Study: Happiest Cities in South Dakota

"Great Faces, Great Places" is South Dakota's official slogan, and the Mount Rushmore State is overflowing with plenty of both. Aside from its rich natural history and the stark beauty of the Badlands, South Dakota offers residents one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country along with a cost of living that's below the national average. Whether you prefer a bigger city like Sioux Falls or someplace that's a little less well-known, these are the places where residents have the most reasons to be happy.

Study Methodology

We considered cities both large and small for our study, including those with a population of 5,000 or more. To get our top 10, we used U.S. Census data and FBI crime report information to assign each of them a ranking. Our final list reflects the cities that rated the best overall for each of the following:

1. Restaurants
   
2. Crime rate
   
3. Commute
   
4. Departure time
   
5. Income
   
6. Divorce rate
   
7. Housing

Dinner out on the town with friends is a great way to unwind after a long workweek. To see where you'll have the most opportunities to socialize, we considered the number of restaurants per capita in each city.

South Dakota isn't known for being a high crime state but some cities may be safer than others. Our next measure centered on the odds of being the victim of a violent crime.

One of the best things about living in a less populated state is the fact that there are fewer cars on the roads. We considered the average commute time for each city to see where the drive to work is shortest.

If you believe that the early bird gets the worm, you may unconsciously be increasing your happiness level according to researchers. The next thing we looked at was the percentage of residents who leave for work before 5 a.m.

Making a lot of money won't necessarily make you happier, but it can be a major stress reliever if you're constantly strapped for cash. We were curious about where residents bring in the biggest paychecks, so we looked at the median household income for each city.

Divorce is an unpleasant experience that can certainly impact how positive your attitude is. The cities on our list have the lowest percentages of people who are divorced.

Spending a lot of money on your mortgage or paying high rent can leave you feeling stressed. The last thing we looked at was the percentage of income residents in each city spend on housing.

10 Happiest Cities in South Dakota

10. Sturgis

• Restaurants per capita: 1 per 246 inhabitants
  
• Odds of being the victim of a violent crime: 1 in 1682.8
  
• Average commute time: 14.8 minutes
  
• Percentage of residents leaving for work before 5 a.m.: 5.7%
  
• Median household income: $36,935
  
• Percentage of residents who are divorced: 13.9% of males, 16.8% of females
  
• Percentage of income spent on housing: 19.8%

Every August, thousands of motorcycle enthusiasts flock to Sturgis but the rest of the year, it's a fairly quiet, peaceful place. With only about 6,600 residents, it's our smallest city in terms of population, but people here appreciate its intimate feel. It's one of South Dakota's safest cities and living here won't put too much of a pinch on your income as far as housing costs go.

Did You Know: The annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally is one of the largest motorcycle rallies in the world.

9. Madison

• Restaurants per capita: 1 per 235 inhabitants
  
• Odds of being the victim of a violent crime: 1 in 1344.6
  
• Average commute time: 13 minutes
  
• Percentage of residents leaving for work before 5 a.m.: 1.7%
  
• Median household income: $36,429
  
• Percentage of residents who are divorced: 6.4% of males, 8.4% of females
  
• Percentage of income spent on housing: 17.8%

Madison is a picturesque little town of roughly 6,800 people situated between Lake Herman and Lake Madison. Families like it because of how safe and affordable the neighborhoods are, while workers are jumping for joy at how short the drive to work is. Madison gets the top rating for the number of restaurants per capita, and Mochavino is the perfect place to enjoy a glass of wine or a gourmet sandwich.

Did You Know: The main campus of Dakota State University is located in Madison.

8. Sioux Falls

• Restaurants per capita: 1 per 461 inhabitants
  
• Odds of being the victim of a violent crime: 1 in 251
  
• Average commute time: 16.2 minutes
  
• Percentage of residents leaving for work before 5 a.m.: 2.9%
  
• Median household income: $51,882
  
• Percentage of residents who are divorced: 11.1% of males, 11.7% of females
  
• Percentage of income spent on housing: 20%

With nearly 160,000 residents, Sioux Falls is far and away South Dakota's largest city. It's no surprise that this thriving metropolis made it onto our list. In spite of its size, workers aren't sitting in traffic for hours on end each day and they're also faring well in the income department. Residents spend 20% of their pay on housing, which isn't too bad at all.

Did You Know: Sioux Falls hosts some of the state's premier attractions, like the Great Plains Zoo and the Kirby Science Discovery Center.

7. Brookings

• Restaurants per capita: 1 per 434 inhabitants
  
• Odds of being the victim of a violent crime: 1 in 2809.8
  
• Average commute time: 12.8 minutes
  
• Percentage of residents leaving for work before 5 a.m.: 1.7%
  
• Median household income: $41,468
  
• Percentage of residents who are divorced: 4% of males, 7.7% of females
  
• Percentage of income spent on housing: 20.4%

Married couples seem to be living happily ever after in Brookings, based on the fact that it has the lowest combined divorce rate in our study. The nearly 23,000 people who live here find it to be a pleasant place to call home, thanks to how infrequent violent crime is. It doesn't hurt that it takes under 13 minutes on average to make it to work each day and housing isn't a budget-buster.

Did You Know: The Brookings Summer Arts Festival is one of the largest juried arts exhibitions in the state.

