The map above shows Alaska and South Dakota side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Alaska vs South Dakota Geography
Land area
- Alaska has a land area of 571,242 square miles (1,479,509 km²), while South Dakota has 75,808 square miles (196,342 km²).
- Alaska's land area is 7.5 times (654%) larger than South Dakota's.
Total area
- Alaska: 665,725 square miles (1,724,220 km²) vs South Dakota: 77,116 square miles (199,729 km²), including inland and coastal water.
- Alaska's total area is 8.6 times (763%) larger than South Dakota's.
Length
- Alaska is 1,201 miles (1,933 km) long from north to south; South Dakota is 443 miles (712 km).
- Alaska's north-south length is 2.7 times (171%) longer than South Dakota's.
Width
- Alaska spans 1,544 miles (2,485 km) east to west; South Dakota spans 371 miles (597 km).
- Alaska's east-west width is 4.2 times (316%) wider than South Dakota's.
Highest point
- Alaska's highest point is Denali at 20,235 feet (6,168 m); South Dakota's is Black Elk Peak at 7,198 feet (2,194 m).
- Denali is 13,037 feet higher than Black Elk Peak.
Lowest point
- Alaska's lowest point is Pacific Ocean at 0 feet; South Dakota's is Big Stone Lake at 966 feet.
- Alaska's lowest point is 966 feet lower.
Alaska vs South Dakota Population and History
Population
- Alaska has a population of 740,133 (2024), while South Dakota has 924,669 (2024).
- South Dakota's population is 1.2 times (25%) larger than Alaska's.
Population density
- Alaska: 1.3 people per square mile vs South Dakota: 12.2.
- South Dakota's population density is 9.4 times (838%) higher than Alaska's.
Biggest city
- Alaska's biggest city is Anchorage with 289,600 people; South Dakota's is Sioux Falls with 209,289.
- Anchorage's population is 1.4 times (38%) larger than Sioux Falls'.
Largest metro area
- Alaska's largest metropolitan area is Anchorage, AK metro area (407,213 people) vs South Dakota's Sioux Falls, SD-MN metro area (308,266).
- Anchorage, AK metro area's population is 1.3 times (32%) larger than Sioux Falls, SD-MN metro area's.
History
- Alaska: Admitted to the Union on January 3, 1959, as the 49th state.
- South Dakota: Admitted to the Union on November 2, 1889, as the 40th state.
- In its current form, South Dakota is the older of the two by 70 years.
Alaska vs South Dakota Economy
GDP
- Alaska's GDP is $71.6 billion (2024) vs South Dakota's $76.8 billion.
- South Dakota's economic output is 1.1 times (7%) larger than Alaska's.
GDP per capita
- Alaska: $96,695 per person vs South Dakota: $83,052.
- Alaska's GDP per capita is 1.2 times (16%) higher than South Dakota's.
Average income
- Alaska: $76,234 vs South Dakota: $75,699 average income per person (per capita personal income).
- Alaska and South Dakota have about the same average income.
Alaska vs South Dakota Counties
Number of counties
- Alaska has 30 counties, while South Dakota has 66.
- South Dakota's county count is 2.2 times (120%) higher than Alaska's.
Biggest county by area
- Alaska's largest county is Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area at 145,769 square miles; South Dakota's is Meade County at 3,471 square miles.
- Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area's land area is 42.0 times larger than Meade County's.
Smallest county by area
- Alaska: Skagway Municipality (443 sq mi) vs South Dakota: Clay County (412 sq mi).
- Skagway Municipality's land area is 1.1 times (8%) larger than Clay County's.
Most populous county
- Alaska: Anchorage Municipality (289,600 people) vs South Dakota: Minnehaha County (208,639 people).
- Anchorage Municipality's population is 1.4 times (39%) larger than Minnehaha County's.
Least populous county
- Alaska: Yakutat City and Borough (690 people) vs South Dakota: Jones County (874 people).
- Jones County's population is 1.3 times (27%) larger than Yakutat City and Borough's.
Richest county
- Alaska: Bristol Bay Borough ($158,406 per capita income) vs South Dakota: Union County ($146,712).
- Bristol Bay Borough's income is 1.1 times (8%) richer than Union County's.
Poorest county
- Alaska: Kusilvak Census Area ($37,765 per capita income) vs South Dakota: Ziebach County ($32,778).
- Kusilvak Census Area's income is 1.2 times (15%) richer than Ziebach County's.
Alaska vs South Dakota Taxes
State income tax
- Alaska has no state income tax, while South Dakota has no state income tax.
Property tax
- Alaska: 1.06% effective rate vs South Dakota: 1.02% of home value per year.
- Alaska's rate is 0.04 percentage points higher.
Sales tax
- Alaska: 1.82% combined state and average local rate vs South Dakota: 6.11%.
- South Dakota's combined rate is 4.29 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Alaska official website · South Dakota official website
Download the Alaska vs South Dakota Size Comparison Map for free
To download the map, right-click the image above (or press and hold on a phone or tablet) and choose Save image as. The map is free to use anywhere, including on your own website or in print, as long as you credit it with a link back to this page or to BrilliantMaps.com.
More Size Comparisons
All Alaska 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.