New Mexico vs South Dakota
South Dakota comes out ahead of New Mexico on 438 of 786 statistics where one end is better, to 331 with 17 ties. New Mexico leads on Agriculture, Politics & Government and Sports and 1 more category. South Dakota leads on Facts & Trivia, Infrastructure & Energy and Environment and 9 more categories.
786 statistics with a better end, compared
Each counts once for the place that ranks better; 17 ties. Totals that mostly track population are left out.
- Wins
- 331
- Avg. percentile
- 45
- Categories led
- 4
- Wins
- 438
- Avg. percentile
- 52
- Categories led
- 12
At a glance
Headline statistics, each ranked among all US states.
| Statistic | New Mexico | South Dakota |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 2,124,222 36th of 51 | 943,078 46th of 51 |
| Median Household IncomeHousing, Income and Commutes by State (Census) | $64,059 45th of 51 | $75,081 31st of 51 |
| Unemployment Rate (%)Unemployment Rate by State (BLS) | 4.2% tied 30th of 51 | 2.1% 1st of 51 |
| Poverty Rate (%)Housing, Income and Commutes by State (Census) | 17.8% 49th of 51 | 11.9% 27th of 51 |
| Price Level (All Items)Cost of Living by State (Regional Price Parities) | 92.2 15th of 51 | 88.6 6th of 51 |
| Real Personal Income per Person (2017 Dollars)Real Personal Income by State | $51,121 49th of 51 | $69,153 5th of 51 |
| Average Annual Wage, All JobsAverage Wage by State (BLS) | $62,330 33rd of 51 | $57,610 45th of 51 |
| Median Rent (Monthly, Capped at $3,501)Housing, Income and Commutes by State (Census) | $1,067 16th of 51 | $946 2nd of 51 |
| Violent Crime Rate (per 100K)Crime Rates by State (FBI) | 621.6 49th of 51 | 307.5 28th of 51 |
| Heating Degree Days per YearClimate by State (1991–2020 Averages) | 4,462 17th of 48 | 7,633 42nd of 48 |
By category
Average percentile on each category's widely ranked statistics.
- Facts & TriviaSouth Dakota · 17 statistics
- Infrastructure & EnergySouth Dakota · 36 statistics
- EnvironmentSouth Dakota · 38 statistics
- CultureSouth Dakota · 78 statistics
- PopulationSouth Dakota · 124 statistics
- GeographySouth Dakota · 25 statistics
- Tech & BusinessSouth Dakota · 48 statistics
- EducationSouth Dakota · 51 statistics
- AgricultureNew Mexico · 17 statistics
- Crime & SafetySouth Dakota · 72 statistics
- TravelSouth Dakota · 29 statistics
- Politics & GovernmentNew Mexico · 122 statistics
- SportsNew Mexico · 16 statistics
- HealthNew Mexico · 183 statistics
- LawSouth Dakota · 66 statistics
- EconomicsSouth Dakota · 286 statistics
Biggest differences
The 30 statistics where their rankings differ most, among rankings of at least 26 US states.
