The map above shows New Jersey and South Dakota side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
New Jersey vs South Dakota Geography
Land area: New Jersey has a land area of 7,355 square miles (19,049 km²), while South Dakota has 75,808 square miles (196,342 km²). South Dakota's land area is 10.3 times larger than New Jersey's.
Total area: New Jersey: 8,719 square miles (22,583 km²) vs South Dakota: 77,116 square miles (199,729 km²), including inland and coastal water. South Dakota's total area is 8.8 times (784%) larger than New Jersey's.
Length: New Jersey is 169 miles (271 km) long from north to south; South Dakota is 443 miles (712 km). South Dakota's north-south length is 2.6 times (162%) longer than New Jersey's.
Width: New Jersey spans 129 miles (207 km) east to west; South Dakota spans 371 miles (597 km). South Dakota's east-west width is 2.9 times (188%) wider than New Jersey's.
Highest point: New Jersey's highest point is High Point at 1,798 feet (548 m); South Dakota's is Black Elk Peak at 7,198 feet (2,194 m). Black Elk Peak is 5,400 feet higher than High Point.
Lowest point: New Jersey's lowest point is Atlantic Ocean at 0 feet; South Dakota's is Big Stone Lake at 966 feet. New Jersey's lowest point is 966 feet lower.
New Jersey vs South Dakota Population and History
Population: New Jersey has a population of 9,500,851 (2024), while South Dakota has 924,669 (2024). New Jersey's population is 10.3 times larger than South Dakota's.
Population density: New Jersey: 1,291.8 people per square mile vs South Dakota: 12.2. New Jersey's population density is 105.9 times higher than South Dakota's.
Biggest city: New Jersey's biggest city is Newark with 317,303 people; South Dakota's is Sioux Falls with 209,289. Newark's population is 1.5 times (52%) larger than Sioux Falls'.
Largest metro area: New Jersey's largest metropolitan area is New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro area (19,940,274 people) vs South Dakota's Sioux Falls, SD-MN metro area (308,266). New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro area's population is 64.7 times larger than Sioux Falls, SD-MN metro area's.
History: New Jersey: Admitted to the Union on December 18, 1787, as the 3rd state. South Dakota: Admitted to the Union on November 2, 1889, as the 40th state. In its current form, New Jersey is the older of the two by 102 years.
New Jersey vs South Dakota Economy
GDP: New Jersey's GDP is $846.0 billion (2024) vs South Dakota's $76.8 billion. New Jersey's economic output is 11.0 times larger than South Dakota's.
GDP per capita: New Jersey: $89,045 per person vs South Dakota: $83,052. New Jersey's GDP per capita is 1.1 times (7%) higher than South Dakota's.
Average income: New Jersey: $84,893 vs South Dakota: $75,699 average income per person (per capita personal income). New Jersey's average income is 1.1 times (12%) higher than South Dakota's.
New Jersey vs South Dakota Counties
Number of counties: New Jersey has 21 counties, while South Dakota has 66. South Dakota's county count is 3.1 times (214%) higher than New Jersey's.
Biggest county by area: New Jersey's largest county is Burlington County at 799 square miles; South Dakota's is Meade County at 3,471 square miles. Meade County's land area is 4.3 times (334%) larger than Burlington County's.
Smallest county by area: New Jersey: Hudson County (46 sq mi) vs South Dakota: Clay County (412 sq mi). Clay County's land area is 8.9 times (792%) larger than Hudson County's.
Most populous county: New Jersey: Bergen County (978,641 people) vs South Dakota: Minnehaha County (208,639 people). Bergen County's population is 4.7 times (369%) larger than Minnehaha County's.
Least populous county: New Jersey: Salem County (65,874 people) vs South Dakota: Jones County (874 people). Salem County's population is 75.4 times larger than Jones County's.
Richest county: New Jersey: Somerset County ($121,042 per capita income) vs South Dakota: Union County ($146,712). Union County's income is 1.2 times (21%) richer than Somerset County's.
Poorest county: New Jersey: Cumberland County ($50,843 per capita income) vs South Dakota: Ziebach County ($32,778). Cumberland County's income is 1.6 times (55%) richer than Ziebach County's.
New Jersey vs South Dakota Taxes
State income tax: New Jersey has a top income tax rate of 10.75%, while South Dakota has no state income tax. New Jersey's top rate is 10.75 percentage points higher.
Property tax: New Jersey: 1.89% effective rate vs South Dakota: 1.02% of home value per year. New Jersey's rate is 0.87 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: New Jersey: 6.6% combined state and average local rate vs South Dakota: 6.11%. New Jersey's combined rate is 0.49 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
New Jersey official website · South Dakota official website
More Size Comparisons
All New Jersey 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.