want to know where the majority of South Dakotans lean left, you’ve come to the right place.
Specifically, we wanted to know which cities have the highest number of liberal voters in the Mount Rushmore State.
To do so, we analyzed how the people in each city in South Dakota with a population greater than 5,000 voted during the last presidential election. The cities with the highest percentage of voters who voted Democrat were named the most liberal cities in the state.
54.1% Democrat vote · #1 most liberal in South Dakota
Located in
Clay County, South DakotaVermillion is a city in and the county seat of Clay County, in the southeastern corner of the state of South Dakota, and the eleventh largest city in the state. According to the 2010 Census, the population was 10,571. The city lies atop a bluff near the Missouri River.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
43.8% Democrat vote · #2 most liberal in South Dakota
Located in
Minnehaha County, South DakotaSioux Falls is the most populous city in the U.S. state of South Dakota and the 145th-most populous city in the United States. It is the county seat of Minnehaha County. and also extends into Lincoln County to the south. It is the 47th fastest-growing city in the United States and the fastest-growing metro area in South Dakota, with a population increase of 22% between 2000 and 2010.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
43.8% Democrat vote · #2 most liberal in South Dakota
Located in
Minnehaha County, South DakotaBrandon is a city in Minnehaha County, South Dakota, United States and is the largest suburb of Sioux Falls. Brandon is located five miles east of Sioux Falls. The population was estimated at 9,923 by the United States Census Bureau on July 1, 2016, which was up from 8,785 at the 2010 census.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
41.9% Democrat vote · #4 most liberal in South Dakota
Located in
Brookings County, South DakotaBrookings is a city in Brookings County, South Dakota, United States. Brookings is the fourth largest city in South Dakota, with a population of 22,056 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Brookings County, and home to South Dakota State University, the largest institution of higher education in the state. Also found in Brookings are the South Dakota Art Museum, the Children’s Museum of South Dakota, the annual Brookings Summer Arts Festival, and the headquarters of a number of manufacturing companies and agricultural operations.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
37.3% Democrat vote · #5 most liberal in South Dakota
Located in
Brown County, South DakotaAberdeen is a city in and the county seat of Brown County, South Dakota, United States, about 125 miles northeast of Pierre. The city population was 26,091 at the 2010 census, making it the third most populous city in the state after Sioux Falls and Rapid City. Aberdeen is the principal city of the Aberdeen Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Brown and Edmunds counties and has a population of 40,602 in 2010. Aberdeen is considered a college town, being the home of both Northern State University and Presentation College.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
37.0% Democrat vote · #7 most liberal in South Dakota
Harrisburg is a city in Lincoln County, South Dakota, United States and is a suburb of Sioux Falls. The population was 4,089 by the 2010 census, having grown from 958 in 2000 census. The population of the Harrisburg zip code has grown from 2,476 in 2000 to 10,342 in 2010.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
37.0% Democrat vote · #7 most liberal in South Dakota
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
36.8% Democrat vote · #9 most liberal in South Dakota
Located in
Yankton County, South DakotaYankton is a city in, and the county seat of, Yankton County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 14,454 at the 2010 census. Yankton is the principal city of the Yankton Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes the entirety of Yankton County, and which had an estimated population of 22,702 as of July 1, 2015.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
35.8% Democrat vote · #10 most liberal in South Dakota
Located in
Pennington County, South DakotaData | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
35.8% Democrat vote · #10 most liberal 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 liberal strongholds in South Dakota
Saturday Night Science
How we determined the most liberal cities in South Dakota for 2026
To find the most liberal places in South Dakota, we used Saturday Night Science – the argument you’d make at a bar – to find the cities with the most liberals.
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 lean the most leftward in their allegiances by:
- Percentage Of Votes For Democratic 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 Democrats, 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.
The winner, Vermillion, is “The Most liberal City in South Dakota For 2026”. The most conservative place in South Dakota was Belle Fourche.
We updated this article for 2026. This report is our eleventh time ranking the most liberal places to live in South Dakota.
The full plate
Most Liberal Places In South Dakota
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Population | % Liberal |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vermillion | 11,878 | 54.1% |
| 2 | Sioux Falls | 201,469 | 43.8% |
| 2 | Brandon | 10,996 | 43.8% |
| 4 | Brookings | 23,948 | 41.9% |
| 5 | Aberdeen | 28,189 | 37.3% |
| 6 | Harrisburg | 8,519 | 37.0% |
| 6 | Tea | 6,786 | 37.0% |
| 8 | Yankton | 15,540 | 36.8% |
| 9 | Box Elder | 12,902 | 35.8% |
| 9 | Rapid City | 77,946 | 35.8% |
| 11 | Madison | 6,094 | 35.2% |
| 12 | Pierre | 13,948 | 33.9% |
| 13 | Spearfish | 12,930 | 32.8% |
| 14 | Mitchell | 15,649 | 31.3% |
| 15 | Huron | 14,385 | 29.8% |
| 16 | Watertown | 23,044 | 29.2% |
| 17 | Sturgis | 7,086 | 24.0% |
| 18 | Belle Fourche | 5,804 | 19.6% |
Source: county-level 2020 election results, U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024. 18 cities with more than 5,000 residents.
Summary
Summing Up The Liberal Snowflakes in South Dakota
Well, there you have it, the places in South Dakota that have the highest number of liberals per capita, with Vermillion ranking as the least conservative in the entire state.
The most liberal cities in South Dakota are Vermillion, Sioux Falls, Brandon, Brookings, Aberdeen, Harrisburg, Tea, Yankton, Box Elder, and Rapid City.
If you’re curious, here are the least liberal cities in South Dakota. Not sold on South Dakota? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
