The map above shows Kentucky and South Dakota side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Kentucky vs South Dakota Geography
Land area
- Kentucky has a land area of 39,485 square miles (102,267 km²), while South Dakota has 75,808 square miles (196,342 km²).
- South Dakota's land area is 1.9 times (92%) larger than Kentucky's.
Total area
- Kentucky: 40,406 square miles (104,651 km²) vs South Dakota: 77,116 square miles (199,729 km²), including inland and coastal water.
- South Dakota's total area is 1.9 times (91%) larger than Kentucky's.
Length
- Kentucky is 257 miles (414 km) long from north to south; South Dakota is 443 miles (712 km).
- South Dakota's north-south length is 1.7 times (72%) longer than Kentucky's.
Width
- Kentucky spans 418 miles (672 km) east to west; South Dakota spans 371 miles (597 km).
- Kentucky's east-west width is 1.1 times (13%) wider than South Dakota's.
Highest point
- Kentucky's highest point is Black Mountain at 4,134 feet (1,260 m); South Dakota's is Black Elk Peak at 7,198 feet (2,194 m).
- Black Elk Peak is 3,064 feet higher than Black Mountain.
Lowest point
- Kentucky's lowest point is Mississippi River at 270 feet; South Dakota's is Big Stone Lake at 966 feet.
- Kentucky's lowest point is 696 feet lower.
Kentucky vs South Dakota Population and History
Population
- Kentucky has a population of 4,588,372 (2024), while South Dakota has 924,669 (2024).
- Kentucky's population is 5.0 times (396%) larger than South Dakota's.
Population density
- Kentucky: 116.2 people per square mile vs South Dakota: 12.2.
- Kentucky's population density is 9.5 times (852%) higher than South Dakota's.
Biggest city
- Kentucky's biggest city is Louisville with 640,796 people; South Dakota's is Sioux Falls with 209,289.
- Louisville's population is 3.1 times (206%) larger than Sioux Falls'.
Largest metro area
- Kentucky's largest metropolitan area is Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN metro area (2,302,815 people) vs South Dakota's Sioux Falls, SD-MN metro area (308,266).
- Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN metro area's population is 7.5 times (647%) larger than Sioux Falls, SD-MN metro area's.
History
- Kentucky: Admitted to the Union on June 1, 1792, as the 15th state.
- South Dakota: Admitted to the Union on November 2, 1889, as the 40th state.
- In its current form, Kentucky is the older of the two by 97 years.
Kentucky vs South Dakota Economy
GDP
- Kentucky's GDP is $295.4 billion (2024) vs South Dakota's $76.8 billion.
- Kentucky's economic output is 3.8 times (285%) larger than South Dakota's.
GDP per capita
- Kentucky: $64,375 per person vs South Dakota: $83,052.
- South Dakota's GDP per capita is 1.3 times (29%) higher than Kentucky's.
Average income
- Kentucky: $58,256 vs South Dakota: $75,699 average income per person (per capita personal income).
- South Dakota's average income is 1.3 times (30%) higher than Kentucky's.
Kentucky vs South Dakota Counties
Number of counties
- Kentucky has 120 counties, while South Dakota has 66.
- Kentucky's county count is 1.8 times (82%) higher than South Dakota's.
Biggest county by area
- Kentucky's largest county is Pike County at 786 square miles; South Dakota's is Meade County at 3,471 square miles.
- Meade County's land area is 4.4 times (341%) larger than Pike County's.
Smallest county by area
- Kentucky: Gallatin County (98 sq mi) vs South Dakota: Clay County (412 sq mi).
- Clay County's land area is 4.2 times (319%) larger than Gallatin County's.
Most populous county
- Kentucky: Jefferson County (793,881 people) vs South Dakota: Minnehaha County (208,639 people).
- Jefferson County's population is 3.8 times (281%) larger than Minnehaha County's.
Least populous county
- Kentucky: Robertson County (2,382 people) vs South Dakota: Jones County (874 people).
- Robertson County's population is 2.7 times (173%) larger than Jones County's.
Richest county
- Kentucky: Oldham County ($87,137 per capita income) vs South Dakota: Union County ($146,712).
- Union County's income is 1.7 times (68%) richer than Oldham County's.
Poorest county
- Kentucky: Elliott County ($31,817 per capita income) vs South Dakota: Ziebach County ($32,778).
- Elliott County and Ziebach County have about the same income.
Kentucky vs South Dakota Taxes
State income tax
- Kentucky has a top income tax rate of 3.5%, while South Dakota has no state income tax.
- Kentucky's top rate is 3.5 percentage points higher.
Property tax
- Kentucky: 0.71% effective rate vs South Dakota: 1.02% of home value per year.
- South Dakota's rate is 0.31 percentage points higher.
Sales tax
- Kentucky: 6% combined state and average local rate vs South Dakota: 6.11%.
- South Dakota's combined rate is 0.11 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Kentucky official website · South Dakota official website
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More Size Comparisons
All Kentucky size comparisons · All South Dakota size comparisons
Area, elevation and boundary figures come from official national statistics and US Census Bureau and Natural Earth boundary data; US state population, economic, county and tax figures come from the US Census Bureau, the Bureau of Economic Analysis and the Tax Foundation. Figures are rounded and for general reference.