The map above shows Delaware and South Dakota side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Delaware vs South Dakota Geography
Land area: Delaware has a land area of 1,949 square miles (5,047 km²), while South Dakota has 75,808 square miles (196,342 km²). South Dakota's land area is 38.9 times larger than Delaware's.
Total area: Delaware: 2,489 square miles (6,446 km²) vs South Dakota: 77,116 square miles (199,729 km²), including inland and coastal water. South Dakota's total area is 31.0 times larger than Delaware's.
Length: Delaware is 98 miles (158 km) long from north to south; South Dakota is 443 miles (712 km). South Dakota's north-south length is 4.5 times (352%) longer than Delaware's.
Width: Delaware spans 96 miles (155 km) east to west; South Dakota spans 371 miles (597 km). South Dakota's east-west width is 3.9 times (286%) wider than Delaware's.
Highest point: Delaware's highest point is Ebright Azimuth at 450 feet (137 m); South Dakota's is Black Elk Peak at 7,198 feet (2,194 m). Black Elk Peak is 6,748 feet higher than Ebright Azimuth.
Lowest point: Delaware's lowest point is Atlantic Ocean at 0 feet; South Dakota's is Big Stone Lake at 966 feet. Delaware's lowest point is 966 feet lower.
Delaware vs South Dakota Population and History
Population: Delaware has a population of 1,051,917 (2024), while South Dakota has 924,669 (2024). Delaware's population is 1.1 times (14%) larger than South Dakota's.
Population density: Delaware: 539.9 people per square mile vs South Dakota: 12.2. Delaware's population density is 44.3 times higher than South Dakota's.
Biggest city: Delaware's biggest city is Wilmington with 73,176 people; South Dakota's is Sioux Falls with 209,289. Sioux Falls' population is 2.9 times (186%) larger than Wilmington's.
Largest metro area: Delaware's largest metropolitan area is Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area (6,330,422 people) vs South Dakota's Sioux Falls, SD-MN metro area (308,266). Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area's population is 20.5 times larger than Sioux Falls, SD-MN metro area's.
History: Delaware: Admitted to the Union on December 7, 1787, as the 1st state. South Dakota: Admitted to the Union on November 2, 1889, as the 40th state. In its current form, Delaware is the older of the two by 102 years.
Delaware vs South Dakota Economy
GDP: Delaware's GDP is $111.0 billion (2024) vs South Dakota's $76.8 billion. Delaware's economic output is 1.4 times (45%) larger than South Dakota's.
GDP per capita: Delaware: $105,495 per person vs South Dakota: $83,052. Delaware's GDP per capita is 1.3 times (27%) higher than South Dakota's.
Average income: Delaware: $68,061 vs South Dakota: $75,699 average income per person (per capita personal income). South Dakota's average income is 1.1 times (11%) higher than Delaware's.
Delaware vs South Dakota Counties
Number of counties: Delaware has 3 counties, while South Dakota has 66. South Dakota's county count is 22.0 times higher than Delaware's.
Biggest county by area: Delaware's largest county is Sussex County at 936 square miles; South Dakota's is Meade County at 3,471 square miles. Meade County's land area is 3.7 times (271%) larger than Sussex County's.
Smallest county by area: Delaware: New Castle County (426 sq mi) vs South Dakota: Clay County (412 sq mi). New Castle County and Clay County have about the same land area.
Most populous county: Delaware: New Castle County (588,093 people) vs South Dakota: Minnehaha County (208,639 people). New Castle County's population is 2.8 times (182%) larger than Minnehaha County's.
Least populous county: Delaware: Kent County (192,690 people) vs South Dakota: Jones County (874 people). Kent County's population is 220.5 times larger than Jones County's.
Richest county: Delaware: Sussex County ($73,647 per capita income) vs South Dakota: Union County ($146,712). Union County's income is 2.0 times (99%) richer than Sussex County's.
Poorest county: Delaware: Kent County ($55,474 per capita income) vs South Dakota: Ziebach County ($32,778). Kent County's income is 1.7 times (69%) richer than Ziebach County's.
Delaware vs South Dakota Taxes
State income tax: Delaware has a top income tax rate of 6.6%, while South Dakota has no state income tax. Delaware's top rate is 6.6 percentage points higher.
Property tax: Delaware: 0.47% effective rate vs South Dakota: 1.02% of home value per year. South Dakota's rate is 0.55 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: Delaware: 0% combined state and average local rate vs South Dakota: 6.11%. South Dakota's combined rate is 6.11 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Delaware official website · South Dakota official website
More Size Comparisons
All Delaware 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.