The map above shows South Dakota and Wisconsin side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
South Dakota vs Wisconsin Geography
Land area: South Dakota has a land area of 75,808 square miles (196,342 km²), while Wisconsin has 54,168 square miles (140,294 km²). South Dakota's land area is 1.4 times (40%) larger than Wisconsin's.
Total area: South Dakota: 77,116 square miles (199,729 km²) vs Wisconsin: 65,497 square miles (169,636 km²), including inland and coastal water. South Dakota's total area is 1.2 times (18%) larger than Wisconsin's.
Length: South Dakota is 443 miles (712 km) long from north to south; Wisconsin is 368 miles (593 km). South Dakota's north-south length is 1.2 times (20%) longer than Wisconsin's.
Width: South Dakota spans 371 miles (597 km) east to west; Wisconsin spans 323 miles (521 km). South Dakota's east-west width is 1.1 times (15%) wider than Wisconsin's.
Highest point: South Dakota's highest point is Black Elk Peak at 7,198 feet (2,194 m); Wisconsin's is Timms Hill at 1,946 feet (593 m). Black Elk Peak is 5,252 feet higher than Timms Hill.
Lowest point: South Dakota's lowest point is Big Stone Lake at 966 feet; Wisconsin's is Lake Michigan at 577 feet. Wisconsin's lowest point is 389 feet lower.
South Dakota vs Wisconsin Population and History
Population: South Dakota has a population of 924,669 (2024), while Wisconsin has 5,960,975 (2024). Wisconsin's population is 6.4 times (545%) larger than South Dakota's.
Population density: South Dakota: 12.2 people per square mile vs Wisconsin: 110.0. Wisconsin's population density is 9.0 times (802%) higher than South Dakota's.
Biggest city: South Dakota's biggest city is Sioux Falls with 209,289 people; Wisconsin's is Milwaukee with 563,531. Milwaukee's population is 2.7 times (169%) larger than Sioux Falls'.
Largest metro area: South Dakota's largest metropolitan area is Sioux Falls, SD-MN metro area (308,266 people) vs Wisconsin's Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI metro area (3,757,952). Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI metro area's population is 12.2 times larger than Sioux Falls, SD-MN metro area's.
History: South Dakota: Admitted to the Union on November 2, 1889, as the 40th state. Wisconsin: Admitted to the Union on May 29, 1848, as the 30th state. In its current form, Wisconsin is the older of the two by 41 years.
South Dakota vs Wisconsin Economy
GDP: South Dakota's GDP is $76.8 billion (2024) vs Wisconsin's $453.3 billion. Wisconsin's economic output is 5.9 times (490%) larger than South Dakota's.
GDP per capita: South Dakota: $83,052 per person vs Wisconsin: $76,044. South Dakota's GDP per capita is 1.1 times (9%) higher than Wisconsin's.
Average income: South Dakota: $75,699 vs Wisconsin: $67,755 average income per person (per capita personal income). South Dakota's average income is 1.1 times (12%) higher than Wisconsin's.
South Dakota vs Wisconsin Counties
Number of counties: South Dakota has 66 counties, while Wisconsin has 72. Wisconsin's county count is 1.1 times (9%) higher than South Dakota's.
Biggest county by area: South Dakota's largest county is Meade County at 3,471 square miles; Wisconsin's is Marathon County at 1,545 square miles. Meade County's land area is 2.2 times (125%) larger than Marathon County's.
Smallest county by area: South Dakota: Clay County (412 sq mi) vs Wisconsin: Pepin County (232 sq mi). Clay County's land area is 1.8 times (78%) larger than Pepin County's.
Most populous county: South Dakota: Minnehaha County (208,639 people) vs Wisconsin: Milwaukee County (924,740 people). Milwaukee County's population is 4.4 times (343%) larger than Minnehaha County's.
Least populous county: South Dakota: Jones County (874 people) vs Wisconsin: Menominee County (4,286 people). Menominee County's population is 4.9 times (390%) larger than Jones County's.
Richest county: South Dakota: Union County ($146,712 per capita income) vs Wisconsin: Ozaukee County ($109,947). Union County's income is 1.3 times (33%) richer than Ozaukee County's.
Poorest county: South Dakota: Ziebach County ($32,778 per capita income) vs Wisconsin: Menominee County ($43,696). Menominee County's income is 1.3 times (33%) richer than Ziebach County's.
South Dakota vs Wisconsin Taxes
State income tax: South Dakota has no state income tax, while Wisconsin has a top income tax rate of 7.65%. Wisconsin's top rate is 7.65 percentage points higher.
Property tax: South Dakota: 1.02% effective rate vs Wisconsin: 1.25% of home value per year. Wisconsin's rate is 0.23 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: South Dakota: 6.11% combined state and average local rate vs Wisconsin: 5.72%. South Dakota's combined rate is 0.39 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
South Dakota official website · Wisconsin official website
More Size Comparisons
All South Dakota size comparisons · All Wisconsin 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.