The map above shows Ohio and South Dakota side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Ohio vs South Dakota Geography
Land area: Ohio has a land area of 40,859 square miles (105,824 km²), while South Dakota has 75,808 square miles (196,342 km²). South Dakota's land area is 1.9 times (86%) larger than Ohio's.
Total area: Ohio: 44,826 square miles (116,098 km²) vs South Dakota: 77,116 square miles (199,729 km²), including inland and coastal water. South Dakota's total area is 1.7 times (72%) larger than Ohio's.
Length: Ohio is 291 miles (468 km) long from north to south; South Dakota is 443 miles (712 km). South Dakota's north-south length is 1.5 times (52%) longer than Ohio's.
Width: Ohio spans 317 miles (510 km) east to west; South Dakota spans 371 miles (597 km). South Dakota's east-west width is 1.2 times (17%) wider than Ohio's.
Highest point: Ohio's highest point is Campbell Hill at 1,547 feet (472 m); South Dakota's is Black Elk Peak at 7,198 feet (2,194 m). Black Elk Peak is 5,651 feet higher than Campbell Hill.
Lowest point: Ohio's lowest point is Ohio River at 455 feet; South Dakota's is Big Stone Lake at 966 feet. Ohio's lowest point is 511 feet lower.
Ohio vs South Dakota Population and History
Population: Ohio has a population of 11,883,304 (2024), while South Dakota has 924,669 (2024). Ohio's population is 12.9 times larger than South Dakota's.
Population density: Ohio: 290.8 people per square mile vs South Dakota: 12.2. Ohio's population density is 23.8 times higher than South Dakota's.
Biggest city: Ohio's biggest city is Columbus with 933,263 people; South Dakota's is Sioux Falls with 209,289. Columbus' population is 4.5 times (346%) larger than Sioux Falls'.
Largest metro area: Ohio'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: Ohio: Admitted to the Union on March 1, 1803, as the 17th state. South Dakota: Admitted to the Union on November 2, 1889, as the 40th state. In its current form, Ohio is the older of the two by 86 years.
Ohio vs South Dakota Economy
GDP: Ohio's GDP is $923.1 billion (2024) vs South Dakota's $76.8 billion. Ohio's economic output is 12.0 times larger than South Dakota's.
GDP per capita: Ohio: $77,684 per person vs South Dakota: $83,052. South Dakota's GDP per capita is 1.1 times (7%) higher than Ohio's.
Average income: Ohio: $64,464 vs South Dakota: $75,699 average income per person (per capita personal income). South Dakota's average income is 1.2 times (17%) higher than Ohio's.
Ohio vs South Dakota Counties
Number of counties: Ohio has 88 counties, while South Dakota has 66. Ohio's county count is 1.3 times (33%) higher than South Dakota's.
Biggest county by area: Ohio's largest county is Ashtabula County at 702 square miles; South Dakota's is Meade County at 3,471 square miles. Meade County's land area is 4.9 times (394%) larger than Ashtabula County's.
Smallest county by area: Ohio: Lake County (229 sq mi) vs South Dakota: Clay County (412 sq mi). Clay County's land area is 1.8 times (80%) larger than Lake County's.
Most populous county: Ohio: Franklin County (1,356,303 people) vs South Dakota: Minnehaha County (208,639 people). Franklin County's population is 6.5 times (550%) larger than Minnehaha County's.
Least populous county: Ohio: Vinton County (12,545 people) vs South Dakota: Jones County (874 people). Vinton County's population is 14.4 times larger than Jones County's.
Richest county: Ohio: Delaware County ($96,573 per capita income) vs South Dakota: Union County ($146,712). Union County's income is 1.5 times (52%) richer than Delaware County's.
Poorest county: Ohio: Noble County ($34,940 per capita income) vs South Dakota: Ziebach County ($32,778). Noble County's income is 1.1 times (7%) richer than Ziebach County's.
Ohio vs South Dakota Taxes
State income tax: Ohio has a top income tax rate of 2.75%, while South Dakota has no state income tax. Ohio's top rate is 2.75 percentage points higher.
Property tax: Ohio: 1.22% effective rate vs South Dakota: 1.02% of home value per year. Ohio's rate is 0.2 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: Ohio: 7.29% combined state and average local rate vs South Dakota: 6.11%. Ohio's combined rate is 1.18 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Ohio official website · South Dakota official website
More Size Comparisons
All Ohio 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.