State comparison
South Dakota vs Wyoming: which state is better to live in?
Wyoming costs a median household about $1,600 a year less in state and local taxes than South Dakota, mostly because property tax on a median home runs $1,925 a year against $3,348 in South Dakota, though everyday prices run higher there (cost of living index 101 against 95).
South Dakota
Low tax burden · COL index 95
Wins 8 categories
Wyoming
Low tax burden · COL index 101
Wins 5 categories
Taxes: South Dakota vs Wyoming
Neither South Dakota nor Wyoming has a state income tax, so wages are untouched at the state level in both.
Property tax is 1.08% of home value a year in South Dakota and 0.55% in Wyoming (Tax Foundation, 2023); on each state's median home that is $3,348 against $1,925, so Wyoming has the lower rate.
Combined state and local sales tax averages 6.11% in South Dakota and 5.34% in Wyoming; Wyoming is lower.
Add it up for a household earning $74,580 (the 2022 national median) and owning the median home: $4,715 a year in South Dakota, $3,120 in Wyoming. Wyoming is cheaper on total state and local tax.
Housing and cost of living
South Dakota's cost of living index is 95 and Wyoming's is 101, where 100 is the national average; South Dakota is about 6% cheaper day to day.
The median home costs $310K in South Dakota and $350K in Wyoming (Zillow, 2024), a $40K gap in South Dakota's favor. A two-bedroom rents for about $1,150 a month in South Dakota and $1,300 in Wyoming.
Home insurance averages $2,100 a year in South Dakota and $1,500 in Wyoming, so Wyoming is cheaper to insure.
Safety
Violent crime runs 388 incidents per 100,000 residents in South Dakota and 221 in Wyoming (FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2023); Wyoming is the safer state by that measure, with a rate 76% lower. Property crime is 2,027 per 100,000 in South Dakota against 1,812 in Wyoming, again favoring Wyoming.
Health
Life expectancy is 78.2 years in South Dakota and 76 in Wyoming (County Health Rankings, 2024), a 2.2-year edge for South Dakota. The Commonwealth Fund's 2023 scorecard ranks South Dakota's health system 28th of 50 and Wyoming's 33rd, so South Dakota scores better on care.
9.0% of South Dakota residents have no health insurance against 12.3% in Wyoming, which favors South Dakota. South Dakota expanded Medicaid and Wyoming did not.
Schools
Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks South Dakota's K-12 schools 31st in the country and Wyoming's 39th, 8 places apart in South Dakota's favor. Neither state runs a school-choice voucher program.
Laws and politics
In the 2024 presidential election South Dakota went to Trump by 27 points and Wyoming went to Trump by 43 points.
South Dakota has permitless carry and a Giffords gun-law grade of F; Wyoming has permitless carry and a grade of F.
Abortion is banned with narrow exceptions in both states, and marijuana is medical only in South Dakota and illegal in Wyoming as of 2026. The minimum wage is $11.20 an hour in South Dakota and $7.25 in Wyoming.
Climate and risk
Natural disaster risk is moderate in South Dakota (blizzard, tornado, drought) and moderate in Wyoming (blizzard, drought, wildfire). Annual average air quality index is 30 in South Dakota and 30 in Wyoming (under 50 is good).
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
8
South Dakota
5
Wyoming
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Score For My Profile →Questions people ask
Is South Dakota or Wyoming better to live in?
It depends on what you weigh most. Wyoming on taxes ($3,120 a year for a median household against $4,715); South Dakota on everyday costs (index 95 against 101); Wyoming on safety (221 violent crimes per 100,000 against 388); South Dakota on schools (ranked 31st against 39th).
Which is cheaper, South Dakota or Wyoming?
South Dakota is cheaper day to day: cost of living index 95 against 101. The median home is $310K in South Dakota and $350K in Wyoming (2024). On state and local taxes Wyoming saves a median household about $1,600 a year.
Does South Dakota or Wyoming have lower taxes?
Wyoming. A household earning $74,580 pays about $4,715 a year in South Dakota ($0 income tax, $3,348 property tax on the median home and $1,367 in sales tax) and $3,120 in Wyoming ($0 income tax, $1,925 property tax on the median home and $1,195 in sales tax), at 2026 rates.
Which is safer, South Dakota or Wyoming?
Wyoming, on the FBI's 2023 figures. Violent crime is 388 per 100,000 residents in South Dakota and 221 in Wyoming; property crime is 2,027 against 1,812.
Which has better schools, South Dakota or Wyoming?
South Dakota. Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks South Dakota 31st of 50 for K-12 and Wyoming 39th.
Is South Dakota or Wyoming better for retirees?
Both treat retirement income about the same. South Dakota does not tax Social Security, exempts pensions and has no estate or inheritance tax; Wyoming does not tax Social Security, exempts pensions and has no estate or inheritance tax. Property tax on a median home is $3,348 a year in South Dakota and $1,925 in Wyoming.