The map above shows Kansas and South Dakota side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Kansas vs South Dakota Geography
Land area
- Kansas has a land area of 81,759 square miles (211,754 km²), while South Dakota has 75,808 square miles (196,342 km²).
- Kansas' land area is 1.1 times (8%) larger than South Dakota's.
Total area
- Kansas: 82,278 square miles (213,100 km²) vs South Dakota: 77,116 square miles (199,729 km²), including inland and coastal water.
- Kansas' total area is 1.1 times (7%) larger than South Dakota's.
Length
- Kansas is 207 miles (334 km) long from north to south; South Dakota is 443 miles (712 km).
- South Dakota's north-south length is 2.1 times (114%) longer than Kansas'.
Width
- Kansas spans 401 miles (645 km) east to west; South Dakota spans 371 miles (597 km).
- Kansas' east-west width is 1.1 times (8%) wider than South Dakota's.
Highest point
- Kansas's highest point is Mount Sunflower at 4,040 feet (1,231 m); South Dakota's is Black Elk Peak at 7,198 feet (2,194 m).
- Black Elk Peak is 3,158 feet higher than Mount Sunflower.
Lowest point
- Kansas's lowest point is Verdigris River at 679 feet; South Dakota's is Big Stone Lake at 966 feet.
- Kansas's lowest point is 287 feet lower.
Kansas vs South Dakota Population and History
Population
- Kansas has a population of 2,970,606 (2024), while South Dakota has 924,669 (2024).
- Kansas' population is 3.2 times (221%) larger than South Dakota's.
Population density
- Kansas: 36.3 people per square mile vs South Dakota: 12.2.
- Kansas' population density is 3.0 times (198%) higher than South Dakota's.
Biggest city
- Kansas's biggest city is Wichita with 400,991 people; South Dakota's is Sioux Falls with 209,289.
- Wichita's population is 1.9 times (92%) larger than Sioux Falls'.
Largest metro area
- Kansas's largest metropolitan area is Kansas City, MO-KS metro area (2,253,579 people) vs South Dakota's Sioux Falls, SD-MN metro area (308,266).
- Kansas City, MO-KS metro area's population is 7.3 times (631%) larger than Sioux Falls, SD-MN metro area's.
History
- Kansas: Admitted to the Union on January 29, 1861, as the 34th state.
- South Dakota: Admitted to the Union on November 2, 1889, as the 40th state.
- In its current form, Kansas is the older of the two by 28 years.
Kansas vs South Dakota Economy
GDP
- Kansas's GDP is $230.5 billion (2024) vs South Dakota's $76.8 billion.
- Kansas' economic output is 3.0 times (200%) larger than South Dakota's.
GDP per capita
- Kansas: $77,601 per person vs South Dakota: $83,052.
- South Dakota's GDP per capita is 1.1 times (7%) higher than Kansas'.
Average income
- Kansas: $65,856 vs South Dakota: $75,699 average income per person (per capita personal income).
- South Dakota's average income is 1.1 times (15%) higher than Kansas'.
Kansas vs South Dakota Counties
Number of counties
- Kansas has 105 counties, while South Dakota has 66.
- Kansas' county count is 1.6 times (59%) higher than South Dakota's.
Biggest county by area
- Kansas's largest county is Butler County at 1,430 square miles; South Dakota's is Meade County at 3,471 square miles.
- Meade County's land area is 2.4 times (143%) larger than Butler County's.
Smallest county by area
- Kansas: Wyandotte County (152 sq mi) vs South Dakota: Clay County (412 sq mi).
- Clay County's land area is 2.7 times (172%) larger than Wyandotte County's.
Most populous county
- Kansas: Johnson County (632,276 people) vs South Dakota: Minnehaha County (208,639 people).
- Johnson County's population is 3.0 times (203%) larger than Minnehaha County's.
Least populous county
- Kansas: Greeley County (1,152 people) vs South Dakota: Jones County (874 people).
- Greeley County's population is 1.3 times (32%) larger than Jones County's.
Richest county
- Kansas: Greeley County ($134,780 per capita income) vs South Dakota: Union County ($146,712).
- Union County's income is 1.1 times (9%) richer than Greeley County's.
Poorest county
- Kansas: Wyandotte County ($42,878 per capita income) vs South Dakota: Ziebach County ($32,778).
- Wyandotte County's income is 1.3 times (31%) richer than Ziebach County's.
Kansas vs South Dakota Taxes
State income tax
- Kansas has a top income tax rate of 5.58%, while South Dakota has no state income tax.
- Kansas's top rate is 5.58 percentage points higher.
Property tax
- Kansas: 1.25% effective rate vs South Dakota: 1.02% of home value per year.
- Kansas's rate is 0.23 percentage points higher.
Sales tax
- Kansas: 8.71% combined state and average local rate vs South Dakota: 6.11%.
- Kansas's combined rate is 2.6 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Kansas official website · South Dakota official website
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More Size Comparisons
All Kansas 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.