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South Dakota

Low tax burden · COL index 95

Wins 8 categories

VS

Virginia

Moderate tax burden · COL index 102

Wins 7 categories

South Dakota has no state income tax. Virginia's top rate is 5.75%. Property taxes are meaningfully different: South Dakota averages 1.08% annually vs Virginia's 0.74%. The median home in Virginia costs $390K vs $310K in South Dakota. Politically, South Dakota voted Republican in 2024 (R+27.0) while Virginia went Democratic (D+3.0).

South Dakota
Virginia

Taxes

None
Income Tax (top rate)
5.75%
1.08%/yr
Property Tax Rate
0.74%/yr
6.11%
Sales Tax (avg)
5.73%
Yes
Social Security Tax
Yes
Yes
Estate Tax
Yes
None
Capital Gains Tax
As income

Housing & Cost of Living

95
COL Index (100=avg)
102
$310K
Median Home Price
$390K
$1,150/mo
Median Rent (2BR/mo)
$1,700/mo
$2K/yr
Home Insurance (avg/yr)
$1K/yr

Crime & Safety

388
Violent Crime / 100K
197
2,027
Property Crime / 100K
1,617

Healthcare

#28 of 50
Healthcare Quality Rank
#16 of 50
78.2 yrs
Life Expectancy
77.9 yrs
9%
Uninsured Rate
8.1%
Yes
Medicaid Expansion
Yes

Education

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

Childcare

$900/mo
Avg Infant Care / mo
$1,550/mo

Utilities & Daily Costs

$130/mo
Avg Energy Bill / mo
$140/mo
$460/mo
Avg Groceries / mo
$530/mo
#2 of 50
Road Quality Rank
#13 of 50

Social Policy

F
Gun Laws Grade
A-
R+27.0
2024 Presidential Margin
D+3.0

Category wins

8

South Dakota

7

Virginia

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Your Priorities

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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