Advantages & Disadvantages of Moving to South Dakota

You think about moving to South Dakota but want to get more information about income prospects, job market, housing situation, living costs, climate, safety, public infrastructure, nightlife and much more before making this important decision?

Great! Stick with me since I will show you the pros and cons of living in South Dakota in the following chapters.

Living in South Dakota – Overview

Advantages of Living in South Dakota

1. Low living costs are attractive to many people in South Dakota
2. Rents in South Dakota are still reasonably low
3. Property prices are still affordable for the general public in many regions
4. Housing shortage is not a big issue in most parts of South Dakota yet
5. Many different housing options for big families as well as for single households
6. You will usually find a decent place to stay rather quickly
7. Competition in the South Dakota housing market is fairly low
8. Rather low overall financial pressure for people moving to South Dakota
9. You don’t have to make a fortune to afford a decent lifestyle in South Dakota
10. It’s not all about the money in South Dakota
11. You can meet many tolerant people in South Dakota
12. Many people in South Dakota are pretty helpful
13. You will meet many genuine and real people
14. Easy to socialize in most parts of South Dakota
15. You can make many friends for a lifetime
16. South Dakota offers lots of beautiful nature
17. People living in South Dakota can do many nice things outdoors
18. You can stay fit through nature activities
19. Decent air quality in many parts of South Dakota
20. Moving to South Dakota enables you to go back to the roots
21. You can live a pretty original lifestyle in South Dakota
22. You may be able to live a self-sufficient life in South Dakota
23. Living in South Dakota may help you slow down your life
24. South Dakota is a rather relaxed place
25. Moving to South Dakota may help you grow in character
26. You may discover many new hobbies in South Dakota
27. Many nice day trips you can make in South Dakota
28. Moving to South Dakota makes sense if you don’t like big city life
29. Rather low unemployment rate in South Dakota
30. South Dakota may be a great place to retire
31. You can experience many different cultural influences in the big cities
32. Decent supply of material goods in South Dakota
33. Decent internet connection in most parts of the state
34. Real seasons are interesting to many people in South Dakota
35. Low population density in South Dakota
36. Many recreational spaces for people living in South Dakota
37. South Dakota is not a really hectic state
38. South Dakota is not flooded by tourists yet
39. South Dakota may be a great place to raise your kids
40. You can learn quite a lot about nature in South Dakota
41. Traffic is not a big problem in most parts of South Dakota
42. Moving to South Dakota may make you a more responsible person
43. South Dakota may be an underrated state

Low living costs are attractive to many people in South Dakota

One advantage of living in South Dakota is that living costs are rather low and while people living in California or many other more popular states often have to spend lots of money on drinks and various other nice things, you may be able to afford far more for the same budget in South Dakota.

Rents in South Dakota are still reasonably low

You should also know that rents are still affordable for many people in South Dakota and instead of having to spend lots of money on housing, you may have enough money left to spend on other important things of life and may also be able to save up enough money on retirement while people in far more expensive regions may often struggle in this regard and may suffer from serious old-age poverty.

Property prices are still affordable for the general public in many regions

Not only rents are still pretty low but also property prices are at a reasonably low level in many parts of South Dakota and you may therefore be able to buy a home without financially overextending yourself and also your mortgage rates may still be acceptable.

Housing shortage is not a big issue in most parts of South Dakota yet

Since South Dakota is still not the most popular place to live, also overall demand for housing is rather low and housing shortage is not a big deal in most regions so you will often have a rather relaxed time in the housing market and will be in a pretty good position as a prospective tenant or homebuyer.

Many different housing options for big families as well as for single households

Also no matter whether you are moving to South Dakota with a big family or if you are single right now, chances are you will find more than enough different housing options which will accommodate you no matter what your personal situation currently is.

You will usually find a decent place to stay rather quickly

When moving to South Dakota, you also don’t have to worry about not finding a place to stay since there are so many options and while people moving to San Francisco or other regions where overall demand for housing is much higher may have to search for a place to stay for many months, chances are you will find a decent home much quicker in South Dakota.

Competition in the South Dakota housing market is fairly low

Also overall competition in the housing market is rather low in many parts of South Dakota and you may therefore not have to deal with as many bidders and may be able to buy property at a rather low price and may even be able to buy undervalued property while this might be almost impossible in many other states where people are often willing to spend absurd amounts of money on their dream homes.

Rather low overall financial pressure for people moving to South Dakota

Thanks to rather low living and housing costs, also overall financial pressure for people moving to South Dakota is fairly low and you may therefore not have to worry as much about money and financial problems compared to people moving to more expensive regions and may be better able to enjoy your life.

