South Dakota is the #1 state in Moody’s Analytics & CNN Business’ Back-to-Normal Index. Comprised of 37 indicators, the Index compares the current economy to pre-pandemic levels. As of 8/20/21 South Dakota surpassed pre-pandemic levels by 11%.
Category: Accolades
South Dakota Ranked 4th Hardest Working State
When it comes to hardworking people, we already knew that South Dakota leads the way. Now, we have an accolade to prove it! WalletHub has ranked South Dakota as the 4th hardest working state in America.
Learn more about the ranking and see how other states stacked up on WalletHub.
Sioux Falls No. 1 best place to rent in America
To determine where renters can get the most bang for their buck, WalletHub compared more than 180 markets on 22 key measures of rental attractiveness and quality of life. Data points ranged from the difference between rental rates and mortgage payments to historical price changes, cost of living and job availability.
Check out the stats and story on WalletHub.com.
Sioux Falls has an overall “A” Niche grade
Sioux Falls is among the best cities to live in according to Niche.com based on crime, public schools, cost of living, job opportunities, and local amenities. Niche bases their rankings on data from the U.S. Census, FBI, BLS, CDC, and other sources.
Sioux Falls ranked 53rd with an overall “A” Niche grade. Factors include:
A Good for Families
A- Jobs
A- Public Schools
A- Nightlife
A- Commute
B+ Housing
B+ Cost of Living
B+ Diversity
B Health & Fitness
B- Outdoor Activities
C+ Weather
C+ Crime & Safety
Click “Learn more” below for additional information.
A top city for Renters!
Dwellsy ranked over 350 metros on their attractiveness for renters with Sioux Falls listed at No. 3.
The study, based on factors such as rent prices, availability, employment, schools and health, determined which cities were the most renter friendly. Factors such as local art and food scenes were also considered.
With high-quality schools, affordable rentals, and low unemployment rates, the Midwest stood out as one of the best regions for renters.
For more information, visit their website.
Dwellsy’s 2021 Top 20 Small Cities for Renters | |
1 | Fargo, ND-MN |
2 | Lincoln, NE |
3 | Sioux Falls, SD |
4 | Green Bay, WI |
5 | Grand Forks, ND-MN |
6 | Fond du Lac, WI |
7 | Lafayette, IN |
8 | Greenville, NC |
9 | Harrisonburg, VA |
10 | Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA |
11 | Oshkosh-Neenah, WI |
12 | Ames, IA |
13 | Iowa City, IA |
14 | Bowling Green, KY |
15 | Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR-MO |
16 | Jefferson City, MO |
17 | Columbia, MO |
18 | Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL |
19 | Lawrence, KS |
20 | Springfield, MO |
No. 1 State for Jobs
WalletHub’s 2021 Best & Worst States for Jobs lists South Dakota as the No.1 state in the nation. The study determines the most attractive states for employment based on 35 key indicators of job-market strength, opportunity and economic health.
To explore the study and see how other states ranked, click here.
Sioux Falls Tops the List of Best Cities for Young Professionals Again

Sioux Falls #1
SmartAsset once again named Sioux Falls the best city for young professionals in their annual ranking of the 150 largest cities in America for 2021. Cities are compared across nine metrics that consider affordability, workforce demographics and entertainment options.
This is the fifth year SmartAsset has conducted the study and produced rankings. Sioux Falls has topped the list four of the study’s five years – 2017, 2018, 2019, and now again in 2021.
South Dakota Fares Well in New 2021 Analysis
Location Matters 2021 – The State Tax Cost of Doing Business produced by the Tax Foundation and KPMG provides a comparative analysis of actual state business tax costs faced by businesses. The study accounts for all business taxes including corporate income, property, sales, unemployment insurance, capital stock, inventory, and gross receipts taxes. Economists designed eight model firms, and modeled each firm twice in each state: once as a new firm eligible for tax incentives and once as a mature firm not eligible for such incentives.
In South Dakota, five of the eight mature firms modeled rank in the top 10 for lowest tax burdens – corporate headquarters, technology centers, data centers, capital-intensive manufacturing and labor-intensive manufacturing.
Sioux Falls a Best Performing City
Sioux Falls No. 7 Best in the Small City category
The Milken Institute’s Best-Performing Cities index tracks the economic performance of approximately 400 US metropolitan statistical areas (MSA) split between large and small cities. It uses an outcomes-based set of metrics—including job creation, wage gains, and high-tech GDP growth—to evaluate the performance of these cities relative to one another. Sioux Falls ranked No. 7 in the small city category.

