State relocation profile · Federal data
South Dakota
South Dakota sits in the cheaper third of BEA RPP states, rent, wages, safety, schools and childcare below.
- 88.6
- Cost index (US=100)
- $989
- 2BR rent / mo
- $64,417
- Median salary
- 57.9
- Life Score
The verdict
As of June 2026, South Dakota ranks #10 of 51 scored US states on the composite Life Score (57.9/100, C-), with its strongest marks in childcare and cost of living.
- #10 of 51
- Life Score among scored states
- 57.9
- Life Score · C-
- 88.6
- Cost of living (US=100)
- $64,417
- Median annual salary (BLS)
Weakest dimension: wages (10/100). State-level figures are a benchmark, individual metros can diverge sharply, so weigh each dimension against your own priorities.
According to PlainRelocate's state Life Score composite (BEA, BLS, HUD, FBI, NCES, DOL, and EPA inputs), South Dakota ranks #10 of 51 scored US states by Life Score (highest score = #1). Cost-of-living index 88.6 (100 = national average), median 2-bedroom rent $989/mo, median salary $64,417; Life Score 57.9/100 (C-), strongest in childcare and cost of living.
Signature: South Dakota lists 2 MSAs; the state average is closer to a single-labor-market read.
Purchasing power opens up: BEA RPP 88.6 lands in the cheaper third of US states (cuts at 93.3 / 100.7). HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent averages $989/mo statewide, against a BLS median salary of $64,417.
Composite Life Score 57.9/100 (C-) puts South Dakota in the top third (#10 of 51).
Metro book is thin (2 MSAs); the statewide profile is closer to the labor market you will actually live in.
Life Score plate
Sheet SD · South Dakota 57.9/100 · C- · #10 of 51
LIFE-CM · RANK-TOP · PHOTO-FINISH · RPP-CHEAP · LEAD-CHILDCARE · BOOK-FULL
- LIFE-CM Life Score C-
- RANK-TOP #10/51
- PHOTO-FINISH ±0.0 pts
- RPP-CHEAP RPP 88.6
- LEAD-CHILDCARE Lead · childcare
- BOOK-FULL 7/7 dims
Nearest Life Score peer: North Carolina (+ 0.0 pts)
Instrument codes from this state’s Life Score grade, corpus rank, peer gap, BEA RPP posture, lead dimension, and dimension book, not a moving recommendation.
Life Score neighbourhood around South Dakota
Lowest/highest poles plus states nearest South Dakota on composite Life Score. Full ladder: /rankings/.
South Dakota childcare costs
DOL state-average center rates for South Dakota (infant $6,595/yr leads the book).
South Dakota Life Score breakdown
South Dakota composites to 57.9/100 (C-) across 7 of 7 dimensions; corpus place #10 of 51.
South Dakota - Life Score dimensions
Percentile vs all US states (100 = best in the nation for that dimension)
- Childcare
Childcare
93 /100
- Cost of living
Cost of living
90 /100
- Rent
Rent
82 /100
- Environment
Environment
70 /100
- Safety
Safety
42 /100
- Schools 30
Schools
30 /100
- Wages 10
Wages
10 /100
What this shows South Dakota's strongest dimensions are childcare and cost of living; its weakest among scored dims is wages at 10/100. Each dimension is a federal-data percentile; the composite folds 7 of 7 into one comparable figure.
States near South Dakota on cost or Life Score
Nearest neighbors to South Dakota on BEA RPP or composite Life Score, a different lens than the in-state metro list below.
Similar cost of living (BEA RPP)
Metros in South Dakota
Explore detailed relocation data for 2 metropolitan areas in South Dakota. South Dakota contains 2 metropolitan statistical areas in our dataset - Rapid City, Sioux Falls - each with its own rent, wage and crime profile that can diverge sharply from the statewide average.
Rapid City metro · Compare metros · Cost vs quality · Methodology
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, HUD Fair Market Rents, BLS OES, FBI UCR, NCES, DOL, EPA June 2026
South Dakota cost figures follow BEA Regional Price Parities and HUD Fair Market Rents; South Dakota wages and safety follow BLS OEWS and FBI UCR. Research use only, verify at the agency source before you move.