Top Cities in South Dakota

South Dakota at a Glance

Best known for being the Mount Rushmore State, South Dakota is one of those states often confused with its northern neighbor, North Dakota. That’s a shame, though, since South Dakota is home to some of America’s greatest treasures. From the Black Hills, home to Rapid City, the Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Wind Cave National Park and the Crazy Horse Memorial, and East River in the metropolitan hub of Sioux Falls, with the Badlands, Missouri River, and Lewis and Clark Trail in between, South Dakota is a wealthy state. Sure, it is not the most populated state in America, but that only adds to the charm and laid back atmosphere. Residents living in South Dakota typically reside in rural or remote towns, with populations as few as 10, flocking to the big cities of Rapid City and Sioux Falls in search of higher education and employment. 

Top Cities in South Dakota

• Belle Fourche  
• Black Hawk  
• Box Elder  
• Buffalo Gap  
• Caputa  
• Custer  
• Deadwood  
• Edgemont  
• Ellsworth Afb  
• Fairburn  
• Fort Meade  
• Hermosa  
• Hill City  
• Hot Springs  
• Kadoka  

Why You’ll Love Living in South Dakota

South Dakota has fewer than a million residents in the entire state, which equates to plenty of the smallest towns you’ve ever seen. Here you have true Main Streets and downtowns thriving thanks to small town living. Crime is almost nonexistent, and most small town South Dakotans don’t even lock their homes when they leave for work. Speaking of homes, the real estate market is booming in the big city of Sioux Falls. Home to 29 percent of the state’s residents, Sioux Falls has experienced a surge in the population at a rate of 22 percent from 2000 to 2010. Meanwhile housing in the smaller towns of South Dakota is much more affordable. For example, the median home price in Lemmon, population 1,227, is $43,900, while it is $151,100 in Sioux Falls. While home prices in towns like Lemmon are a fraction of the cost of big city living, you are far more likely to find newer construction, a variety of housing options, and an increased livability in Sioux Falls and Rapid City, the state's two most populated cities. 

Another major draw to Sioux Falls is the bustling job market. Thanks to no corporate income tax in South Dakota, several big businesses including Capital One, Wells Fargo, Smithfield Foods/John Morrell & Co., Sanford Health, and Avera McKennan Hospital are based in Sioux Falls. Employment in Sioux Falls is matched by the strong educational system. In addition to the University of Sioux Falls, the city is home to Augustana University, the South Dakota School for the Deaf, the University of South Dakota’s Sanford School of Medicine, and Globe University/Minnesota School of Business. Residents from small towns throughout South Dakota often move to Sioux Falls in order to get an education at one of the post-secondary institutions. They often return back to their rural roots in order to raise their families in the safe and peaceful communities where their extended families reside. This regression to rural life increases the community value of the many small towns throughout South Dakota, as nurses, business owners and entrepreneurs bring with them the training and skills to help their small town strive for success.