Moving to South Dakota, Sioux Falls, Real Estate, Cost of Living

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In the northern Midwest, South Dakota is home to the pine-covered Black Hills where Mt. Rushmore serves as the state's icon and major tourist draw, attracting thousands of visitors from around the nation each year.

Sioux Falls, with a population of 150,000, is the state's largest city. Mostly rural, South Dakota still relies heavily on agriculture as its chief industry.

Meanwhile, major employers in Sioux Falls and Pierre (the state capital) include those in the health care, insurance and banking industries. According to the South Dakota Department of Labor, projected fastest-growing occupations through 2014 include computer software engineers, physician assistants, home healthcare workers and physical therapists.

South Dakota quality-of-life statistics

Moving to SD
Fast Facts

• Find a job: South Dakota Works

• Start a business: Doing Business in South Dakota

• Get a driver's license: SD Driver Licensing

• Retire to South Dakota: Best Places to Retire - Sioux Falls, SD

Demographics : (South Dakota Census Data)
Major cities: Pierre (capital), Sioux Falls, Rapid City, Aberdeen
Population : 781,919
White : 88.5%
Black, African American : 0.8%
Hispanic : 2.1%
High school graduates : 84.6%
Bachelor's degree or higher : 21.5%
Average household income: $39,265

Cost of Living: Sperling's Best Places - South Dakota - Compared to the rest of the country, South Dakota's cost of living is 18.05% lower than the U.S. average.

Property Taxes : South Dakota Tax Climate - Comparatively modest property tax collection amounts to $932 per capita, ranking South Dakota 32rd highest nationally.

Personal Income Taxes: South Dakota is one of only seven states that does not impose a tax on individual wage income.

Housing & Real Estate Overview
Home ownership rate : 68.2%
Average home price : $158,900
Average travel time to work : 16.6 minutes

Schools : see South Dakota Department of Education

Weather : Seasonably hot in the summer, South Dakota winters are infamously cold thanks to arctic blasts from the Canadian north with heaviest snows typically occurring in the fall and spring.

Crime : see Crime in South Dakota

also see -> South Dakota Taxes | South Dakota Eviction Laws

South Dakota Lakes & Beaches | South Dakota Tourism

South Dakota Kids Party Locations

More about relocating to South Dakota around the Web:

South Dakota - The official State of South Dakota government site with overviews of major towns & cities, links and information to jobs & employment, demographic data, business development, tourism.

Sioux Falls.com - Major portal with links to facts & information on city services, housing, education & health care, tourist attractions, history & culture, related links.

South Dakota real estate, apartments & job classifieds:

Pierre : Capital Journal
Rapid City : Journal
Sioux Falls: Argus Leader