24+ Pros and Cons of Living In South Dakota (Explained)

South Dakota offers you a gamut of reasons to pack your belongings and start living there. Amidst the unparallel beauty of nature in its most pristine form will give you the pleasures of living in one the most beautiful states of the United States of America.

The booming economy along with a very business-friendly ambiance will provide you with job opportunities galore.  The state has an abundance of treasures in its kitty to offer its residents besides the most panoramic view of the Rushmore Mountains. More and more people are choosing the state for a wonderful lifestyle that is promising! 

Benefits of living in South DakotaDrawbacks of living in South Dakota
Great career opportunitiesExtreme weather
Huge savingsSome very weird laws
An ever-expanding economySparsely populated
Decent and high-quality lifeLow salaries and small-town mentality

Advantages of living in South Dakota

Great career opportunities

The place is a wonderland for the talented and skilled job seekers and is named as the 9th state for landing that most coveted placement of yours. A varied range of career options is available here including the likes of finance, mechanics, nurses, etc.

Browse through all the company’s websites and look for all prospective aspects as the region has a plethora of openings in numerous sectors and it is highly probable that you become successful in landing up your most desired type of job!

Huge savings

South Dakota can very well boast with the righteous pride as it can claim to levy some of the least tax rates on its residents. The state charges no income tax, no personal property tax, or any inheritance tax, and thus living and working in the state definitely ensures huge savings in your pockets.

Along with a very mild and favorable tax structure for its residents, South Dakota is known for its fair amounts of remunerations rates that it has in store for the dwellers. 

An ever-expanding economy

The economy here is mostly on the rise with all the sectors working together to give a bountiful of excellent opportunities and growth factors. The state’s economy is a mixed bag that is driven by agriculture, tourism, financial services, manufacturing along with immense scope in professional, biotech, and other technical services.

It is one of the most favorite destinations for businessmen trying to set up a new venture or for individuals looking for decent-paying jobs. 

Decent and high life quality

South Dakota offers a lower cost of living to its residents as compared to the national average. The prices of health, housing, transportation are much lesser than the other states of the country. The affordable housing with premium healthcare and low traffic and crime makes it one of the best states to retire. 

Disadvantages of living in South Dakota

Extreme Weather

South Dakota is definitely not for the faint-hearted or for the feeble ones. If you are deciding upon living in the state, be rest assured of facing some of the wild extremities of nature. The summers come with their forceful scorching heat with an enormous amount of unbearable humidity.

On the other hand, the winters too shall not be giving you any respite. The winter months are freezing cold mainly affluent with the biting cool winds and a bunch of snowfalls. Thus, mediocrity in terms of the climatic conditions is quite unknown to the locals of South Dakota. 

Some very weird laws

Well if you think how the laws of a state can be termed as weird, you are definitely in for some shock.

Some of the most nonsensical laws of the state include the fact that it is considered illegal to lie down and fall asleep in a cheese factory, it is considered immensely out of the law to allow horses to enter the fountain inn unless they are wearing pants and last but not the least if there happen to be more than five people in your property, you have the liberty of shooting them!

It is no wonder that these ludicrous laws are termed as such but even more surprising is the fact that the locals actually do abide by these!

Sparsely populated

South Dakota is a great option if you are relocating here for the necessity of more space as the state has in offer for you a vast expanse of spacious lands. But one must also consider the fact that the population here is very scattered and the localities are at a great distance from the others.

hence it will become quite difficult to have access to other places and also you need to cover great distances between two towns in order to reach the desired destinations. 

Low salaries and small-town mentality

The state ranks much lower on the ranking when it comes to the salaries of the people. Even though the state offers a low cost of living with a very minimal levy of taxes and affordable housing costs, it is far behind many of the other states of the countries as per the wages are concerned.

Moreover, the state is divided into a range of small towns which is predominantly of the community culture. Though it gives quite a nice feeling of belonging and friendliness among the residents, it also is a cause of nuisance for many as people are always interested in the neighbor’s business.

South Dakota is synonymous with being a wild state and is known for the Black Hills, abundant wildlife, a very low population, and the famous mashed potato wrestling content. It also boasts of a thriving economy with business-friendly activities and various avenues for job seekers.

We are all in the pursuit of finding a safe haven that we call our home, but it is most definitely not an easy task. You need to assess a number of things and your decision can have a huge impact on your life as well as the lives of the people whom you call family. 

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2 thoughts on “24+ Pros and Cons of Living In South Dakota (Explained)”

  1. Many states have “weird laws” on their books. Apparently the author needed as many cons as they could get, so they added this one. Also the “small town mentality” is a curious choice for the list. Rural America is what the left wants their big cities to be like. Unfortunately, big government will always be corrupt and spoil any chance of the feeling one gets from knowing that antifa or blm will not be throwing bricks at their house for posting an American flag. The “extreme weather” choice is an obvious one to have on the list. I’m sure that South Dakotans are aware that they are making a larger carbon footprint than someone in San Diego. Being able to walk through downtown Rapid City without the worry of a drive by shooting is a great feeling. That fact itself cancels out the last con on the list. Too bad more states do not have the same cons (other than the weather) that South Dakota enjoys.

  2. Great & very useful info! We have never visited but my son & daughter-in-law have. They absolutely LOVED it! They said the people all around were the friendliest they’ve ever experienced! (We live in east Tennessee, pretty friendly here).
    My husband & I are considering relocating in a place just like South Dakota! I am retired & he will be soon!

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