If you've noticed more and more new faces in South Dakota over the past year, you're not imagining things.

According to The Travel, the Mount Rushmore state saw the nation's third-largest influx of new residents from 2022 to 2023.   

In their list of States That Saw The Largest Population Growth In 2023, the article has South Dakota trailing only Idaho and South Carolina with the biggest percentage growths over the past 12 months.

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Numbers from World Population Review show an increase of 13,660 in the state over that period, which is 1.5 percent.

STATES WITH LARGEST POPULATION GROWTH IN 2023

  1. Idaho: 34,719 (+1.79)
  2. South Carolina: 89,368 (+1.69%)
  3. South Dakota: 13,660 (+1.5%)
  4. Montana: 16,640 (+1.48%)
  5. Delaware: 13,589 (+1.33%)
  6. Arizona: 94,320 (+1.28%)
  7. Georgia: 124,847 (+1.24%)
  8. North Carolina: 133,088 (+1.23%)
  9. Utah: 41,687 (+1.22%)
  10. Tennessee: 82,988 (+1.18%)

South Dakota's low cost of living in several key areas is being cited as the main contributing factor to the uptick in new residents:

  • No personal income tax
  • Low sales tax
  • Low cost of housing
  • Low cost of groceries
  • Low cost of healthcare

 

Worst Places to Live in South Dakota

A surprising town was named the worst place to live in all of South Dakota and the reason behind it is a bit unexpected.

Money Inc. made a list of the 20 worst cities and towns to live in all of South Dakota and no part of the state is left unmarked.

The list focused on a number of key factors, including crime rate, unemployment, low wages, and school funding.

So which city is the "worst" in South Dakota, according to the article? Read on:

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are not my own and are taken from a list provided by Moneyinc.com

A Survival Guide For Your First Winter in South Dakota

Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and the rest of the Sioux Empire (AKA southeastern South Dakota) are welcoming thousands of new residents every year.


Many of you new folks will be experiencing your first eastern South Dakota winter. While it doesn't usually get as bad as our Dakota friends up north, I speak from experience when I say it can get a little rough.


So, to help ease you into winter in Sioux Falls and South Dakota here are some winter survival tips:

Gallery Credit: RESULTS-TOWNSQUARE MEDIA SIOUX FALLS

The 10 Largest Occupations in South Dakota

Where do people in South Dakota work?

If you were a South Dakotan a hundred years ago, chances are you had a job related to farming or ranching. If you weren't doing the farming, you were selling things to the farmers, fixing things for the farmers, or buying things from the farmers.

In the 2020s, things are very different.

Most of us in the SD work in health care or the service industry in one way or another. In fact, there are more nurses in South Dakota than the entire population of the state capital, Pierre.

Today far more people work at a store or restaurant than have probably ever even been on a farm. Time passes and things change, always. Fifty years from now who knows what jobs South Dakotans will be doing

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, these are the top 10 largest occupations in South Dakota (as of 2022).

Gallery Credit: Ben Kuhns