You don’t have to make a fortune to afford a decent lifestyle in South Dakota

Another upside to living in South Dakota is that due to rather low living costs, you also don’t have to make really good money from your job and will still be able to afford a decent lifestyle and this can be great since you may not have to work many extra hours and may have more time to spend with your loved ones and on the things you like even more than work in general.

It’s not all about the money in South Dakota

While many people in other states mainly care about what you have and all the nice things you own, many people in South Dakota are different in the sense that may care less about money and may also be less career-focused and may rather care about your character and what really matters in life.

You can meet many tolerant people in South Dakota

You should also know that South Dakota is a pretty tolerant state where you can meet many great people and can also have many interesting conversations with people from many different regions.

Many people in South Dakota are pretty helpful

Since many people in South Dakota are pretty helpful, you also don’t have to worry during your first days or weeks in your new home since you will always find someone who will be willing to help you out in case you don’t know what to do in certain unfamiliar situations and through this support, you will often be able to do many important things rather quickly and may be able to become a valued member of society pretty quickly.

You will meet many genuine and real people

Since many people in South Dakota are genuine and honest, you will also get real feedback on the things you do in life and by getting this feedback, you can adjust when things go wrong and may be much better able to succeed in the long run.

Easy to socialize in most parts of South Dakota

Another benefit of living in South Dakota is that since you can meet so many nice, open and helpful people, you will also be able to get in touch with people on a daily basis and may be able to build a strong social circle within a pretty short period of time so you may never feel lonely in this region.

You can make many friends for a lifetime

Since you will meet many people whom you can really rely on even during difficult periods of your life, you may also be able to make many friends for a lifetime in the long run and some of those people may become more than friends but may rather be like family to you after a while.

South Dakota offers lots of beautiful nature

Another advantage of moving to South Dakota is that you will be able to spend lots of time in beautiful nature and this may not only help you relax and reload your batteries but you can also have a great time with your family since your kids will have lots of opportunities to play around.

People living in South Dakota can do many nice things outdoors

You can also do many great nature activities in South Dakota.

For instance, people in South Dakota can go fishing, hunting, hiking and do many other nice things outdoors and can not only enjoy their leisure but can still be productive at the same time.

You can stay fit through nature activities

Since many nature activities involve lots of physical exercise, you may also be able to burn lots of calories and may stay fit in a natural manner while many other people out there may have to go to the gym for getting similar results.

Decent air quality in many parts of South Dakota

You should also note that air quality is pretty decent in many regions of South Dakota and while you may not think about this as an important fact at first, you should know that air quality correlates with health quite a lot and by spending lots of time in regions with clean air, you may be able to lower your risk of suffering from serious health conditions quite a lot.

Moving to South Dakota enables you to go back to the roots

Since you can experience many nice natural environments, you may also be able to live in line with natural forces and similar to the lifestyles of your ancestors and you may therefore be able to preserve some noble traditions while you can still leverage our modern technologies to make your life more convenient.

You can live a pretty original lifestyle in South Dakota

Also in case you just don’t want to live the standard lifestyle most people out there aspire to, moving to South Dakota enables you to live a pretty original lifestyle in the rural regions and you may be able to live your life in a much more senseful manner compared to living the classic consumption lifestyle mainstream society seems to value.

You may be able to live a self-sufficient life in South Dakota

If you want to take it one step further, you may also be able to live a self-sufficient life in South Dakota since you may be able to buy a piece of land at a rather affordable price tag and may be able to raise farm animals and grow your own fruits so you may be able to become independent from traditional stores in the long run.

Living in South Dakota may help you slow down your life

In general, moving to South Dakota may also make quite a lot of sense in case you currently feel stressed with your life in a rather busy region and really want to slow down your life since you may have to work fewer hours to make a decent lifestyle and can enjoy lots of time in beautiful nature in South Dakota so you may be able to regain your power and get on top of your game again.

South Dakota is a rather relaxed place

Another upside to moving to South Dakota is that it is also a pretty relaxed state where people are often not in the same rush as people in busier parts of the US and you may therefore be able to spend your life with many laid-back people and can have a great time with many like-minded fellows.

Moving to South Dakota may help you grow in character

Since you can make many nice experiences and try many different things in South Dakota, you may also be able to spend lots of time alone in nature and by making those experiences, chances are you will be much better able to explore yourself and your true being and may become far stronger as a character in the long run.

You may discover many new hobbies in South Dakota

Since you can do many nice things in nature, you may also discover many new hobbies and you may become really fascinated about fishing, hunting and so on and may become a true nature guy or gal sooner or later.

