The map above shows District of Columbia and South Dakota side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
District of Columbia vs South Dakota Geography
Land area
- District of Columbia has a land area of 61 square miles (158 km²), while South Dakota has 75,808 square miles (196,342 km²).
- South Dakota's land area is 1,242.7 times larger than District of Columbia's.
Total area
- District of Columbia: 68 square miles (177 km²) vs South Dakota: 77,116 square miles (199,729 km²), including inland and coastal water.
- South Dakota's total area is 1,128.4 times larger than District of Columbia's.
Length
- District of Columbia is 13 miles (22 km) long from north to south; South Dakota is 443 miles (712 km).
- South Dakota's north-south length is 34.1 times longer than District of Columbia's.
Width
- District of Columbia spans 12 miles (19 km) east to west; South Dakota spans 371 miles (597 km).
- South Dakota's east-west width is 30.9 times wider than District of Columbia's.
Highest point
- District of Columbia's highest point is Fort Reno at 429 feet (131 m); South Dakota's is Black Elk Peak at 7,198 feet (2,194 m).
- Black Elk Peak is 6,769 feet higher than Fort Reno.
Lowest point
- District of Columbia's lowest point is Potomac River at 0 feet; South Dakota's is Big Stone Lake at 966 feet.
- District of Columbia's lowest point is 966 feet lower.
District of Columbia vs South Dakota Population and History
Population
- District of Columbia has a population of 702,250 (2024), while South Dakota has 924,669 (2024).
- South Dakota's population is 1.3 times (32%) larger than District of Columbia's.
Population density
- District of Columbia: 11,493.5 people per square mile vs South Dakota: 12.2.
- District of Columbia's population density is 942.1 times higher than South Dakota's.
Biggest city
- District of Columbia's biggest city is Washington with 702,250 people; South Dakota's is Sioux Falls with 209,289.
- Washington's population is 3.4 times (236%) larger than Sioux Falls'.
Largest metro area
- District of Columbia's largest metropolitan area is Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area (6,436,489 people) vs South Dakota's Sioux Falls, SD-MN metro area (308,266).
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area's population is 20.9 times larger than Sioux Falls, SD-MN metro area's.
History
- District of Columbia: The federal district, established by the Residence Act on July 16, 1790; not a state.
- South Dakota: Admitted to the Union on November 2, 1889, as the 40th state.
- In its current form, District of Columbia is the older of the two by 99 years.
District of Columbia vs South Dakota Economy
GDP
- District of Columbia's GDP is $184.3 billion (2024) vs South Dakota's $76.8 billion.
- District of Columbia's economic output is 2.4 times (140%) larger than South Dakota's.
GDP per capita
- District of Columbia: $262,439 per person vs South Dakota: $83,052.
- District of Columbia's GDP per capita is 3.2 times (216%) higher than South Dakota's.
Average income
- District of Columbia: $111,185 vs South Dakota: $75,699 average income per person (per capita personal income).
- District of Columbia's average income is 1.5 times (47%) higher than South Dakota's.
District of Columbia vs South Dakota Counties
Number of counties
- District of Columbia has 1 counties, while South Dakota has 66.
- South Dakota's county count is 66.0 times higher than District of Columbia's.
Biggest county by area
- District of Columbia's largest county is District of Columbia at 61 square miles; South Dakota's is Meade County at 3,471 square miles.
- Meade County's land area is 56.8 times larger than District of Columbia's.
Smallest county by area
- District of Columbia: District of Columbia (61 sq mi) vs South Dakota: Clay County (412 sq mi).
- Clay County's land area is 6.7 times (574%) larger than District of Columbia's.
Most populous county
- District of Columbia: District of Columbia (702,250 people) vs South Dakota: Minnehaha County (208,639 people).
- District of Columbia's population is 3.4 times (237%) larger than Minnehaha County's.
Least populous county
- District of Columbia: District of Columbia (702,250 people) vs South Dakota: Jones County (874 people).
- District of Columbia's population is 803.5 times larger than Jones County's.
Richest county
- District of Columbia: District of Columbia ($111,185 per capita income) vs South Dakota: Union County ($146,712).
- Union County's income is 1.3 times (32%) richer than District of Columbia's.
Poorest county
- District of Columbia: District of Columbia ($111,185 per capita income) vs South Dakota: Ziebach County ($32,778).
- District of Columbia's income is 3.4 times (239%) richer than Ziebach County's.
District of Columbia vs South Dakota Taxes
State income tax
- District of Columbia has a top income tax rate of 10.75%, while South Dakota has no state income tax.
- District of Columbia's top rate is 10.75 percentage points higher.
Property tax
- District of Columbia: 0.63% effective rate vs South Dakota: 1.02% of home value per year.
- South Dakota's rate is 0.39 percentage points higher.
Sales tax
- District of Columbia: 6% combined state and average local rate vs South Dakota: 6.11%.
- South Dakota's combined rate is 0.11 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
District of Columbia official website · South Dakota official website
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More Size Comparisons
All District of Columbia 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.