Which has more people, Iowa or South Dakota?

Iowa has a population of 3,246,320 (32nd of 51 US states) and South Dakota has 943,078 (46th of 51).

How do Iowa and South Dakota compare on Median Household Income?

Median Household Income: Iowa $75,059 (32nd of 51), South Dakota $75,081 (31st of 51) among US states. South Dakota ranks better.

How do Iowa and South Dakota compare on Unemployment Rate (%)?

Unemployment Rate (%): Iowa 3.5% (tied 15th of 51), South Dakota 2.1% (1st of 51) among US states. South Dakota ranks better.

Where does Iowa beat South Dakota most clearly?

Iowa ranks far ahead on FTE Lack of Laws Rank (Most Corrupt States): 44th vs 2nd; Corruption Score (BestLife) (Most Corrupt States): 82.14 vs 3.87; Annual Conviction Rate (Most Corrupt States): 0.18 per 10k Government Employees vs 0.85 per 10k Government Employees.

Where does South Dakota beat Iowa most clearly?

South Dakota ranks far ahead on Lake Surface Area (acres) (Bass Fishing by State): 370,000 vs 814; Lake Surface Area (mi) (Bass Fishing by State): 578.1 vs 1.3; Fiscal Freedom Rank (Most Libertarian States): 3rd vs 43rd.

Iowa vs South Dakota

Iowa comes out ahead of South Dakota on 410 of 788 statistics where one end is better, to 356 with 22 ties. Iowa leads on Crime & Safety, Politics & Government and Health and 3 more categories. South Dakota leads on Geography, Infrastructure & Energy and Facts & Trivia and 7 more categories.

788 statistics with a better end, compared

Each counts once for the place that ranks better; 22 ties. Totals that mostly track population are left out.

Iowa

Wins: 410
Avg. percentile: 54
Categories led: 6

South Dakota

Wins: 356
Avg. percentile: 52
Categories led: 10

At a glance

Headline statistics, each ranked among all US states.

Statistic	Iowa	South Dakota
Population	3,246,320 32nd of 51	943,078 46th of 51
Median Household IncomeHousing, Income and Commutes by State (Census)	$75,059 32nd of 51	$75,081 31st of 51
Unemployment Rate (%)Unemployment Rate by State (BLS)	3.5% tied 15th of 51	2.1% 1st of 51
Poverty Rate (%)Housing, Income and Commutes by State (Census)	11.1% 21st of 51	11.9% 27th of 51
Price Level (All Items)Cost of Living by State (Regional Price Parities)	87.8 3rd of 51	88.6 6th of 51
Real Personal Income per Person (2017 Dollars)Real Personal Income by State	$60,144 19th of 51	$69,153 5th of 51
Average Annual Wage, All JobsAverage Wage by State (BLS)	$59,830 42nd of 51	$57,610 45th of 51
Median Rent (Monthly, Capped at $3,501)Housing, Income and Commutes by State (Census)	$972 7th of 51	$946 2nd of 51
Violent Crime Rate (per 100K)Crime Rates by State (FBI)	233.9 16th of 51	307.5 28th of 51
Heating Degree Days per YearClimate by State (1991–2020 Averages)	6,821 36th of 48	7,633 42nd of 48

By category

Average percentile on each category's widely ranked statistics.

Crime & SafetyIowa · 73 statistics
GeographySouth Dakota · 25 statistics
Infrastructure & EnergySouth Dakota · 36 statistics
Politics & GovernmentIowa · 122 statistics
Facts & TriviaSouth Dakota · 18 statistics
TravelSouth Dakota · 29 statistics
SportsSouth Dakota · 16 statistics
HealthIowa · 186 statistics
Tech & BusinessSouth Dakota · 48 statistics
CultureSouth Dakota · 78 statistics
EconomicsIowa · 292 statistics
EnvironmentSouth Dakota · 38 statistics
EducationIowa · 50 statistics
PopulationIowa · 124 statistics
LawSouth Dakota · 63 statistics
AgricultureSouth Dakota · 17 statistics

Biggest differences

The 30 statistics where their rankings differ most, among rankings of at least 26 US states.

