More People Are Calling South Dakota Home Than Ever

New numbers reinforce what we've known in South Dakota for quite some time now - more and more people want to call the Mount Rushmore State home.

According to a new national migration study by SavvyNomad, analyzing domestic population shifts across the United States, South Dakota had the sixth-highest influx rate of people in America based on data from the U-Haul Growth Index, which tracks in-migration and out-migration for each state.

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The study shows the state with an in-migration number of 50.9, compared with an out-migration rate of 49.1.

STATES GAINING THE MOST PEOPLE

• Michigan: +9.6
• West Virginia: +9.2
• Idaho: +2.0
• South Carolina: +2.0
• Maine: +1.8
• South Dakota: +1.8
• Tennessee: +1.6
• Montana: +1.4
• North Carolina: +1.4
• Texas: +1.4

This continues a 150-year trend in South Dakota's population rates.

The state has seen an 11.5% increase since 2010, growing by over 6,000 residents between 2023 and 2024. At that rate, South Dakota could potentially reach 1,000,000 inhabitants by 2030.

The news wasn't so good for two of the state's neighbors, as both North Dakota and Nebraska are among the places losing more people than are moving in.

STATES LOSING THE MOST PEOPLE

• New Jersey: -4.8
• Massachusetts: -3.6
• Rhode Island: -3.2
• North Dakota: -2.2
• New York: -2.2
• Illinois: -2.2
• Maryland: -2.0
• Connecticut: -2.0
• Nebraska: -1.4
• California: -1.2
• Delaware: -1.2

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