North Carolina vs South Dakota
South Dakota comes out ahead of North Carolina on 438 of 791 statistics where one end is better, to 339 with 14 ties. North Carolina leads on Sports, Travel and Crime & Safety and 3 more categories. South Dakota leads on Agriculture, Infrastructure & Energy and Environment and 5 more categories.
791 statistics with a better end, compared
Each counts once for the place that ranks better; 14 ties. Totals that mostly track population are left out.
- Wins
- 339
- Avg. percentile
- 49
- Categories led
- 6
- Wins
- 438
- Avg. percentile
- 52
- Categories led
- 8
At a glance
Headline statistics, each ranked among all US states.
| Statistic | North Carolina | South Dakota |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 11,343,875 9th of 51 | 943,078 46th of 51 |
| Median Household IncomeHousing, Income and Commutes by State (Census) | $72,388 38th of 51 | $75,081 31st of 51 |
| Unemployment Rate (%)Unemployment Rate by State (BLS) | 3.8% tied 20th of 51 | 2.1% 1st of 51 |
| Poverty Rate (%)Housing, Income and Commutes by State (Census) | 13.0% 35th of 51 | 11.9% 27th of 51 |
| Price Level (All Items)Cost of Living by State (Regional Price Parities) | 94.3 21st of 51 | 88.6 6th of 51 |
| Real Personal Income per Person (2017 Dollars)Real Personal Income by State | $56,310 33rd of 51 | $69,153 5th of 51 |
| Average Annual Wage, All JobsAverage Wage by State (BLS) | $64,290 29th of 51 | $57,610 45th of 51 |
| Median Rent (Monthly, Capped at $3,501)Housing, Income and Commutes by State (Census) | $1,228 25th of 51 | $946 2nd of 51 |
| Violent Crime Rate (per 100K)Crime Rates by State (FBI) | 330.3 30th of 51 | 307.5 28th of 51 |
| Heating Degree Days per YearClimate by State (1991–2020 Averages) | 3,359 10th of 48 | 7,633 42nd of 48 |
By category
Average percentile on each category's widely ranked statistics.
- SportsNorth Carolina · 16 statistics
- AgricultureSouth Dakota · 17 statistics
- TravelNorth Carolina · 28 statistics
- Infrastructure & EnergySouth Dakota · 36 statistics
- EnvironmentSouth Dakota · 38 statistics
- Facts & TriviaSouth Dakota · 18 statistics
- EducationSouth Dakota · 51 statistics
- Crime & SafetyNorth Carolina · 73 statistics
- EconomicsSouth Dakota · 292 statistics
- Tech & BusinessSouth Dakota · 48 statistics
- Politics & GovernmentNorth Carolina · 122 statistics
- CultureSouth Dakota · 78 statistics
- LawNorth Carolina · 67 statistics
- PopulationNorth Carolina · 124 statistics
- HealthEven · 187 statistics
- GeographyEven · 25 statistics
Biggest differences
The 30 statistics where their rankings differ most, among rankings of at least 26 US states.
| Statistic | North Carolina | South Dakota |
|---|---|---|
| Family-RelatedMost Stressed States | 4th 4th worst of 50 | 50th best of 50 |
| Workplace Safety Rank WalletHubSafest States in the US | 2nd 2nd of 50 | 47th 47th of 50 |
| Annual Mean WageDentist Salary by State | $202,550 3rd of 39 | $144,860 37th of 39 |
| Hourly Mean WageDentist Salary by State | $97.38 3rd of 39 | $69.64 37th of 39 |
| Annual Mean WageOptometrist Salary by State | $156,110 2nd of 47 | $108,280 43rd of 47 |
| Hourly Mean WageOptometrist Salary by State | $75.05 2nd of 47 | $52.06 43rd of 47 |
| Climate RankFarming-Friendly States | 5th 5th of 50 | 47th 47th of 50 |
| Health Racial Progress RankLeast Racist States | 8th 8th of 47 | 47th 47th of 47 |
| Hospital Health Care Cost per CapitaHealth Care Costs by State | $3,325 9th of 51 | $6,991 51st of 51 |
| HIV Death RateHIV Statistics by State | 7.6 43rd of 51 | 1.1 2nd of 51 |
| Student Loan Average Borrower DebtStudent Loan Debt by State | $37,721 44th of 51 | $30,954 3rd of 51 |
| Attractive People RankMost Attractive States | 10th 10th of 49 | 50th 49th of 49 |