Statistic	Iowa	South Dakota
FTE Lack of Laws RankMost Corrupt States	44th 7th best of 50	2nd 2nd worst of 50
Lake Surface Area (acres)Bass Fishing by State	814 48th of 50	370,000 6th of 50
Lake Surface Area (mi)Bass Fishing by State	1.3 48th of 50	578.1 6th of 50
Corruption Score (BestLife)Most Corrupt States	82.14 7th of 50	3.87 48th of 50
Fiscal Freedom RankMost Libertarian States	43rd 43rd of 50	3rd 3rd of 50
Annual Conviction RateMost Corrupt States	0.18 per 10k Government Employees tied 8th of 50	0.85 per 10k Government Employees 48th of 50
Fiscal Policy RankMost Free States	43rd 43rd of 50	4th 4th of 50
Avg Cost per MbpsInternet Costs by State	$1.22 44th of 51	$0.69 tied 4th of 51
Fiscal Stability RankWorst States to Live in	3rd tied 3rd worst of 50	41st 9th best of 50
Aluminum Can PriceAluminum Can Prices by State	$0.34 per lb 9th of 43	$0.75 per lb 42nd of 43
Health Care RankDisability Benefits by State	11th 11th of 51	49th 49th of 51
State Integrity Investigation (SII) Total ScoreMost Corrupt States	67 tied 7th of 50	56 tied 47th of 50
Individual Income Tax RankBest State To Incorporate In	40th 40th of 51	1st tied 1st of 51
Estimated TaxesLeast Taxed States	$12,084 46th of 51	$6,321 9th of 51
Tax as % of IncomeLeast Taxed States	13.8% 46th of 51	7.2% 9th of 51
Annual Grocery Cost (GoBanking)Grocery Prices by State	$5,793 tied 2nd of 49	$6,259 38th of 49
FTE Convictions per Capita RankMost Corrupt States	40th 11th best of 50	4th 4th worst of 50
SSI Ethics Enforcement Agencies ScoreMost Corrupt States	70.8 6th of 50	46 42nd of 50
Annual Cost IncreaseGrocery Prices by State	5.2% 14th of 50	12.6% 50th of 50
Weekly Grocery Cost (GoBanking)Grocery Prices by State	$111 tied 1st of 50	$120 tied 37th of 50
Infant Mortality RateInfant Mortality Rate by State	4.4 10th of 49	7.3 45th of 49
Overall RankBest State To Incorporate In	38th 38th of 51	2nd 2nd of 51
Wasted Instead of ReusedFood Waste by State	45th 6th best of 50	10th 10th worst of 50
State Highway Accidents 2018-2022Jaywalking Laws By State	11.8% 4th of 46	41.7% 36th of 46
Annual Mean WageDentist Salary by State	$186,690 10th of 39	$144,860 37th of 39
Hourly Mean WageDentist Salary by State	$89.76 10th of 39	$69.64 37th of 39
Service Fees (USD)Bad Check Laws by State	$20.00 tied 2nd of 50	$30.00 tied 35th of 50
Foreclosure RateForeclosure Rates by State	1,457 16th of 51	15,535 51st of 51
Overall RankFood Waste by State	44th 7th best of 50	10th 10th worst of 50
School Safety RankPublic School Rankings by State	45th 45th of 50	11th 11th of 50

See every statistic they shareSearch and sort all of them, adjust for cost of living or population, or add up to two more places.

Quick answers

Which is better, Iowa or South Dakota?: Iowa comes out ahead of South Dakota on 410 of 788 statistics where one end is better, to 356 with 22 ties. Iowa leads on Crime & Safety, Politics & Government and Health and 3 more categories. South Dakota leads on Geography, Infrastructure & Energy and Facts & Trivia and 7 more categories. Statistics where neither end is better, and totals that mostly track population, are not counted.
Which has more people, Iowa or South Dakota?: Iowa has a population of 3,246,320 (32nd of 51 US states) and South Dakota has 943,078 (46th of 51).
How do Iowa and South Dakota compare on Median Household Income?: Median Household Income: Iowa $75,059 (32nd of 51), South Dakota $75,081 (31st of 51) among US states. South Dakota ranks better.
How do Iowa and South Dakota compare on Unemployment Rate (%)?: Unemployment Rate (%): Iowa 3.5% (tied 15th of 51), South Dakota 2.1% (1st of 51) among US states. South Dakota ranks better.
Where does Iowa beat South Dakota most clearly?: Iowa ranks far ahead on FTE Lack of Laws Rank (Most Corrupt States): 44th vs 2nd; Corruption Score (BestLife) (Most Corrupt States): 82.14 vs 3.87; Annual Conviction Rate (Most Corrupt States): 0.18 per 10k Government Employees vs 0.85 per 10k Government Employees.
Where does South Dakota beat Iowa most clearly?: South Dakota ranks far ahead on Lake Surface Area (acres) (Bass Fishing by State): 370,000 vs 814; Lake Surface Area (mi) (Bass Fishing by State): 578.1 vs 1.3; Fiscal Freedom Rank (Most Libertarian States): 3rd vs 43rd.

More matchups

Other comparisons with Iowa or South Dakota.

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