Vets Make-Up Nearly 10% of South Dakota’s Population, The 12th Highest in the US

At last count, there are more than 18 million veterans who have served in the United States military, and in South Dakota, they make up nearly ten percent of the state's population - one of the highest rates in the country.

24/7 Wall St. reviewed U.S. Census Bureau data and found that South Dakota is home to 58,800 vets, which translates to nine percent of the population.

Nearly One-in-Ten South Dakotans Have Served in the Military

Those same figures show that South Dakota veterans experience unemployment at the fourth highest rate in the nation (5.6%) and are disabled at the 16th highest rate in America (31.2%).

Nationwide, veterans comprise 7.3% of the civilian population over the age of 18.

States With the Highest Percentage of Veterans

1. Alaska (11.9%)
2. Virginia (10.6%)
3. Montana (10.6%)
4. Wyoming (10.2%)
5. Hawaii (9.8%)
6. Maine (9.7%)
7. Washington (9.4%)
8. South Carolina (9.3%)
9. New Mexico (9.3%)
10. Oklahoma (9.1%)

New York (4.5%) and New Jersey (4.6%) are the only states where veterans make up less than five percent of the total population.