| Exp. Sexual Violence in Lifetime - WomenDomestic Violence by State | 54.9% 46th of 51 | 37.0% tied 5th of 51 |
| Participation RateLabor Force Participation Rate by State | 57.6% 46th of 51 | 67.2% tied 5th of 51 |
| Education Racial Progress RankLeast Racist States | 10th 10th of 51 | 50th 50th of 51 |
| Fishing Booker RankBest States for Fishing | 10th 10th of 50 | 49th 49th of 50 |
| Gini CoefficientWealth Inequality by State | 0.48 tied 41st of 51 | 0.44 tied 3rd of 51 |
| Obesity Rate - BlackMost Obese States | 45.3% 41st of 48 | 29.1% 5th of 48 |
| % of Species at RiskMost Biodiverse States | 10.0% tied 39th of 51 | 2% tied 1st of 51 |
| Chronically HomelessHomeless Population by State | 3,093 43rd of 51 | 151 5th of 51 |
| Median Doc FeeCar Dealer Fees by State | $749 46th of 51 | $199 tied 7th of 51 |
| Opioid Use Rate (Per 100k)Opioid Epidemic by State | 2,510.95 41st of 51 | 1,221.13 3rd of 51 |
| Overall Racial Integration ScoreLeast Racist States | 66.55 11th of 51 | 50 49th of 51 |
| Average Documentation FeeCar Registration Fees by State | $699 tied 46th of 50 | $200 tied 9th of 50 |
| Excessive DrinkersHealthiest States | 14.3% tied 5th of 50 | 19.5% tied 42nd of 50 |
| FTE Convictions per Capita RankMost Corrupt States | 41st 10th best of 50 | 4th 4th worst of 50 |
| % of Vascular Plant Species at RiskMost Biodiverse States | 9.2% 39th of 51 | 0.9% tied 1st of 51 |
| Forest Coverage (1-10)Best States for Camping | 6.61 12th of 49 | 0.25 48th of 49 |
| Exp. Physical Violence in Lifetime - WomenDomestic Violence by State | 47.7% 44th of 51 | 34.6% 7th of 51 |
| Share of Minimum Wage Workers IncomeChild Care Cost by State | 77.7% 14th of 51 | 36.3% 51st of 51 |
Quick answers
- Which is better, North Carolina or South Dakota?
- South Dakota comes out ahead of North Carolina on 438 of 791 statistics where one end is better, to 339 with 14 ties. North Carolina leads on Sports, Travel and Crime & Safety and 3 more categories. South Dakota leads on Agriculture, Infrastructure & Energy and Environment and 5 more categories. Statistics where neither end is better, and totals that mostly track population, are not counted.
- Which has more people, North Carolina or South Dakota?
- North Carolina has a population of 11,343,875 (9th of 51 US states) and South Dakota has 943,078 (46th of 51).
- How do North Carolina and South Dakota compare on Median Household Income?
- Median Household Income: North Carolina $72,388 (38th of 51), South Dakota $75,081 (31st of 51) among US states. South Dakota ranks better.
- How do North Carolina and South Dakota compare on Unemployment Rate (%)?
- Unemployment Rate (%): North Carolina 3.8% (tied 20th of 51), South Dakota 2.1% (1st of 51) among US states. South Dakota ranks better.
- Where does North Carolina beat South Dakota most clearly?
- North Carolina ranks far ahead on Workplace Safety Rank WalletHub (Safest States in the US): 2nd vs 47th; Annual Mean Wage (Dentist Salary by State): $202,550 vs $144,860; Hourly Mean Wage (Dentist Salary by State): $97.38 vs $69.64.
- Where does South Dakota beat North Carolina most clearly?
- South Dakota ranks far ahead on Family-Related (Most Stressed States): 50th vs 4th; HIV Death Rate (HIV Statistics by State): 1.1 vs 7.6; Student Loan Average Borrower Debt (Student Loan Debt by State): $30,954 vs $37,721.
More matchups
Other comparisons with North Carolina or South Dakota.
- Alabama vs North Carolina
- Alaska vs North Carolina
- Arizona vs North Carolina
- Arkansas vs North Carolina
- California vs North Carolina
- Colorado vs North Carolina
- Connecticut vs North Carolina
- Delaware vs North Carolina
- 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