Sioux Falls No. 10 in Economic Strength Rankings
POLICOM analyzes local and state economies, determines if they are growing or declining, identifies what is causing this to happen, and offers ideas and solutions to improve the situation.
From its research and educational programs, community and government leaders discover what is driving their economy and what the community will have to do to enhance the “economic quality of life” for the people living and working in the area.
In their most recent study, POLICOM, ranked Sioux Falls as the 10th out of 384 Metropolitan Statistical Areas for our economic strength in 2021.
Sioux Falls No. 4 in Ease of Doing Business Ranking
The Doing Business North America (DBNA) project annually provides objective measures of the scale and scope of business regulations in 130 cities across 92 states, provinces, and federal districts of the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. It uses 111 data indicators spread over six categories to score and rank cities in regard to how easy it is to set up, operate, and shut down a business.
Focusing on city-level regulations, this study provides measurable benchmarks; objective measurements of regulatory conditions publicly-available to researchers and policymakers allowing them to track the improvement or decline in local regulatory conditions, providing context for potential policy reform.
For more information, visit: dbna.asu.edu
Sioux Falls Area Ranks Among the Top Places to Get Physically Fit in 2021

In its seventh annual study, SmartAsset crunched the numbers to find the most fitness-friendly places nationwide.
The Sioux Falls area cracks the top 25 places to get physically fit in 2021, out of the 301 metro areas analyzed.
The full report, including methodology and key findings, can be found here: https://smartasset.com/checking-account/most-fitness-friendly-places-for-2021.
Sioux Falls Ranks Among the Most Livable Mid-Sized Cities in America

Out of 227 cities, Sioux Falls ranks No. 11.
Mid-sized cities can be great places to live, offering an urban feel without the congestion. As the pandemic drives some residents out of densely-populated cities, there are smaller metros that perform well across an array of livability metrics.
In the 2020 study, SmartAsset crunched the numbers to find the most livable mid-sized cities nationwide across eight metrics including:
Gini coefficient * A statistical measurement of income inequality. A Gini coefficient of zero indicates total equality of wealth distribution, while a coefficient of one indicates total inequality of wealth distribution across groups.
Median home value change The percentage change in median home values from 2015 through 2019. Data comes from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2015 and 2019 1-year American Community Surveys.
Median monthly housing costs * .
Percentage of residents below the poverty line *.
Median household income * .
Unemployment rate Data comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and is for July 2020
Percentage of residents without health insurance. Data comes from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2019 1-year American Community Survey.
Average commute time *
* Data comes from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2019 1-Year American Community Survey.
SD No. 2 in Tax Foundation’s 2021 State Business Tax Climate Index
The Tax Foundation’s 2021 State Business Tax Climate Index enables business leaders, government policymakers, and taxpayers to gauge how their states’ tax systems compare.
The 5 best states in this year’s Index are:
1. Wyoming
2. South Dakota
3. Alaska
4. Florida
5. Montana
To read the entire story, click here.
Sioux Falls is a top 10 best place to live
Sioux Falls has been named one of the 2020 Top 100 Best Places to Live by Livability.com, outpacing more than 1,000 cities with populations between 20,000 and 1,000,000 in this data-driven ranking.
This year’s rankings were informed by each city’s “Opportunity Score,” which consists of several variables centered around the economy, job opportunities and growth. When combined, these points offer a snapshot of the opportunity landscape of each city, and the potential for businesses and residents to thrive and grow.
“There are many opportunities not only for careers, but for connection. Sioux Falls is growing rapidly, and it’s amazing to see the impact of community groups. I’ve seen things started by a handful of individuals grow into movements that expand across the entire city — from arts programming to running clubs to environmental initiatives! Whether you’d like to lead the charge on a passion project, or join a group of like-minded individuals, Sioux Falls is a great place to find community.”
The city’s affordability, low crime rate, top-notch healthcare systems, great schools and four-seasons climate make it the perfect place to build a life.
Check out the 2020 Top 100 Best Places to Live list.