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Minnesota vs South Dakota: taxes, cost of living, laws

Minnesota

High tax burden · COL index 95

Wins 7 categories

VS

South Dakota

Low tax burden · COL index 95

Wins 9 categories

South Dakota has no state income tax. Minnesota's top rate is 9.85%. Politically, South Dakota voted Republican in 2024 (R+27.0) while Minnesota went Democratic (D+4.0).

Minnesota
South Dakota

Taxes

9.85%
Income Tax (top rate)
None
1.02%/yr
Property Tax Rate
1.08%/yr
7.42%
Sales Tax (avg)
6.11%
No
Social Security Tax
Yes
No
Estate Tax
Yes
As income
Capital Gains Tax
None

Housing & Cost of Living

95
COL Index (100=avg)
95
$335K
Median Home Price
$310K
$1,450/mo
Median Rent (2BR/mo)
$1,150/mo
$2K/yr
Home Insurance (avg/yr)
$2K/yr

Crime & Safety

286
Violent Crime / 100K
388
2,094
Property Crime / 100K
2,027
333
Sex Offenders / 100K
475
159
Homeless / 100K
145

Healthcare

#2 of 50
Healthcare Quality Rank
#28 of 50
79.4 yrs
Life Expectancy
78.2 yrs
4.5%
Uninsured Rate
9%
Yes
Medicaid Expansion
Yes

Education

#8 of 50
K-12 Quality Rank
#31 of 50
No
School Choice / Vouchers
No

Childcare

$1,450/mo
Avg Infant Care / mo
$900/mo

Utilities & Daily Costs

$140/mo
Avg Energy Bill / mo
$130/mo
$500/mo
Avg Groceries / mo
$460/mo
#7 of 50
Road Quality Rank
#2 of 50

Social Policy

B
Gun Laws Grade
F
D+4.0
2024 Presidential Margin
R+27.0

Category wins

7

Minnesota

9

South Dakota

Run the full slider tool to score these states against your specific income, home value, retirement, and lifestyle priorities.

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People Also Ask

Is it cheaper to live in Minnesota or South Dakota?

Overall cost of living in Minneapolis, MN is 5.5% higher than in Sioux Falls, SD. The average listing price for a home in Minneapolis, MN is $408,570, which is 3.0% higher than Sioux Falls, SD. The average cost of groceries in Minneapolis, MN is 5.4% higher than Sioux Falls, SD.

Are people moving to or leaving Minnesota?

In 2024, most people moving to Minnesota came from Wisconsin, California, and North Dakota. The top states people from Minnesota left for were Wisconsin, California, and North Dakota. Overall, about 111,700 people left Minnesota for another state. Meanwhile 105,000 moved in from elsewhere in the US.

What salary do you need to live comfortably in Minnesota?

A salary in the range of $55,000 to $75,000 is generally considered comfortable for a single person in Minnesota.

Is moving to South Dakota a good idea?

South Dakotans benefit benefits from a lower cost of living than the national average in the categories of health, housing, utilities and transportation. This is a contributing factor for our recently being ranked by Gallup-Healthways Well-being Index as the third best state for overall well-being and happiness.

Full Minnesota Profile →Full South Dakota Profile →

Your Priorities

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Quick Profiles

Dial in your priorities

Annual Income

$150K

Affects effective income tax rate

$0$500K$5M+

Retirement Savings

$0

Affects pension and SS tax burden

None$500K$10M+

Social Security

None

Annual Social Security benefit

None$150K/yr

My Property Is Worth

$400K

Affects property tax burden

Tax burden ↓$1M$50M+

Home Buying Budget

$400K

Compared to state median home price

Hard to find$250K$5M+

Monthly Rent Budget

Don't care

Compared to state median 2BR rent

Don't care$10K/mo

Job Market

Don't care

State unemployment and job growth

Don't careHot market

Airport Access

Don't care

Direct flight destinations from state hubs

Don't careMust have hub

City vs Country

Mid-size city

% urban population

Deep countryBig city

Sunshine

Don't care

Annual sunny days per state

Don't careMax sunshine

Food Scene

Don't care

Restaurants per 100K residents

Don't careWorld-class

Political Preference

Neutral

State's political lean

LiberalConservative

Gun Laws

Neutral

State gun law grade (Giffords)

Gun Control2A Freedom

Abortion Access

Neutral

State abortion access policy

Pro-ChoiceNeutralPro-Life

Community

None

Congregations per 100K residents

AvoidDon't careSeek

Sports & Entertainment

Don't care

Pro sports teams and major venues

Don't careMust have pro teams

Cannabis Laws

Neutral

State cannabis legality

Prefer LegalNeutralPrefer Prohibition

Retiree Community

Neutral

% population 65+ (Census)

Young areaRetirement-heavy

Dating Market

Neutral

% adults never-married (Census)

Singles sceneFamily community

Safety / Low Crime

Don't care

Violent crime rate per 100K (FBI)

Don't careVery safe

School Quality

Don't care

K-12 rank (Education Week)

Don't careTop-ranked

Healthcare Access

Don't care

Healthcare system rank (Commonwealth Fund)

Don't careTop-ranked

Childcare Affordability

Don't care

Cost of living proxy for childcare affordability

Don't careMust be affordable