The local economy of South Dakota and its counties, metro areas and cities, from official US government data, plus daily local gas prices for the state, its counties and metro areas.
Unemployment rate
2.0%
-0.1 ptsvs a year ago
Counties: lowest Hyde County 1.3%, highest Corson County 7.4%.
August 2026, seasonally adjusted, preliminary
Average weekly pay
$1,211
+4.2%vs a year ago
451,691 jobs at 41,117 business locations.
Q1 2026, all jobs
New homes permitted
5,973
+17.5%this year vs last year
Most in Minnehaha County 2,329, Pennington County 616.
Homes in the last 12 months, to August 2026
People moving in
+2,417
+3.2 per 1,000residents
27,271 moved in and 24,854 moved out. Most newcomers came from Minnesota.
Net people, 2022 to 2023, the newest year published
South Dakota gas price
$4.27
+$1.37vs a year ago
Counties: lowest Gregory County $3.96, highest Sully County $5.00. Counties and metro areas
Regular, per gallon, South Dakota, October 10, 2026
Newest data: -. Not seasonally adjusted: compare with the same month a year earlier. Click a row for the history of that area.
The state, its counties and metro areas, updated daily. A separate series from the weekly survey prices above.
Business locations, employees and payroll by industry, 2023. Click an industry for its US report.
Business locations
29K
+0.9%vs 2022
2023, places with paid employees
Employees
384K
+2.7%vs 2022
Largest sector: Health Care and Social Assistance (19.5%).
2023, mid-March
Annual payroll
$20.7B
Wages and salaries paid during the year.
2023, all industries
Average pay
$53,870
Highest sector: Utilities $104,434.
Per employee per year
Share of South Dakota's employees, 2023
| Industry | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals | 28,822 | $71,217 |
| Restaurants and Other Eating Places | 28,093 | $20,919 |
| Depository Credit Intermediation | 11,513 | $78,694 |
| Grocery Stores | 9,658 | $19,834 |
| Traveler Accommodation | 9,018 | $29,136 |
| General Merchandise Stores, including Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters | 8,878 | $30,477 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 8,263 | $86,654 |
| Building Equipment Contractors | 7,544 | $63,451 |
| Offices of Physicians | 7,515 | $97,831 |
| Gasoline Stations | 6,743 | $28,627 |
| Animal Slaughtering and Processing | 6,433 | $60,868 |
| Religious Organizations | 5,372 | $23,414 |
Most values are changed slightly to protect the privacy of single businesses; a few are withheld and shown as a range. Counties and metro areas have the same numbers in the area card above (Industries).
Offered pay in certified work-visa filings, fiscal year 2025 (October 2024 to September 2025). Click a company for its jobs and salaries.
In fiscal year 2025, employers offered a median of $68,432 a year in 451 certified H-1B filings for jobs in South Dakota, up 2.8% from 2024 (US: $120,000). The largest job group was Physicians, All Other. Fiscal year 2026 so far covers filings decided through Jun 30, 2026.
Median offered pay
$68,432
+2.8%vs 2024
Middle half: $58,521 to $98,280.
H-1B, fiscal year 2025
H-1B filings
451
-0.2%vs 2024
580 positions asked for.
Certified, full-time, fiscal year 2025
Top job group
$98,280
Physicians, All Other, 54 filings.
Median offered pay of the largest job group
Green card jobs
$34,320
-2.9%vs 2024
440 PERM filings.
PERM median, fiscal year 2025
Median and middle half of the offers in South Dakota, next to the US median. Hover a year for the numbers.
| Job group | Filings | Median pay |
|---|---|---|
| Physicians, All Other | 54 | $98,280 |
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | 46 | $53,283 |
| Software Developers | 33 | $79,186 |
| Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologists | 27 | $66,206 |
| Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education | 25 | $53,278 |
| Registered Nurses | 23 | $66,560 |
| Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education | 16 | $52,092 |
| Computer Programmers | 13 | $64,709 |
| Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary | 10 | $93,996 |
| Special Education Teachers, Elementary School | 10 | $51,475 |
| Employer | Filings | Cities |
|---|---|---|
| Sanford Clinic | 26 | 2 |
| Monument Health Rapid City Hospital, Inc. | 22 | 4 |
| Sicangu Oyate Ho., Inc. | 22 | 1 |
| Sanford School of Medicine of the University of South Dakota Residency | 21 | 1 |
| South Dakota State University | 20 | 1 |
| Avera McKennan | 19 | 2 |
| Sanford | 18 | 3 |
| Sioux Falls School District 49-5 | 17 | 1 |
| Avant Healthcare Professionals, LLC. | 16 | 1 |
| Todd County School District 66-1 | 15 | 2 |
| City | Filings | Median pay | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sioux Falls | 194 | $81,682 | $65,687 to $122,188 |
| Rapid City | 54 | $67,558 | $66,560 to $91,471 |
| Brookings | 23 | $90,000 | $86,698 to $94,000 |
| St. Francis | 22 | $48,650 | $47,425 to $50,150 |
| Mission | 14 | $57,500 | $56,125 to $57,500 |
| Aberdeen | 13 | $75,000 | $63,440 to $240,178 |
| Madison | 11 | $85,000 | $69,100 to $89,000 |
| Stephan | 11 | $53,750 | $53,750 to $53,750 |
| Vermillion | 11 | $73,070 | $63,211 to $86,990 |
| La Plant | 10 | $51,950 | $51,950 to $51,950 |
Yearly pay that employers offered in certified work-visa filings (H-1B, E-3 and PERM green card), from official public data. Pay is the lower end of the offered pay range, for full-time positions only. These are offered pay figures for positions in work-visa filings, not the pay of all employees. A filing is an offer for a position, not a hire, and one person can appear in several filings. Fiscal years run from October to September. Groups with fewer than 3 filings show counts only. Employers are ranked by filings in the cities of South Dakota added up.
