State comparison
Nevada vs South Dakota: which state is better to live in?
Nevada costs a median household about $670 a year less in state and local taxes than South Dakota, mostly because property tax on a median home runs $2,200 a year against $3,348 in South Dakota, though everyday prices run higher there (cost of living index 101 against 95).
Nevada
Low tax burden · COL index 101
Wins 2 categories
South Dakota
Low tax burden · COL index 95
Wins 10 categories
Taxes: Nevada vs South Dakota
Neither Nevada nor South Dakota has a state income tax, so wages are untouched at the state level in both.
Property tax is 0.53% of home value a year in Nevada and 1.08% in South Dakota (Tax Foundation, 2023); on each state's median home that is $2,200 against $3,348, so Nevada has the lower rate.
Combined state and local sales tax averages 8.23% in Nevada and 6.11% in South Dakota; South Dakota is lower.
Add it up for a household earning $74,580 (the 2022 national median) and owning the median home: $4,041 a year in Nevada, $4,715 in South Dakota. Nevada is cheaper on total state and local tax.
Housing and cost of living
Nevada's cost of living index is 101 and South Dakota's is 95, where 100 is the national average; South Dakota is about 6% cheaper day to day.
The median home costs $415K in Nevada and $310K in South Dakota (Zillow, 2024), a $105K gap in South Dakota's favor. A two-bedroom rents for about $1,550 a month in Nevada and $1,150 in South Dakota.
Home insurance averages $800 a year in Nevada and $2,100 in South Dakota, so Nevada is cheaper to insure.
Safety
Violent crime runs 595 incidents per 100,000 residents in Nevada and 388 in South Dakota (FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2023); South Dakota is the safer state by that measure, with a rate 53% lower. Property crime is 2,634 per 100,000 in Nevada against 2,027 in South Dakota, again favoring South Dakota.
Health
Life expectancy is 75.5 years in Nevada and 78.2 in South Dakota (County Health Rankings, 2024), a 2.7-year edge for South Dakota. The Commonwealth Fund's 2023 scorecard ranks Nevada's health system 35th of 50 and South Dakota's 28th, so South Dakota scores better on care.
10.6% of Nevada residents have no health insurance against 9.0% in South Dakota, which favors South Dakota. Both states expanded Medicaid.
Schools
Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Nevada's K-12 schools 48th in the country and South Dakota's 31st, 17 places apart in South Dakota's favor. Nevada runs a school-choice voucher program; South Dakota does not.
Laws and politics
In the 2024 presidential election Nevada went to Trump by 3 points and South Dakota went to Trump by 27 points.
Nevada has shall-issue carry permits and a Giffords gun-law grade of C+; South Dakota has permitless carry and a grade of F, so Nevada regulates guns more tightly and South Dakota is the friendlier state for gun owners.
Abortion is protected by state law in Nevada and banned with narrow exceptions in South Dakota, and marijuana is legal for adults in Nevada and medical only in South Dakota as of 2026. The minimum wage is $12.00 an hour in Nevada and $11.20 in South Dakota.
Climate and risk
Natural disaster risk is moderate in Nevada (drought, wildfire, extreme-heat) and moderate in South Dakota (blizzard, tornado, drought). Annual average air quality index is 40 in Nevada and 30 in South Dakota (under 50 is good), favoring South Dakota.
Tax figures use a household earning the national median income and owning each state's median home, at tax year 2026 rates, last checked against state sources on 2026-09-14. The table below has every number.
Taxes
Housing & Cost of Living
Crime & Safety
Healthcare
Education
Childcare
Utilities & Daily Costs
Social Policy
Category wins
2
Nevada
10
South Dakota
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Score For My Profile →Questions people ask
Is Nevada or South Dakota better to live in?
South Dakota wins more of the measures that decide a move. Nevada on taxes ($4,041 a year for a median household against $4,715); South Dakota on everyday costs (index 95 against 101); South Dakota on safety (388 violent crimes per 100,000 against 595); South Dakota on schools (ranked 31st against 48th).
Which is cheaper, Nevada or South Dakota?
South Dakota is cheaper day to day: cost of living index 95 against 101. The median home is $415K in Nevada and $310K in South Dakota (2024). On state and local taxes Nevada saves a median household about $670 a year.
Does Nevada or South Dakota have lower taxes?
Nevada. A household earning $74,580 pays about $4,041 a year in Nevada ($0 income tax, $2,200 property tax on the median home and $1,841 in sales tax) and $4,715 in South Dakota ($0 income tax, $3,348 property tax on the median home and $1,367 in sales tax), at 2026 rates.
Which is safer, Nevada or South Dakota?
South Dakota, on the FBI's 2023 figures. Violent crime is 595 per 100,000 residents in Nevada and 388 in South Dakota; property crime is 2,634 against 2,027.
Which has better schools, Nevada or South Dakota?
South Dakota. Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Nevada 48th of 50 for K-12 and South Dakota 31st. Nevada also offers school-choice vouchers.
Is Nevada or South Dakota better for retirees?
Both treat retirement income about the same. Nevada does not tax Social Security, exempts pensions and has no estate or inheritance tax; South Dakota does not tax Social Security, exempts pensions and has no estate or inheritance tax. Property tax on a median home is $2,200 a year in Nevada and $3,348 in South Dakota.