The map above shows Alabama and South Dakota side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Alabama vs South Dakota Geography
Land area
- Alabama has a land area of 50,651 square miles (131,185 km²), while South Dakota has 75,808 square miles (196,342 km²).
- South Dakota's land area is 1.5 times (50%) larger than Alabama's.
Total area
- Alabama: 52,420 square miles (135,767 km²) vs South Dakota: 77,116 square miles (199,729 km²), including inland and coastal water.
- South Dakota's total area is 1.5 times (47%) larger than Alabama's.
Length
- Alabama is 331 miles (532 km) long from north to south; South Dakota is 443 miles (712 km).
- South Dakota's north-south length is 1.3 times (34%) longer than Alabama's.
Width
- Alabama spans 212 miles (341 km) east to west; South Dakota spans 371 miles (597 km).
- South Dakota's east-west width is 1.8 times (75%) wider than Alabama's.
Highest point
- Alabama's highest point is Cheaha Mountain at 2,405 feet (733 m); South Dakota's is Black Elk Peak at 7,198 feet (2,194 m).
- Black Elk Peak is 4,793 feet higher than Cheaha Mountain.
Lowest point
- Alabama's lowest point is Gulf of Mexico at 0 feet; South Dakota's is Big Stone Lake at 966 feet.
- Alabama's lowest point is 966 feet lower.
Alabama vs South Dakota Population and History
Population
- Alabama has a population of 5,157,699 (2024), while South Dakota has 924,669 (2024).
- Alabama's population is 5.6 times (458%) larger than South Dakota's.
Population density
- Alabama: 101.8 people per square mile vs South Dakota: 12.2.
- Alabama's population density is 8.3 times (734%) higher than South Dakota's.
Biggest city
- Alabama's biggest city is Huntsville with 230,402 people; South Dakota's is Sioux Falls with 209,289.
- Huntsville's population is 1.1 times (10%) larger than Sioux Falls'.
Largest metro area
- Alabama's largest metropolitan area is Birmingham, AL metro area (1,192,583 people) vs South Dakota's Sioux Falls, SD-MN metro area (308,266).
- Birmingham, AL metro area's population is 3.9 times (287%) larger than Sioux Falls, SD-MN metro area's.
History
- Alabama: Admitted to the Union on December 14, 1819, as the 22nd state.
- South Dakota: Admitted to the Union on November 2, 1889, as the 40th state.
- In its current form, Alabama is the older of the two by 70 years.
Alabama vs South Dakota Economy
GDP
- Alabama's GDP is $325.3 billion (2024) vs South Dakota's $76.8 billion.
- Alabama's economic output is 4.2 times (324%) larger than South Dakota's.
GDP per capita
- Alabama: $63,080 per person vs South Dakota: $83,052.
- South Dakota's GDP per capita is 1.3 times (32%) higher than Alabama's.
Average income
- Alabama: $57,311 vs South Dakota: $75,699 average income per person (per capita personal income).
- South Dakota's average income is 1.3 times (32%) higher than Alabama's.
Alabama vs South Dakota Counties
Number of counties
- Alabama has 67 counties, while South Dakota has 66.
- Alabama and South Dakota have about the same county count.
Biggest county by area
- Alabama's largest county is Baldwin County at 1,590 square miles; South Dakota's is Meade County at 3,471 square miles.
- Meade County's land area is 2.2 times (118%) larger than Baldwin County's.
Smallest county by area
- Alabama: Etowah County (535 sq mi) vs South Dakota: Clay County (412 sq mi).
- Etowah County's land area is 1.3 times (30%) larger than Clay County's.
Most populous county
- Alabama: Jefferson County (664,744 people) vs South Dakota: Minnehaha County (208,639 people).
- Jefferson County's population is 3.2 times (219%) larger than Minnehaha County's.
Least populous county
- Alabama: Greene County (7,127 people) vs South Dakota: Jones County (874 people).
- Greene County's population is 8.2 times (715%) larger than Jones County's.
Richest county
- Alabama: Jefferson County ($75,312 per capita income) vs South Dakota: Union County ($146,712).
- Union County's income is 1.9 times (95%) richer than Jefferson County's.
Poorest county
- Alabama: Bullock County ($39,403 per capita income) vs South Dakota: Ziebach County ($32,778).
- Bullock County's income is 1.2 times (20%) richer than Ziebach County's.
Alabama vs South Dakota Taxes
State income tax
- Alabama has a top income tax rate of 5%, while South Dakota has no state income tax.
- Alabama's top rate is 5 percentage points higher.
Property tax
- Alabama: 0.38% effective rate vs South Dakota: 1.02% of home value per year.
- South Dakota's rate is 0.64 percentage points higher.
Sales tax
- Alabama: 9.46% combined state and average local rate vs South Dakota: 6.11%.
- Alabama's combined rate is 3.35 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Alabama official website · South Dakota official website
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More Size Comparisons
All Alabama 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.