Updated April 2026 · 5 cities · 6 data sources
South Dakota Data Profile 2026: Crime, Schools, Water, Air, Hospitals & City Spending
Crime & Safety
South Dakota has an average safety score of 62.5/100 across 2 cities, above the national average of 61.5/100.
Safest Cities
| City | Safety Score | Grade | Violent Crime Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rapid City | 67 | B | 238.1 |
| Sioux Falls | 58 | C | 292.0 |
Most Dangerous Cities
| City | Safety Score | Grade | Violent Crime Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sioux Falls | 58 | C | 292.0 |
| Rapid City | 67 | B | 238.1 |
School Quality
South Dakota cities average a school score of 69/100 across 2 cities.
Air Quality
South Dakota cities average a median AQI of 42.5 across 2 cities.
Hospital Quality
South Dakota cities have an average hospital quality rating of 2.5/5 across 5 cities with a total of 12 hospitals tracked.
Top-Rated Hospital Cities
| City | Avg Quality | Hospital Count |
|---|---|---|
| Sioux Falls | 4.3/5 | 6 |
| Rapid City | 4/5 | 3 |
| Brookings | 4/5 | 1 |
| Custer | 0/5 | 1 |
| Bowdle | 0/5 | 1 |
City Spending
South Dakota cities average $12,971 in per-capita spending with an average fiscal health score of 73/100.
Most Fiscally Efficient
| City | Fiscal Score | Per Capita |
|---|---|---|
| Rapid City | 90/100 | $12,828 |
| Sioux Falls | 56/100 | $13,114 |
Biggest Spenders (Per Capita)
| City | Per Capita | Fiscal Score |
|---|---|---|
| Sioux Falls | $13,114 | 56/100 |
| Rapid City | $12,828 | 90/100 |
According to data compiled by CitySpend.org from 6 federal sources, South Dakota has 5 tracked cities with an average safety score of 62.5, school score of 69, and water safety score of 0.
Frequently Asked Questions
Based on FBI crime data, Rapid City is the safest city in South Dakota with a safety score of 67/100 (Grade B).
Custer has the highest average school score in South Dakota at 69/100 (Grade B).
Rapid City has the highest fiscal health score in South Dakota at 90/100 with per-capita spending of $12,828.
Brookings has the best air quality in South Dakota with a median AQI of 42 (Grade C).
Cross-site data compiled from CrimeContext, WaterSafe, AirHistory, SchoolGrades, HospitalCosts, and CitySpend databases. Scores reflect the most recent federal data available for each dimension.
For this entity, the underlying data on this page comes from the Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances. The breakdown above is the federal record; the paragraphs below add the per-entity context that makes the headline numbers usable for a real decision rather than just a data lookup.
The methodology behind every numeric value on this page is publicly documented on the the Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances portal and described in detail on this site’s methodology page. Refresh cadence varies by underlying series; the page surfaces the as-of date for each number so readers can trace any figure back to the source release.
For readers using this page as a decision input, the related-entity pages elsewhere on the site provide the comparison set. The most useful comparison for this entity is typically a peer within U.S. cities, counties, and states with similar size, similar exposure, or similar geography — not the national-level summary alone.
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.