

New Jersey vs South Dakota
New Jersey comes out ahead of South Dakota on 422 of 792 statistics where one end is better, to 360 with 10 ties. New Jersey leads on Education, Health and Crime & Safety and 8 more categories. South Dakota leads on Agriculture, Infrastructure & Energy and Facts & Trivia and 2 more categories.
792 statistics with a better end, compared
Each counts once for the place that ranks better; 10 ties. Totals that mostly track population are left out.
- Wins
- 422
- Avg. percentile
- 57
- Categories led
- 11
- Wins
- 360
- Avg. percentile
- 52
- Categories led
- 5
At a glance
Headline statistics, each ranked among all US states.
| Statistic | New Jersey | South Dakota |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 9,590,076 11th of 51 | 943,078 46th of 51 |
| Median Household IncomeHousing, Income and Commutes by State (Census) | $103,556 4th of 51 | $75,081 31st of 51 |
| Unemployment Rate (%)Unemployment Rate by State (BLS) | 5.2% tied 46th of 51 | 2.1% 1st of 51 |
| Poverty Rate (%)Housing, Income and Commutes by State (Census) | 9.72% 6th of 51 | 11.9% 27th of 51 |
| Price Level (All Items)Cost of Living by State (Regional Price Parities) | 108.8 48th of 51 | 88.6 6th of 51 |
| Real Personal Income per Person (2017 Dollars)Real Personal Income by State | $63,142 12th of 51 | $69,153 5th of 51 |
| Average Annual Wage, All JobsAverage Wage by State (BLS) | $78,040 6th of 51 | $57,610 45th of 51 |
| Median Rent (Monthly, Capped at $3,501)Housing, Income and Commutes by State (Census) | $1,720 45th of 51 | $946 2nd of 51 |
| Violent Crime Rate (per 100K)Crime Rates by State (FBI) | 193.8 6th of 51 | 307.5 28th of 51 |
| Heating Degree Days per YearClimate by State (1991–2020 Averages) | 5,168 23rd of 48 | 7,633 42nd of 48 |
By category
Average percentile on each category's widely ranked statistics.
- AgricultureSouth Dakota · 17 statistics
- Infrastructure & EnergySouth Dakota · 36 statistics
- EducationNew Jersey · 51 statistics
- HealthNew Jersey · 183 statistics
- Crime & SafetyNew Jersey · 74 statistics
- PopulationNew Jersey · 123 statistics
- Tech & BusinessNew Jersey · 48 statistics
- Facts & TriviaSouth Dakota · 18 statistics
- LawSouth Dakota · 68 statistics
- EnvironmentSouth Dakota · 38 statistics
- EconomicsNew Jersey · 291 statistics
- TravelNew Jersey · 29 statistics
- SportsNew Jersey · 16 statistics
- CultureNew Jersey · 78 statistics
- Politics & GovernmentNew Jersey · 124 statistics
- GeographyNew Jersey · 25 statistics
Biggest differences
The 30 statistics where their rankings differ most, among rankings of at least 26 US states.
| Statistic | New Jersey | South Dakota |
|---|---|---|
| Overall RankBest State To Incorporate In | 50th 51st of 51 | 2nd 2nd of 51 |
| FTE Lack of Laws RankMost Corrupt States | 50th best of 50 | 2nd 2nd worst of 50 |
| Average Commute Time (Minutes)Single Mom Friendly States | 32 tied 49th of 51 | 17 1st of 51 |
| Local Taxes RankBest States to Retire | 49th 49th of 50 | 1st tied 1st of 50 |
| Average (Minutes)Commute Time by State | 32 49th of 51 | 17.3 1st of 51 |
| Average Commute (Minutes)Housing, Income and Commutes by State (Census) | 30.5 49th of 51 | 17.8 1st of 51 |
| Foreclosure RateForeclosure Rates by State | 824 3rd of 51 | 15,535 51st of 51 |
| Median Annual WageOT Salary by State | $103,090 2nd of 51 | $76,400 50th of 51 |
| Median Hourly WageOT Salary by State | $49.56 2nd of 51 | $36.73 50th of 51 |
| Regulatory Policy RankMost Libertarian States | 50th 50th of 50 | 3rd 3rd of 50 |
| # Change in Prison Pop. 2022 to 2023Prison Population by State | -7.8 1st of 49 | 9.3 47th of 49 |
| State Rank State GovtPublic Land by State | 3rd 2nd of 49 | 49th 48th of 49 |