Many nice day trips you can make in South Dakota

Another benefit of moving to South Dakota is that since there are so many nice natural habitats, you can also make countless day trips and even if you start feeling bored at home, you will still have so many things you can do in different regions so you can really enjoy your time in South Dakota in the long run.

Moving to South Dakota makes sense if you don’t like big city life

You should also ask yourself whether you are the type of person who loves big city life.

If the answer to this question is no, you may get really happy with moving to South Dakota since you will just not find many big metropolitan regions but will be able to spend lots of time in nature instead.

Rather low unemployment rate in South Dakota

Thanks to rather low unemployment rates, many people in South Dakota are also able to find decent jobs rather quickly and as long as you have solid education, chances are you will find a job fairly quickly and even in case you get laid off, you may still find a new one rather soon.

South Dakota may be a great place to retire

Since there are so many nice things you can do in South Dakota nature at a reasonably low price tag or even for free while living and housing costs are not really high in general, South Dakota may also be a great place to retire for people who don’t have a high budget but still want to live a decent lifestyle during the last chapter of their lives.

You can experience many different cultural influences in the big cities

If you move to the biggest cities of South Dakota, you will also be able to experience many different cultural influences and can also talk to many interesting people so you can hear many different stories and may be able to see the world from a different perspective and can become more mature as well.

Decent supply of material goods in South Dakota

As long as you move to the urban parts of South Dakota, you also don’t have to worry about running out of important material goods and will find most things you need rather close to your home.

Decent internet connection in most parts of the state

You should also keep in mind that most people in South Dakota have pretty decent internet connection and this enables you to stay in touch with your loved ones from other states and may also help you work from home if you work in a classic office environment and want to be more flexible when it comes to managing your private and professional life.

Real seasons are interesting to many people in South Dakota

Since you can experience warm summers and pretty cold winters, you can also do many different things under different climatic circumstances and this may make your life much more interesting compared to people moving to Florida or other regions where it is just rather warm all year long.

Low population density in South Dakota

Thanks to rather low population density, you will also find many quiet spaces where you can hang out in public and will not get distracted by annoying people or loud noises so you will be able to think about important things that need to be fixed during difficult periods of your life.

Many recreational spaces for people living in South Dakota

You will also find many parks and other green spaces in the urban parts of South Dakota and will therefore have more than enough opportunities to sit down in those quiet places during lunch break or after work so you can relax and reload your batteries for the stressful times that may yet be ahead of you.

South Dakota is not a really hectic state

You should also know that South Dakota is not a hectic state at all and you will therefore find more than enough opportunities to relax and will also have an easier time getting in touch with people compared to busier states where people just rush from one meeting to the other and may not take enough time to socialize.

South Dakota is not flooded by tourists yet

Since South Dakota is not flooded by tourists yet, you will also not run into big groups of people on a regular basis but will rather find many quiet spaces where you can relax in a rather peaceful atmosphere in many rural regions.

South Dakota may be a great place to raise your kids

Since there are so many nice things you can do outdoors, South Dakota may also be a great state to see your kids grow up since you can go fishing and do many other great things in nature so your kids can become really happy and also learn quite a lot about natural processes in general.

You can learn quite a lot about nature in South Dakota

Not only your kids can learn quite a lot about nature but moving to South Dakota can also be great for yourself since you will learn why it is so important to protect our planet and may adjust your behavior to a more sustainable way of life.

Traffic is not a big problem in most parts of South Dakota

You should also know that traffic jams are rather rare in most parts of the state and you will therefore be able to get around by car in a pretty efficient manner while people moving to Los Angeles or other crowded regions often lose lots of time in traffic on a regular basis.

Moving to South Dakota may make you a more responsible person

Since you can make many nice experiences in nature and will also learn a lot about yourself, you may also be able to really grow in character in the South Dakota region and may become a more responsible person in the long run.

South Dakota may be an underrated state

Since there are so many nice things you can do in South Dakota at a rather low price level or even for free while living and housing costs are still fairly low, South Dakota may still be considered an underrated state and you may be able to reap many benefits at a rather low price tag by moving to this state.

Now that you know the reasons for moving to South Dakota, we also have to talk about the drawbacks of living in South Dakota in the following so you will be better able to decide whether you still want to move to South Dakota or rather want to live in Oklahoma or a different region instead.

