Best Places to Live in South Dakota (2011)

This article, the fiftieth in a 50-state series, ranks the best places to live in South Dakota based on three criteria: (1) median household income (adjusted for cost of living); (2) educational attainment (% of residents 25 years and over who have earned a bachelor's degree or higher); and (3) property crime rates per 1,000 residents (burglary and automobile thefts). For purposes of these rankings, "places" are incorporated municipalities with populations greater than 2,000.

Among the ten best places to live in South Dakota, seven are suburbs or exurbs of Sioux Falls, two are suburbs or exurbs of Pierre, and one is an exurb of Rapid City. By county, three of the best places to live in South Dakota are located in Minnehaha County, two in Lincoln County, and one each in Brookings, Brule, Clay, Custer, and Stanley counties.

After reading "Best Places to Live in South Dakota (2011)," return to this link to read "Largest Cities in South Dakota (2011)." A collection of similar articles for the remaining 49 states can be found at these links: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

For the culmination of the 50-state series, read "Best Places to Live in America (2011)."

1. Best Places to Live in South Dakota (2011) - Brandon, SD (Minnehaha County)

Population: 7,446

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $76,259
Bachelor's degree or higher (25 years and over): 30.7%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 0

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Pierre, SD: 228 miles WNW
Sioux Falls, SD: 8 miles SW

2. Best Places to Live in South Dakota (2011) - Harrisburg, SD (Lincoln County)

Population: 4,022

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $85,826
Bachelor's degree or higher (25 years and over): 34.6%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 4.62*

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Pierre, SD: 235 miles WNW
Sioux Falls, SD: 9 miles N

3. Best Places to Live in South Dakota (2011) - Brookings, SD (Brookings County)

Population: 19,624

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $44,400
Bachelor's degree or higher (25 years and over): 43.9%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 0.5

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Pierre, SD: 190 miles W
Sioux Falls, SD: 59 miles S

4. Best Places to Live in South Dakota (2011) - Hartford, SD (Minnehaha County)

Population: 2,137

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $73,796
Bachelor's degree or higher (25 years and over): 26.5%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 0.9*

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Pierre, SD: 209 miles WNW
Sioux Falls, SD: 17 miles SE

5. Best Places to Live in South Dakota (2011) - Dell Rapids, SD (Minnehaha County)

Population: 3,070

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $74,795
Bachelor's degree or higher (25 years and over): 25.0%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 0.9*

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Pierre, SD: 211 miles WNW
Sioux Falls, SD: 22 miles S

6. Best Places to Live in South Dakota (2011) - Tea, SD (Lincoln County)

Population: 3,886

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $82,560
Bachelor's degree or higher (25 years and over): 29.8%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 5.16

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Pierre, SD: 227 miles WNW
Sioux Falls, SD: 13 miles NE

7. Best Places to Live in South Dakota (2011) - Vermillion, SD (Clay County)

Population: 10,317

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $27,065
Bachelor's degree or higher (25 years and over): 47.3%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 0.86

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Pierre, SD: 269 miles NW
Sioux Falls, SD: 64 miles N

8. Best Places to Live in South Dakota (2011) - Chamberlain, SD (Brule County)

Population: 2,267

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $53,605
Bachelor's degree or higher (25 years and over): 33.8%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 2.66

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Pierre, SD: 85 miles NW
Sioux Falls, SD: 143 miles E

9. Best Places to Live in South Dakota (2011) - Custer, SD (Custer County)

Population: 2,105

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $45,144
Bachelor's degree or higher (25 years and over): 33.8%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 1.78*

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Pierre, SD: 213 miles ENE
Rapid City, SD: 41 miles NE

10. Best Places to Live in South Dakota (2011) - Ft. Pierre, SD (Stanley County)

Population: 2,121

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $67,058
Bachelor's degree or higher (25 years and over): 21.7%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 1.8*

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Pierre, SD: 3 miles NE
Sioux Falls, SD: 223 miles ESE

*In some cases, municipalities do not report their crime statistics to the FBI or they contract for services with the state or a county law enforcement agency. For those towns, crime rates are extrapolated from municipal, county, state, or contiguous municipality data.

The sources used in support of this article include the latest 1, 3, and 5-year estimates from the U.S. Census and the most recent FBI Uniform Crime Report.

More Articles from J.C. Grant

"Average ACT Scores by State (2010)"
"Average SAT Scores by State (2010)"
"Largest U.S. Cities: Population Size (2011)"
"Most_Dangerous_Cities_in_America - Murder Rates"
"State Education Rankings: Graduation Rates for High School, College, and Grad/Professional School"
"State Education Rankings: SAT Scores"

Source(s):

"All Cities in South Dakota," City-Data.com
"2009 ACS 1-year Estimates," U.S. Census Bureau
"2007-2009 ACS 3-year Estimates," U.S. Census Bureau
"2006-2008 ACS 3-year Estimates," U.S. Census Bureau
"2005-2009 ACS 5-Year Estimates," U.S. Census Bureau
"Uniform Crime Report," Federal Bureau of Investigation