Why South Dakota Loves Fireworks More Than Any Other State

Why South Dakota Loves Fireworks More Than Any Other State

Photo by Alexander Kagan on Unsplash

The only thing that rivals most South Dakotans' love for America is our passion for blowing things up every year when the USA celebrates another birthday.

That's certainly the case in 2026 as the nation commemorates 250 years of existence.

And new numbers are shedding light as to exactly how much we love our 4th of July celebrations in the Mount Rushmore State.

READ MORE: How Much Will July 3rd's Mount Rushmore Fireworks Show Cost?  

According to a ValuePenguin analysis of federal trade data, South Dakota imports more fireworks per resident than any other state in the country, $11.4 million worth in 2025, which translates to $12.37 per resident.

States That Import the Highest Value of Fireworks (per person)

  1. South Dakota: $12.37
  2. Missouri: $11.67
  3. Kansas: $5.53
  4. Alabama: $5.44
  5. Nebraska:  $4.78
  6. Ohio: $4.23
  7. Wyoming: $3.93
  8. Montana: $3.48
  9. North Dakota: $2.94
  10. Indiana: $2.91

The top ten states all have one thing in common: fewer state restrictions on consumer fireworks.

How big a factor is that? Look at our neighbors to the east in Minnesota, where the fireworks laws are much stricter. The North Star State is tied for last in the nation with Massachusetts, with just one cent per person in fireworks imports.

But the fireworks industry is a two-way street, and South Dakota excels there, too.

The state is responsible for nearly 13 percent of all fireworks exported to some of the world's biggest fireworks importers: China, Spain, Cambodia, Germany, Thailand, and Italy, which each import more than $2 million in fireworks annually.

South Dakota trails only Virginia in this category.

States That Export the Highest Value of Fireworks to Other Countries

  1. Virginia: $4.7M
  2. South Dakota: $1.2M
  3. Oklahoma: $842,399
  4. Florida: $827,734
  5. Texas: $354,212
  6. Colorado: $332,750
  7. Pennsylvania: $170,309
  8. Tennessee: $158,609
  9. Montana: $156,367
  10. Minnesota: $145,767
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What Was It like to Vacation in South Dakota’s Black Hills 60 Years Ago?

This time of year our thoughts often turn to planning that perfect getaway to enjoy the warmer weather and extended daylight.

For a lot of us in South Dakota, that means a trek to the Black Hills and all of the things they have to offer.

But vacationing in western South Dakota is hardly a new concept. People from all over the globe have been coming to the area for decades.

Gallery Credit: Jeff Harkness/B1027.com

Mount Rushmore's Secret Chamber

Many of us have had the pleasure of visiting South Dakota's most famous monument, Mount Rushmore in the Black Hills.

But, did you know there's a secret chamber in Mount Rushmore?

Gallery Credit: Andy Gott

What Did South Dakota's License Plate Look Like the Year You Were Born?

The first number on a South Dakota license plate is the county that the car is registered. For example, Pennington county where Rapid City is has a '2' starting its plates. In Sioux Falls you have either a '1' or a '44' depending on your relationship to 57th street.

When established in 1956 (and revised in 1987) the first nine counties were ordered by population. Starting with 10 they are in alphabetical order through Ziebach, with Oglala Lakota County (65) and Todd (67) rounding out the list.

Today the top 10 plate numbers and populations don't correlate anymore. 1 and 2 are still 1 and 2, but Lincoln (44) is now 3rd in population. Beadle is 4 but it's now 11th in population. See the list by population here.

On January 1, 2023, South Dakota started issuing a new license plate design for license plates.

So, let's take a look back at what South Dakota license plates looked like over the last 100 years.


Gallery Credit: Ben Kuhns

Filed Under: fireworks, 4th of July
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