Disadvantages of Living in South Dakota

1. Nightlife is not really great in many parts of South Dakota
2. Not many great sports teams in South Dakota
3. Hard to find really good education in many parts of South Dakota
4. Hard to get around by public transport in South Dakota
5. People who can’t drive a car may get stuck in many regions of South Dakota
6. South Dakota is not located at the coast
7. Nature in South Dakota becomes increasingly polluted
8. Limited entertainment options outside of the big cities of South Dakota
9. South Dakota may not be the greatest place for young people
10. You may get bored with the South Dakota way of life in the long run
11. South Dakota may not be the most popular state
12. Living and housing costs are about to increase in South Dakota
13. Hard to meet many international tourists in South Dakota
14. South Dakota may be too quiet for you
15. You should love nature before thinking about moving to South Dakota
16. Rather low income level in South Dakota
17. Hard to get rich in many parts of South Dakota
18. South Dakota may not attract as many talented people as many other states
19. You may have a hard time building a solid business network in South Dakota
20. Pretty long distances in the rural parts of South Dakota
21. Many people in the rural regions have to spend lots of time organizing their lives
22. You may have to spend quite a lot of time in your car
23. Natural disasters may become more common in South Dakota in the future
24. Your loved ones may not understand your decision of moving to South Dakota
25. You may miss great museums in South Dakota
26. Hard to find really good art scenes in many regions
27. Winters in South Dakota may be too cold for you
28. Cultural diversity is often not great in the rural parts of South Dakota
29. Rather questionable future outlook for South Dakota

Nightlife is not really great in many parts of South Dakota

One problem with moving to South Dakota is that nightlife is not really great outside of the big cities and in case you are still young and want to explore yourself, you may not get happy in this regard in many parts of South Dakota and may be better off moving to Chicago or other more vibrant places.

Not many great sports teams in South Dakota

You should also know that there are also not many really great sports teams in the South Dakota region and in case you are a sports fan and want to watch many games at the highest level live in person, you may not get happy with your life in South Dakota in the long run.

Hard to find really good education in many parts of South Dakota

While you may find some solid schools and colleges in the big cities of South Dakota, you may still have a hard time finding good education in the rural parts of the state and may have to drive long distances for bringing your kids to school and this may become really annoying and time-consuming.

Hard to get around by public transport in South Dakota

Another downside to moving to South Dakota is that public transport is not really great in many regions and you may therefore not be able to rely on buses or trains if you have to get to important appointments on time.

People who can’t drive a car may get stuck in many regions of South Dakota

Since public transport infrastructure is not great, you may also urgently need a car to get around in South Dakota in an efficient manner and in case you are not able to drive, you may just get stuck at home and your overall quality of life may be rather low.

South Dakota is not located at the coast

Since South Dakota is not located at the coast, you will also not have the same opportunities to go surfing or relaxing at the beach compared to people living in Maine or other coastal regions and your overall quality of life may be much lower due to that.

Nature in South Dakota becomes increasingly polluted

While you will be able to experience many really nice things in nature, you should also know that natural environments become increasingly polluted since people often dispose of their trash in nature and if this trend continues, overall quality of life may drop significantly since hanging out in nature will no longer be as great as it used to be.

Limited entertainment options outside of the big cities of South Dakota

Another disadvantage of moving to South Dakota is that overall entertainment options may be rather limited and there may just not be as many exciting things to do in many parts of South Dakota as you may be used to from other bigger metropolitan regions.

South Dakota may not be the greatest place for young people

Since you will not find action all day and night long in most regions of South Dakota, it may also not be the greatest place to move to for the young generation since you may just not find enough opportunities to really explore yourself and may get fed up with your life in South Dakota in the long run.

You may get bored with the South Dakota way of life in the long run

Since South Dakota may not be the most exciting place, you may also not get happy with your life in South Dakota and may rather want to move to New York City or other more vibrant places sooner or later.

South Dakota may not be the most popular state

You should also know that while South Dakota has become more popular all over the US over the past decades, it may still not be the most popular state and when moving to South Dakota, your loved ones from other states may not visit you as often as would be the case if you moved to regions where there are just more exciting things to do.

Living and housing costs are about to increase in South Dakota

While living and housing costs are still fairly low, they may still increase significantly in the future in case more people from other states want to move to South Dakota since this would greatly boost overall demand for housing and goods in general which may drive prices in the long run.

Hard to meet many international tourists in South Dakota

Another downside to living in South Dakota is that you will often also have a hard time meeting many international tourists in this region and you may therefore not have as many interesting conversations with people from all over the globe compared to people living in Washington D.C. or other much more popular places for tourists.

