Category: Accolades

For companies looking to grow and expand their business, locating in a city and state with a strong workforce and a favorable business climate are top considerations.

In a ranking by Site Selector Magazine, Sioux Falls is the Top Metro Per Capita with a population of 200,000 – 1 million in the country for corporate site selection projects.

“Projects include a 40,000-sq.-ft. expansion by Dakota Digital; a $45 million investment at Smithfield Foods’ pork processing plant; a 50-job commitment by global health care company Owens & Minor to an integrated service center it will share with Avera Health; a $20.4 million service center expansion by Xcel Energy; an investment of $5.1 million by Dakota Fluid Power; a $30 million corporate headquarters, fabrication facility and maintenance facility from Maguire Iron; a $6 million office and warehouse investment from vintage video game reseller CaveGamers; and a $25 million investment by FedEx Freight at a 43-acre site in Foundation Park, which since its founding in 2015 has sold nearly 500 of its more than 950 acres to companies creating thousands of jobs and millions of dollars in new tax base,” the article releasing the ranking says.

To learn more and see which other metros made the list, click the link below.

You’ve got the idea, now it’s time to build your business. Where you choose to locate your new venture can be a game-changer for success. Forbes recently ranked the best states for starting a business, and we’re not surprised to see South Dakota ranked fourth, making it one of the best places to start a business.

“South Dakota presents a compelling case for entrepreneurs, combining several key attributes that help foster business growth and success,” the article releasing the rankings says. “The state’s formation fee is set at $150, balancing affordability with access to a range of business services. A noteworthy aspect of South Dakota’s business environment is its survival rate of 74%, which points to a supportive atmosphere for maintaining and developing new businesses.”

Furthermore, South Dakota offers a great business tax climate, reliable workforce, and a lower cost of living. To learn more and see which other states made the list, click the link below.

Over the last few years, people across the country have said it’s time to start somewhere new. For a multitude of reasons, South Dakota is a great place for a fresh start. From our friendly people, our business climate, to our beautiful landscapes, we have it all. Now, we have a new ranking to prove it: South Dakota is the top five state for relocation according to top10.com.

“South Dakota’s low housing costs and no state income tax make it a desirable living place,” the article releasing the findings says. “Plus, South Dakota is the third state on this list with no state income tax, and it also has the fourth-highest job growth increase in the country.”

To learn more about the most and least popular states for moving, check out the link below.

Over the last few years, South Dakota has seen an uptick in new residents. We hear many stories from these newcomers who chose South Dakota because of our way of life that’s different from other states.

Now, the CATO Institute has recognized South Dakota as one of the top-three freest states in America.

“This study ranks the American states according to how their public policies affect individual freedoms in the economic, social, and personal spheres,” the release sharing the findings says. “The 2023 edition updates and expands on the six previous editions of Freedom in the 50 States. It examines state and local government intervention across a wide range of policy categories—from taxation to debt, from eminent domain laws to occupational licensing, and from drug policy to educational choice.”

To learn more about the ranking and to see how other states compared, click the link below.

Why work harder when you can work smarter? That’s the case for us here in Sioux Falls! Recently, SmartAsset ranked Sioux Falls as the second best job market in the U.S.

“Unemployment in Sioux Falls was only 1.8%, lowest studywide,” the article releasing the findings says. “The median income was slightly above average at $73,273, of which 16.9% generally goes to housing costs. Only 13.6% of the workforce works from home here, but the commute time for others is only 16.7 minutes. Over two years, workers saw a 20% increase in the median income, and 78% got health insurance through their employer.”

To learn more about the study and how other cities compared, click ‘read more’ below!

Sioux Falls: 3rd in economic strength

With new development occurring in every direction in Sioux Falls, it’s easy to wonder: is every city like this?

Sioux Falls’ economy has repeatedly shown its strength through the uncertainty of the last few years. Now, we have another accolade to show for it: Sioux Falls has been ranked 3rd in economic strength by POLICOM.

“The economic strength rankings are created so POLICOM can study the characteristics of strong and weak economies,” the publication of the findings says. “The highest ranked areas have had rapid, consistent growth in both size and quality for an extended period. The lowest ranked areas have been in decline for an extended period.”

To see how the rankings were compiled and how other cities compared, view the full study at the link below!

When it comes to seeking a college degree, the choices of what to study or which school to attend can seem endless. One thing at the top of mind for many students, though, is affordability.

Luckily, there’s a new listing of most affordable places to earn a college degree, compiled by Forbes. Even more exciting, that ranking lists South Dakota as the most affordable state to earn a college degree.

“To determine the most affordable states to earn a college degree, Forbes Advisor analyzed data falling under two broad categories: The actual costs of in-state tuition, fees, room, and board at public four-year universities in each state, and the cost-of-living and overall economic climate for recent graduates,” the article releasing the findings says. “We then took each of these individual metrics, weighted them, and ranked the states accordingly, with the most affordable states at the top of the ranking.”

To see why South Dakota made the top of the list, click the link below!

Even after the past two years of economic uncertainty, Sioux Falls has risen to the top in many different ways — from being consistently ranked as one of the best states for business to earning numerous accolades for our quality of life. Sioux Falls has once again been named a top place to live and work. This time, we’ve been ranked among the top 10 best-performing small cities by the Milken Institute!

“The BPC index reflects 12 indicators of economic growth and access to opportunities, providing a comprehensive assessment of the performance of cities over the past two years,” the report says. “The index is calculated by using 12 measures that fall into three categories: labor market performance, high-tech impact, and access to economic opportunities.”

View the full report and see how Sioux Falls compares with other U.S. cities by clicking ‘learn more’ below!

When it comes to finding a place to settle down, locations with great jobs and affordable housing are two of the top considerations. Luckily, Sioux Falls has been listed as one of the top 10 U.S. cities with plenty of jobs and affordable housing by GOBankingRates!

“To identify cities in the U.S. that have plenty of jobs and cheap housing, GOBankingRates gathered information on the 200 biggest housing markets in the U.S., according to Zillow,” the article releasing the findings says. “We gathered data available regarding the typical home value and monthly rent as of February 2023, as well as its Metro Statistical Area unemployment rate, according to the December 2022 Bureau of Labor Statistics data.”

To see how Sioux Falls compared with the other top 10 cities, click ‘learn more’ below!