The map above shows Arkansas and South Dakota side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Arkansas vs South Dakota Geography
Land area
- Arkansas has a land area of 51,992 square miles (134,658 km²), while South Dakota has 75,808 square miles (196,342 km²).
- South Dakota's land area is 1.5 times (46%) larger than Arkansas'.
Total area
- Arkansas: 53,198 square miles (137,781 km²) vs South Dakota: 77,116 square miles (199,729 km²), including inland and coastal water.
- South Dakota's total area is 1.4 times (45%) larger than Arkansas'.
Length
- Arkansas is 243 miles (392 km) long from north to south; South Dakota is 443 miles (712 km).
- South Dakota's north-south length is 1.8 times (82%) longer than Arkansas'.
Width
- Arkansas spans 279 miles (449 km) east to west; South Dakota spans 371 miles (597 km).
- South Dakota's east-west width is 1.3 times (33%) wider than Arkansas'.
Highest point
- Arkansas's highest point is Mount Magazine at 2,752 feet (839 m); South Dakota's is Black Elk Peak at 7,198 feet (2,194 m).
- Black Elk Peak is 4,446 feet higher than Mount Magazine.
Lowest point
- Arkansas's lowest point is Ouachita River at 55 feet; South Dakota's is Big Stone Lake at 966 feet.
- Arkansas's lowest point is 911 feet lower.
Arkansas vs South Dakota Population and History
Population
- Arkansas has a population of 3,088,354 (2024), while South Dakota has 924,669 (2024).
- Arkansas' population is 3.3 times (234%) larger than South Dakota's.
Population density
- Arkansas: 59.4 people per square mile vs South Dakota: 12.2.
- Arkansas' population density is 4.9 times (387%) higher than South Dakota's.
Biggest city
- Arkansas's biggest city is Little Rock with 204,774 people; South Dakota's is Sioux Falls with 209,289.
- Little Rock and Sioux Falls have about the same population.
Largest metro area
- Arkansas's largest metropolitan area is Memphis, TN-MS-AR metro area (1,339,345 people) vs South Dakota's Sioux Falls, SD-MN metro area (308,266).
- Memphis, TN-MS-AR metro area's population is 4.3 times (334%) larger than Sioux Falls, SD-MN metro area's.
History
- Arkansas: Admitted to the Union on June 15, 1836, as the 25th state.
- South Dakota: Admitted to the Union on November 2, 1889, as the 40th state.
- In its current form, Arkansas is the older of the two by 53 years.
Arkansas vs South Dakota Economy
GDP
- Arkansas's GDP is $188.3 billion (2024) vs South Dakota's $76.8 billion.
- Arkansas' economic output is 2.5 times (145%) larger than South Dakota's.
GDP per capita
- Arkansas: $60,984 per person vs South Dakota: $83,052.
- South Dakota's GDP per capita is 1.4 times (36%) higher than Arkansas'.
Average income
- Arkansas: $59,320 vs South Dakota: $75,699 average income per person (per capita personal income).
- South Dakota's average income is 1.3 times (28%) higher than Arkansas'.
Arkansas vs South Dakota Counties
Number of counties
- Arkansas has 75 counties, while South Dakota has 66.
- Arkansas' county count is 1.1 times (14%) higher than South Dakota's.
Biggest county by area
- Arkansas's largest county is Union County at 1,039 square miles; South Dakota's is Meade County at 3,471 square miles.
- Meade County's land area is 3.3 times (234%) larger than Union County's.
Smallest county by area
- Arkansas: Lafayette County (530 sq mi) vs South Dakota: Clay County (412 sq mi).
- Lafayette County's land area is 1.3 times (29%) larger than Clay County's.
Most populous county
- Arkansas: Pulaski County (401,209 people) vs South Dakota: Minnehaha County (208,639 people).
- Pulaski County's population is 1.9 times (92%) larger than Minnehaha County's.
Least populous county
- Arkansas: Calhoun County (4,690 people) vs South Dakota: Jones County (874 people).
- Calhoun County's population is 5.4 times (437%) larger than Jones County's.
Richest county
- Arkansas: Benton County ($120,594 per capita income) vs South Dakota: Union County ($146,712).
- Union County's income is 1.2 times (22%) richer than Benton County's.
Poorest county
- Arkansas: Lincoln County ($36,032 per capita income) vs South Dakota: Ziebach County ($32,778).
- Lincoln County's income is 1.1 times (10%) richer than Ziebach County's.
Arkansas vs South Dakota Taxes
State income tax
- Arkansas has a top income tax rate of 3.9%, while South Dakota has no state income tax.
- Arkansas's top rate is 3.9 percentage points higher.
Property tax
- Arkansas: 0.52% effective rate vs South Dakota: 1.02% of home value per year.
- South Dakota's rate is 0.5 percentage points higher.
Sales tax
- Arkansas: 9.48% combined state and average local rate vs South Dakota: 6.11%.
- Arkansas's combined rate is 3.37 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Arkansas official website · South Dakota official website
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More Size Comparisons
All Arkansas 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.