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.

StatisticNew JerseySouth 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.

StatisticNew JerseySouth 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
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, 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.