Declared disasters and flood insurance claims: what happened, from official public data.
South Dakota has had 98 declared disasters and emergencies since 1954, 69 of them since 2000, most often Severe Storm. Flood insurance has paid $62.6 million on 4,016 claims since 1978; the biggest year was 2019 ($15.7 million).
Declared disasters
69
45 major disasters. Most often Severe Storm (34 since 1954).
Since 2000, all types; 98 since 1954
Flood claims paid
$22.5M
631 claims. Biggest year 2019 ($15.7M).
2016 to 2025, flood insurance
Policies in force
2,601
Average premium $1,114 a year.
2025, flood insurance policies
Most-declared county
19
Jackson County, latest Aug 15, 2024.
Declarations since 2000
Declarations for South Dakota, 1954 to today
Claims paid in South Dakota by the year of the flood, US dollars
Declarations since 1954
Declarations naming the county since 2000; statewide ones not counted
All years since 1978; policies are a yearly average. Top 15 of 52.
| # | County | Claims | Paid | Policies |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minnehaha County | 425 | $8.89M | 827 |
| 2 | Lake County | 291 | $7.70M | 190 |
| 3 | Union County | 443 | $7.56M | 377 |
| 4 | Codington County | 472 | $6.61M | 517 |
| 5 | Hamlin County | 347 | $4.45M | 90 |
| 6 | Day County | 257 | $4.17M | 36 |
| 7 | Brown County | 484 | $3.29M | 283 |
| 8 | Stanley County | 117 | $2.55M | 130 |
| 9 | Lincoln County | 39 | $2.06M | 121 |
| 10 | Davison County | 30 | $2.03M | 40 |
| 11 | Yankton County | 62 | $1.52M | 86 |
| 12 | Brookings County | 143 | $1.24M | 143 |
| 13 | Turner County | 26 | $1.05M | 18 |
| 14 | Spink County | 74 | $970K | 36 |
| 15 | Moody County | 59 | $760K | 25 |
A declaration opens federal help after a disaster; it can name counties or the whole state. Flood insurance numbers count insured losses only (most homes have no flood insurance) and are not adjusted for inflation; the current year is data so far. For the flood-zone risk of a place, open the area on the real estate map.
Environmental compliance records, workplace safety inspections and greenhouse gas reports of facilities in South Dakota, from official public data.
Official public data lists 2,072 facilities in South Dakota with records since 2010, 2,054 of them with environmental compliance records. In 2022 to 2026, the largest penalties were at New Angus, LLC in Aberdeen ($146,463). 45 large facilities reported 6.46 million metric tons of greenhouse gases in 2023, up 2.9% from 2022.
Facilities with records
2,072
2,054 with environmental records.
Since 2010
Largest penalties
$146K
New Angus, LLC, Aberdeen.
One facility, 2022 to 2026
Greenhouse gases
6.46M t
+2.9%vs 2022
45 reporting facilities.
Metric tons CO2e, 2023
Largest emitter
1.92M t
Big Stone, Big Stone City.
Metric tons CO2e, 2023
| Facility | Penalties | Violations |
|---|---|---|
| New Angus, LLC Aberdeen | $146,463 | 2 |
| Powdertech Corporation Webster | $34,188 | 22 |
| Powder House Pass Cid Lead | $30,200 | 8 |
| Valley Queen Cheese Factory, INC. Milbank | $29,917 | 4 |
| Grant Park Addition Baltic | $29,438 | 45 |
| Abe South Dakota LLC Aberdeen | $27,507 | 2 |
| Phillips Crossing Addition Baltic | $18,345 | 28 |
| Porcupine District Government Building Porcupine | $15,780 | 0 |
| Hermosa - Town of Hermosa | $13,000 | 5 |
| Pearl Creek Colony Iroquois | $11,500 | 7 |
| Facility | Metric tons CO2e |
|---|---|
| Big Stone Big Stone City | 1,919,343 |
| Gcc Dacotah Rapid City | 817,514 |
| Deer Creek Station Elkton | 461,037 |
| Pete Lien & Sons, INC. Rapid City | 278,549 |
| Astoria Station Astoria | 227,933 |
| Nugen Energy LLC Marion | 204,168 |
| Valero Renewable Fuels Company Aurora | 201,939 |
| Aberdeen Energy LLC Mina | 197,928 |
| Glacial Lakes Energy LLC Watertown | 183,158 |
| Xcel Energy Angus Anson Generating Plant Sioux Falls | 161,253 |
Large facilities in South Dakota, metric tons of CO2 equivalent. Hover a year for the number.