South Dakota may be too quiet for you

If you are the type of person who loves action and needs adrenaline all day and night long, you may also not get happy with your life in South Dakota since it is a rather quiet place where you may only get happy if you are willing to slow down your life and may not be dependent on the hectic lifestyle many other people aspire to.

You should love nature before thinking about moving to South Dakota

In general, you should take an honest look in the mirror and ask yourself whether you really love nature or not since in case you don’t, you may just not get happy with your life in South Dakota and may want to move to states with bigger metropolitan regions.

Rather low income level in South Dakota

Another problem with living in South Dakota is that overall income levels are pretty low and unless you have enormously valuable skills, you may not be able to make really good money from your job in South Dakota.

Hard to get rich in many parts of South Dakota

Due to rather low income levels, you may also have a rather hard time getting wealthy or even rich in most parts of South Dakota and if your goal is to make as much money as possible, you may be better off moving to San José or other regions where income levels are far higher.

South Dakota may not attract as many talented people as many other states

Since you may not be able to make really good money from most jobs in South Dakota, the state may also not attract many talented people and you may therefore not be able to compete with the best of the best and may not be able to learn as much as in more competitive regions.

You may have a hard time building a solid business network in South Dakota

Since you may have a hard time meeting many ambitious and talented people, you may also struggle to build a strong business network and this may slow down your career progress quite a lot in the long run.

Pretty long distances in the rural parts of South Dakota

Another disadvantage of living in South Dakota is that distances are often pretty long outside of the urban regions and this means you may have to drive long hours to visit your friends in different parts of the state and may therefore not have as much company as you might have hoped for.

Many people in the rural regions have to spend lots of time organizing their lives

Since distances can be pretty long, it can also be a real challenge to organize your life in the rural parts of the state since you may need to spend lots of time planning various things and may also have to drive long distances to doctors, grocery stores and so on which may make your life pretty inefficient.

You may have to spend quite a lot of time in your car

In general, many people in South Dakota have to spend lots of time in their cars since they often have to drive long distances to get what they need and this may become really annoying and is also pretty bad for our environment.

Natural disasters may become more common in South Dakota in the future

Due to global warming, also the risk of natural disasters may become more common in the future and in case you are unlucky, you may not even lose your home and everything you have but may even lose your life in one of those tragic events.

Your loved ones may not understand your decision of moving to South Dakota

Since South Dakota may not be the most popular state, your loved ones may also not understand your decision of moving to this place and you may have to justify quite a lot due to that.

You may miss great museums in South Dakota

You should also not expect to find really great museums in most parts of South Dakota and you may therefore not see as many renowned unique pieces of art as in many other regions.

Hard to find really good art scenes in many regions

In general, most parts of South Dakota may also not be great places to live in for you in case you are an artist yourself and want to hang out with other like-minded people since art scenes outside of the biggest cities are not really great most of the time.

Winters in South Dakota may be too cold for you

People living in South Dakota often also have to deal with pretty cold winters and in case you can’t stand the heat, you may be better off moving to El Paso or other regions where it is usually warm all year long.

Cultural diversity is often not great in the rural parts of South Dakota

You should also not expect to find high levels of cultural diversity in the rural parts of South Dakota and you may therefore not be able to have as many interesting conversations as in many other more liberal states that may be more open to alternative ways of life.

Rather questionable future outlook for South Dakota

Due to rather high crime rates and poor public infrastructure in many regions, it is also rather unclear whether South Dakota may have a great future or overall quality of life may drop significantly and many people may leave this region sooner or later.

Top 10 Moving To South Dakota Pros & Cons – Summary List

Is South Dakota A Good Place To Live?

While moving to South Dakota can make sense since living and housing costs are low, you can enjoy lots of beautiful nature and unemployment rate in South Dakota is pretty low, you should still know that South Dakota is not the safest state, income levels are rather low and its overall future outlook is rather unclear.

In the end, it is on you to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of moving to South Dakota by yourself so you can make the best possible decision according to your individual preferences.

Most Popular Cities To Live In South Dakota – Comparison

Alternative States To Live

If you no longer want to move to South Dakota, you may also want to have a look at the following articles:

Advantages and disadvantages of living in South Carolina

Advantages and disadvantages of living in Rhode Island

Advantages and disadvantages of living in Pennsylvania

Sources

https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/SD

About the author

This site is about living, moving and traveling to various parts of our fascinating planet.

My name is Andreas and when I was younger, I traveled the world and learned a lot about different cultures and countries.

Thus, I want to share my experiences with you so that you can benefit from them and avoid common mistakes in this regard.

In my articles, you will find everything you need to find the best location for a happy and successful life.