| Statistic | New Mexico | South Dakota |
|---|---|---|
| Share of Annual Family IncomeChild Care Cost by State | 21.0% 1st of 51 | 9.4% 51st of 51 |
| Family-RelatedMost Stressed States | 1st worst of 50 | 50th best of 50 |
| Education Racial Progress RankLeast Racist States | 3rd 3rd of 51 | 50th 50th of 51 |
| Nurses per 1k PopulationNurse-Patient Ratios by State | 7.53 49th of 51 | 15.78 2nd of 51 |
| Overall Racial Integration ScoreLeast Racist States | 71.31 2nd of 51 | 50 49th of 51 |
| Fiscal Policy RankMost Free States | 58th 50th of 50 | 4th 4th of 50 |
| Overall Best - US NewsBest States to Live In | 47th 46th of 49 | 2nd 2nd of 49 |
| Score (out of 100)Best States to Own a Business | 2 49th of 49 | 92 5th of 49 |
| Total ScoreEntrepreneur-Friendly States | 2 49th of 49 | 92 5th of 49 |
| Opioid Death RateOpioid Epidemic by State | 37.1 per 1k pop. 47th of 51 | 11.9 per 1k pop. 2nd of 51 |
| Avg Annual FatalitiesDeadliest Highway by State | 40 48th of 50 | 5.5 4th of 50 |
| NAEP Math ScoresBest States for Education | 256 50th of 50 | 281 6th of 50 |
| RankEntrepreneur-Friendly States | 49th 49th of 50 | 5th 5th of 50 |
| Total RankBest States to Own a Business | 49th 49th of 50 | 5th 5th of 50 |
| Work Environment RankHappiest States | 46th 46th of 50 | 3rd 2nd of 50 |
| Workplace Safety Rank WalletHubSafest States in the US | 3rd 3rd of 50 | 47th 47th of 50 |
| Real Personal Income per Person (2017 Dollars)Real Personal Income by State | $51,121 49th of 51 | $69,153 5th of 51 |
| Total Drug Use RateDrug Use by State | 4,967 per 100k 47th of 51 | 2,569 per 100k 3rd of 51 |
| U-6 Unemployment Rate Q3 2021U6 Employment Rate | 11.7% tied 44th of 51 | 4.8% 1st of 51 |
| U-6 Unemployment Rate Q2 2022U6 Employment Rate | 8.4% tied 45th of 51 | 4.2% 2nd of 51 |
| Total Weighted ScoreBest States to Own a Business | 16 tied last of 50 | 29 tied 5th of 50 |
| Weighted ScoreEntrepreneur-Friendly States | 16 tied last of 50 | 29 tied 5th of 50 |
| Annual Mean WageSpeech Pathologist Salary by State | $97,470 8th of 51 | $64,030 51st of 51 |
| Annual Median WageSpeech Pathologist Salary by State | $97,850 8th of 51 | $62,780 51st of 51 |
| Average Total SAT ScoreSAT Scores by State | 875 51st of 51 | 1,214 8th of 51 |
| Difference from National Average SAT ScoreSAT Scores by State | -154 51st of 51 | 185 8th of 51 |
| Drug Deaths Per 100kHealthiest States | 47 45th of 51 | 10.3 2nd of 51 |
| Education Racial Integration RankLeast Racist States | 2nd 2nd of 51 | 45th 45th of 51 |
| Hourly Mean WageSpeech Pathologist Salary by State | $46.86 8th of 51 | $30.78 51st of 51 |
| Hourly Median WageSpeech Pathologist Salary by State | $47.04 8th of 51 | $30.18 51st of 51 |
Quick answers
- Which is better, New Mexico or South Dakota?
- South Dakota comes out ahead of New Mexico on 438 of 786 statistics where one end is better, to 331 with 17 ties. New Mexico leads on Agriculture, Politics & Government and Sports and 1 more category. South Dakota leads on Facts & Trivia, Infrastructure & Energy and Environment and 9 more categories. Statistics where neither end is better, and totals that mostly track population, are not counted.
- Which has more people, New Mexico or South Dakota?
- New Mexico has a population of 2,124,222 (36th of 51 US states) and South Dakota has 943,078 (46th of 51).
- How do New Mexico and South Dakota compare on Median Household Income?
- Median Household Income: New Mexico $64,059 (45th of 51), South Dakota $75,081 (31st of 51) among US states. South Dakota ranks better.
- How do New Mexico and South Dakota compare on Unemployment Rate (%)?
- Unemployment Rate (%): New Mexico 4.2% (tied 30th of 51), South Dakota 2.1% (1st of 51) among US states. South Dakota ranks better.
- Where does New Mexico beat South Dakota most clearly?
- New Mexico ranks far ahead on Share of Annual Family Income (Child Care Cost by State): 21.0% vs 9.4%; Education Racial Progress Rank (Least Racist States): 3rd vs 50th; Overall Racial Integration Score (Least Racist States): 71.31 vs 50.
- Where does South Dakota beat New Mexico most clearly?
- South Dakota ranks far ahead on Family-Related (Most Stressed States): 50th vs 1st; Nurses per 1k Population (Nurse-Patient Ratios by State): 15.78 vs 7.53; Fiscal Policy Rank (Most Free States): 4th vs 58th.
More matchups
Other comparisons with New Mexico or South Dakota.
- Alabama vs New Mexico
- Alaska vs New Mexico
- Arizona vs New Mexico
- Arkansas vs New Mexico
- California vs New Mexico
- Colorado vs New Mexico
- Connecticut vs New Mexico
- Delaware vs New Mexico
- 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