Their facilities in South Dakota, 2022 to 2026. Click a company for its Risk & Compliance tab.
| Company | Facilities | Penalties | CO2e (t) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Hills Corporation BKH | 2 | $0 | 24K |
Official public data on environmental compliance records, workplace safety inspections and greenhouse gas reports, summarized by facility and year since 2010. A record does not mean a site is unsafe today; penalties and violations vary a lot by industry and size. Penalties are the amounts assessed (after settlements), not amounts paid. Recent years can still change.
Cost, students and graduate earnings of the colleges in the state, from official public data.
The newest unemployment rate, pay, new home permits, moves and gas price for South Dakota, updated as new official numbers come out.
Unemployment for South Dakota is seasonally adjusted; for its counties, metro areas and cities it is not, so compare a month with the same month a year earlier. Pay covers all jobs that pay into unemployment insurance. Building permits count homes approved to be built, not homes sold. Moves count households by where they filed their tax returns in two years in a row. Daily gas prices are average pump prices for South Dakota, its counties and metro areas on the day shown. The weekly gas prices in the explorer come from a separate weekly survey that publishes a price for only some states, so a state without one shows the price of its region there; the two series are never combined.
The unemployment rate in South Dakota was 2.0% in August 2026 (seasonally adjusted, preliminary), compared with 2.1% a year earlier. 476,316 people were employed out of a labor force of 485,944. Among its counties, Hyde County had the lowest rate (1.3%) and Corson County the highest (7.4%, not seasonally adjusted).
Average weekly pay in South Dakota was $1,211 in Q1 2026, up 4.2% from a year earlier, across 451,691 jobs at 41,117 business locations.
Building permits were issued for 742 new homes in South Dakota in August 2026 (343 single-family and 395 in buildings with 5 or more units). From January to August the total was 4,436, up 17.5% from the same months last year, and 5,973 in the last 12 months. The most homes were permitted in Minnehaha County (2,329), Pennington County (616), Lincoln County (391) over the last 12 months.
Yes. From 2022 to 2023, 27,271 people moved to South Dakota and 24,854 moved away, a net gain of 2,417 (+3.2 per 1,000 residents). Most newcomers came from Minnesota, Iowa, California, and most people who left went to Minnesota, Iowa, Texas.
Regular gasoline in South Dakota averaged $4.27 per gallon on October 10, 2026, up $1.37 from a year earlier. Diesel averaged $5.97. Among its counties, Gregory County had the lowest regular price ($3.96) and Sully County the highest ($5.00).
Health Care and Social Assistance (74,743 employees), Retail Trade (54,784 employees), Manufacturing (47,333 employees) were the largest sectors in South Dakota in 2023. In all, 29,106 business locations employed 383,805 people at an average pay of $53,870 a year.
$68,432 a year was the median pay offered in 451 certified H-1B filings for jobs in South Dakota in fiscal year 2025 (October 2024 to September 2025), up 2.8% from 2024. The middle half of the offers ranged from $58,521 to $98,280. The US median was $120,000. These are offered pay figures in work-visa filings, not the pay of all workers.
Sanford Clinic (26), Monument Health Rapid City Hospital, Inc. (22), Sicangu Oyate Ho., Inc. (22), Sanford School of Medicine of the University of South Dakota Residency (21), South Dakota State University (20) had the most certified H-1B filings for jobs in South Dakota in fiscal year 2025 (October 2024 to September 2025).
Physicians, All Other (54 filings, median $98,280), Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education (46 filings, median $53,283), Software Developers (33 filings, median $79,186) were the largest job groups in certified H-1B filings in South Dakota in fiscal year 2025.
$81,682 was the median offered pay in Sioux Falls, the highest among the South Dakota cities with the most H-1B filings in fiscal year 2025 (194 filings).
$34,320 a year was the median pay offered in 440 certified PERM green card filings for jobs in South Dakota in fiscal year 2025.
98 disasters and emergencies have been declared for South Dakota since 1954, 69 of them since 2000 (45 major disasters). The most common type is Severe Storm (34 declarations).
Jackson County, with 19 declarations since 2000, followed by Day County (17) and Perkins County (17). Statewide declarations are not counted for single counties.
$62.6 million on 4,016 flood insurance claims since 1978. The biggest year was 2019, with $15.7 million paid on 494 claims. Minnehaha County received the most ($8.89 million).
$1,114 a year in 2025, across 2,601 flood insurance policies in South Dakota. Most homes have no flood insurance; the premium depends on the home's flood risk and coverage.