The map above shows South Dakota and Vermont side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
South Dakota vs Vermont Geography
Land area: South Dakota has a land area of 75,808 square miles (196,342 km²), while Vermont has 9,217 square miles (23,873 km²). South Dakota's land area is 8.2 times (722%) larger than Vermont's.
Total area: South Dakota: 77,116 square miles (199,729 km²) vs Vermont: 9,615 square miles (24,903 km²), including inland and coastal water. South Dakota's total area is 8.0 times (702%) larger than Vermont's.
Length: South Dakota is 443 miles (712 km) long from north to south; Vermont is 165 miles (265 km). South Dakota's north-south length is 2.7 times (168%) longer than Vermont's.
Width: South Dakota spans 371 miles (597 km) east to west; Vermont spans 113 miles (181 km). South Dakota's east-west width is 3.3 times (228%) wider than Vermont's.
Highest point: South Dakota's highest point is Black Elk Peak at 7,198 feet (2,194 m); Vermont's is Mount Mansfield at 4,384 feet (1,336 m). Black Elk Peak is 2,814 feet higher than Mount Mansfield.
Lowest point: South Dakota's lowest point is Big Stone Lake at 966 feet; Vermont's is Lake Champlain at 95 feet. Vermont's lowest point is 871 feet lower.
South Dakota vs Vermont Population and History
Population: South Dakota has a population of 924,669 (2024), while Vermont has 648,493 (2024). South Dakota's population is 1.4 times (43%) larger than Vermont's.
Population density: South Dakota: 12.2 people per square mile vs Vermont: 70.4. Vermont's population density is 5.8 times (477%) higher than South Dakota's.
Biggest city: South Dakota's biggest city is Sioux Falls with 209,289 people; Vermont's is Burlington with 44,432. Sioux Falls' population is 4.7 times (371%) larger than Burlington's.
Largest metro area: South Dakota's largest metropolitan area is Sioux Falls, SD-MN metro area (308,266 people) vs Vermont's Burlington-South Burlington, VT metro area (229,445). Sioux Falls, SD-MN metro area's population is 1.3 times (34%) larger than Burlington-South Burlington, VT metro area's.
History: South Dakota: Admitted to the Union on November 2, 1889, as the 40th state. Vermont: Admitted to the Union on March 4, 1791, as the 14th state. In its current form, Vermont is the older of the two by 98 years.
South Dakota vs Vermont Economy
GDP: South Dakota's GDP is $76.8 billion (2024) vs Vermont's $46.3 billion. South Dakota's economic output is 1.7 times (66%) larger than Vermont's.
GDP per capita: South Dakota: $83,052 per person vs Vermont: $71,359. South Dakota's GDP per capita is 1.2 times (16%) higher than Vermont's.
Average income: South Dakota: $75,699 vs Vermont: $71,287 average income per person (per capita personal income). South Dakota's average income is 1.1 times (6%) higher than Vermont's.
South Dakota vs Vermont Counties
Number of counties: South Dakota has 66 counties, while Vermont has 14. South Dakota's county count is 4.7 times (371%) higher than Vermont's.
Biggest county by area: South Dakota's largest county is Meade County at 3,471 square miles; Vermont's is Windsor County at 969 square miles. Meade County's land area is 3.6 times (258%) larger than Windsor County's.
Smallest county by area: South Dakota: Clay County (412 sq mi) vs Vermont: Grand Isle County (82 sq mi). Clay County's land area is 5.0 times (404%) larger than Grand Isle County's.
Most populous county: South Dakota: Minnehaha County (208,639 people) vs Vermont: Chittenden County (170,851 people). Minnehaha County's population is 1.2 times (22%) larger than Chittenden County's.
Least populous county: South Dakota: Jones County (874 people) vs Vermont: Essex County (6,037 people). Essex County's population is 6.9 times (591%) larger than Jones County's.
Richest county: South Dakota: Union County ($146,712 per capita income) vs Vermont: Chittenden County ($80,533). Union County's income is 1.8 times (82%) richer than Chittenden County's.
Poorest county: South Dakota: Ziebach County ($32,778 per capita income) vs Vermont: Essex County ($50,712). Essex County's income is 1.5 times (55%) richer than Ziebach County's.
South Dakota vs Vermont Taxes
State income tax: South Dakota has no state income tax, while Vermont has a top income tax rate of 8.75%. Vermont's top rate is 8.75 percentage points higher.
Property tax: South Dakota: 1.02% effective rate vs Vermont: 1.42% of home value per year. Vermont's rate is 0.4 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: South Dakota: 6.11% combined state and average local rate vs Vermont: 6.43%. Vermont's combined rate is 0.32 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
South Dakota official website · Vermont official website
More Size Comparisons
All South Dakota size comparisons · All Vermont 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.