| % of Pop. with Associates DegreeMost Educated U.S. States | 6.6% tied 49th of 51 | 13.2% 2nd of 51 |
| Corporate Tax RankBest State To Incorporate In | 48th 49th of 51 | 1st tied 1st of 51 |
| Crematory FeeAverage Funeral Cost by State | $316 2nd of 51 | $712 49th of 51 |
| Estimated Max PriceRadio Ad Prices by State | $1,405 tied last of 51 | $25.00 tied 1st of 51 |
| Mean Annual WageOT Salary by State | $104,710 3rd of 51 | $76,900 50th of 51 |
| Mean Hourly WageOT Salary by State | $50.34 3rd of 51 | $36.97 50th of 51 |
| Annual Mean WageSpeech Pathologist Salary by State | $102,200 5th of 51 | $64,030 51st of 51 |
| Average Engagement Ring CostEngagement Ring Cost by State | $8,842 47th of 51 | $3,005 1st of 51 |
| Hourly Mean WageSpeech Pathologist Salary by State | $49.14 5th of 51 | $30.78 51st of 51 |
| U-6 Unemployment Rate Q3 2021U6 Employment Rate | 12.1% 47th of 51 | 4.8% 1st of 51 |
| Unemployment Rate (%)Unemployment Rate by State (BLS) | 5.2% tied 46th of 51 | 2.1% 1st of 51 |
| Individual Income Tax RankBest State To Incorporate In | 48th tied 48th of 51 | 1st tied 1st of 51 |
| Price Level (Other Services)Cost of Living by State (Regional Price Parities) | 103.5 48th of 51 | 91.9 2nd of 51 |
| Median Federal Employee IncomeFederal Government Employees by State | $119,187 2nd of 50 | $77,390 tied 45th of 50 |
| SSI Civil Service Management ScoreMost Corrupt States | 71.5 2nd of 50 | 50.7 47th of 50 |
| Female Prisoner RatePrison Population by State | 10 per 100k 3rd of 50 | 125 per 100k 48th of 50 |
| Annual CostAssisted Living Costs by State | $77,940 47th of 51 | $40,200 2nd of 51 |
| Overall Freedom RankMost Libertarian States | 47th 47th of 50 | 3rd 3rd of 50 |
Quick answers
- Which is better, New Jersey or South Dakota?
- New Jersey comes out ahead of South Dakota on 422 of 792 statistics where one end is better, to 360 with 10 ties. New Jersey leads on Education, Health and Crime & Safety and 8 more categories. South Dakota leads on Agriculture, Infrastructure & Energy and Facts & Trivia and 2 more categories. Statistics where neither end is better, and totals that mostly track population, are not counted.
- Which has more people, New Jersey or South Dakota?
- New Jersey has a population of 9,590,076 (11th of 51 US states) and South Dakota has 943,078 (46th of 51).
- How do New Jersey and South Dakota compare on Median Household Income?
- Median Household Income: New Jersey $103,556 (4th of 51), South Dakota $75,081 (31st of 51) among US states. New Jersey ranks better.
- How do New Jersey and South Dakota compare on Unemployment Rate (%)?
- Unemployment Rate (%): New Jersey 5.2% (tied 46th of 51), South Dakota 2.1% (1st of 51) among US states. South Dakota ranks better.
- Where does New Jersey beat South Dakota most clearly?
- New Jersey ranks far ahead on FTE Lack of Laws Rank (Most Corrupt States): 50th vs 2nd; Foreclosure Rate (Foreclosure Rates by State): 824 vs 15,535; Median Annual Wage (OT Salary by State): $103,090 vs $76,400.
- Where does South Dakota beat New Jersey most clearly?
- South Dakota ranks far ahead on Overall Rank (Best State To Incorporate In): 2nd vs 50th; Average Commute Time (Minutes) (Single Mom Friendly States): 17 vs 32; Local Taxes Rank (Best States to Retire): 1st vs 49th.
More matchups
Other comparisons with New Jersey or South Dakota.
- Alabama vs New Jersey
- Alaska vs New Jersey
- Arizona vs New Jersey
- Arkansas vs New Jersey
- California vs New Jersey
- Colorado vs New Jersey
- Connecticut vs New Jersey
- Delaware vs New Jersey
- Alabama vs South Dakota
- Alaska vs South Dakota
- Arizona vs South Dakota
- Arkansas vs South Dakota
- California vs South Dakota
- Colorado vs South Dakota
- Connecticut vs South Dakota
- Delaware vs South Dakota