Category: Accolades

Raising a family can be one of the most rewarding life experiences, but where you decide to locate your family can play a big part. From cost of living to quality of life, there are many factors to consider.

WalletHub is helping take the guesswork out of this decision, and has just released their 2024 rankings of best places to raise a family. Sioux Falls, SD, ranks in the top 20!

“With families in mind, WalletHub compared more than 180 U.S. cities based on 45 key metrics that consider essential family dynamics, such as the cost of housing, the quality of local school and health-care systems, and the opportunities for fun and recreation,” the article releasing the findings says. “While not perfect — given personal preferences and the limitations of publicly available data — our findings will hopefully give movers a better sense of their options.”

Discover why Sioux Falls made the top 20 by clicking the button below.

The amount of “tax burden” upon citizens can vary from state to state. If you’re looking for a state with a low tax burden, we have some great news for you: South Dakota is among the states with the lowest tax burden in the United States, according to data compiled by WalletHub and visualized by VisualCapitalist.

“It’s important to understand that under this methodology, the tax burden measures the percent of an average person’s income that is paid towards state and local taxes,” the article releasing the findings says. “It considers property taxes, income taxes, and sales & excise tax.”

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

As an essential service, healthcare is an important facet of our society. Medical professionals work tirelessly to provide care and expertise. Given the importance of their work and cost of their education, when deciding where to practice, doctors consider factors such as annual wage, cost of insurance, and more.

WalletHub has done the research, and South Dakota has recently been ranked the second best state for doctors!

“Living in one of the best states for doctors can make a big difference for your medical career,” says Cassandra Happe, Wallethub Analyst. “In addition to making more money, you will also be able to work in higher-quality hospital environments, be less likely to burn out, and pay less for malpractice insurance. For everyone else, living in one of the best states for doctors can lead to quality healthcare.”

To see how South Dakota compared with other states, click the button below.

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!