6. Mitchell

• Restaurants per capita: 1 per 316 inhabitants
  
• Odds of being the victim of a violent crime: 1 in 304.7
  
• Average commute time: 12.2 minutes
  
• Percentage of residents leaving for work before 5 a.m.: 1.4%
  
• Median household income: $43,557
  
• Percentage of residents who are divorced: 8.5% of males, 9.8% of females
  
• Percentage of income spent on housing: 17.5%

Mitchell is probably best known for its world-famous Corn Palace, but that's not the only thing that draws people here. The city boasts right around 15,000 residents and overall, we'd say they have much to be satisfied with. The cost of living is extremely low and housing costs in particular are an especially good bargain.

Did You Know: Former U.S. Senator and Democratic Presidential nominee George McGovern spent his childhood years in Mitchell.

5. Huron

• Restaurants per capita: 1 per 330 inhabitants
  
• Odds of being the victim of a violent crime: 1 in 313.4
  
• Average commute time: 11.1 minutes
  
• Percentage of residents leaving for work before 5 a.m.: 4%
  
• Median household income: $40,533
  
• Percentage of residents who are divorced: 13.4% of males, 14.1% of females
  
• Percentage of income spent on housing: 16.9%

Huron's nearly 13,000 residents tend to take a positive view of their hometown, considering how high it ranked on our list. Some of the things that make it so attractive include an average commute of just over 11 minutes and housing costs that don't exceed 17% of income. Huron features an interesting mix of restaurants; the Prime Time Tavern is a great place to gather with friends for drinks or dinner.

Did You Know: The South Dakota State Fair is held each year in Huron.

4. Aberdeen

• Restaurants per capita: 1 per 388 inhabitants
  
• Odds of being the victim of a violent crime: 1 in 385.4
  
• Average commute time: 11.4 minutes
  
• Percentage of residents leaving for work before 5 a.m.: 2.4%
  
• Median household income: $46,073
  
• Percentage of residents who are divorced: 9.5% of males, 12.6% of females
  
• Percentage of income spent on housing: 16.5%

If you don't want to tie up too much of your time heading to work each day and you're looking for a small-town feel, Aberdeen is an obvious choice. Close to 27,000 people have settled down here and complaints aren't something you'll hear too often. A median income of $46,000 won't leave you in the red and less than 17% of that goes towards housing.

Did You Know: Before publishing "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz," author L. Frank Baum owned a store in Aberdeen called Baum's Bazaar.

3. Brandon

• Restaurants per capita: 1 per 774 inhabitants
  
• Odds of being the victim of a violent crime: 1 in 9008
  
• Average commute time: 18.5 minutes
  
• Percentage of residents leaving for work before 5 a.m.: 6.1%
  
• Median household income: $66,766
  
• Percentage of residents who are divorced: 7.6% of males, 9.3% of females
  
• Percentage of income spent on housing: 19.8%

Even though Brandon is one of the smallest cities in our study, it still managed to come out on top in three different rankings categories. It's hands-down the safest study on our list, with violent crime practically nonexistent. Brandon also has the highest percentage of residents leaving for work before 5 a.m. They also bring in the biggest paychecks, based on the median household income.

Did You Know: The nearby Great Bear Recreation Park is a favorite ski spot among locals and visitors.

2. Pierre

• Restaurants per capita: 1 per 357 inhabitants
  
• Odds of being the victim of a violent crime: 1 in 318.5
  
• Average commute time: 10.1 minutes
  
• Percentage of residents leaving for work before 5 a.m.: 3.2%
  
• Median household income: $56,125
  
• Percentage of residents who are divorced: 10.4% of males, 11% of females
  
• Percentage of income spent on housing: 15.8%

South Dakota's capital city comes in at number two on our list, primarily because of how short the commute is. It takes workers right around 10 minutes on average to make it to their destination, which is a major plus in its favor. The median income is generous, at more than $56,000, but the city's 14,000 residents spend less than 16% of that on mortgage or rent payments.

Did You Know: The city is named for Pierre Chouteau, Jr., a renowned fur trader who also pioneered the use of steamboats along the Missouri River.

1. Yankton

• Restaurants per capita: 1 per 303 inhabitants
  
• Odds of being the victim of a violent crime: 1 in 350.7
  
• Average commute time: 12.6 minutes
  
• Percentage of residents leaving for work before 5 a.m.: 3.7%
  
• Median household income: $48,966
  
• Percentage of residents who are divorced: 10.9% of males, 8% of females
  
• Percentage of income spent on housing: 14.5%

We're not yanking your chain when we say that Yankton is a great place to live. This community of about 14,500 people, which finished first on our list with the lowest overall housing costs, also rates well in every other category. The divorce rate is under 20% and the average commute takes less than 13 minutes. Neighborhoods seem to be safe and workers bring in a median income that approaches $50,000. Restaurants like The Landing only add to the positives that make it a winner among residents.

Did You Know: From 1861 until 1883, Yankton served as the capital of the Dakota territory.

The 10 cities featured in our rankings are a diverse group, but they all share a common thread when it comes to how happy their residents are. If a move to South Dakota is in your future or you're a current resident who's on the lookout for a new address, any of these cities would be an excellent choice.