The map above shows Louisiana and South Dakota side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Louisiana vs South Dakota Geography
Land area
- Louisiana has a land area of 43,213 square miles (111,921 km²), while South Dakota has 75,808 square miles (196,342 km²).
- South Dakota's land area is 1.8 times (75%) larger than Louisiana's.
Total area
- Louisiana: 52,375 square miles (135,652 km²) vs South Dakota: 77,116 square miles (199,729 km²), including inland and coastal water.
- South Dakota's total area is 1.5 times (47%) larger than Louisiana's.
Length
- Louisiana is 301 miles (484 km) long from north to south; South Dakota is 443 miles (712 km).
- South Dakota's north-south length is 1.5 times (47%) longer than Louisiana's.
Width
- Louisiana spans 356 miles (574 km) east to west; South Dakota spans 371 miles (597 km).
- Louisiana and South Dakota have about the same east-west width.
Highest point
- Louisiana's highest point is Driskill Mountain at 533 feet (162 m); South Dakota's is Black Elk Peak at 7,198 feet (2,194 m).
- Black Elk Peak is 6,665 feet higher than Driskill Mountain.
Lowest point
- Louisiana's lowest point is New Orleans at -8 feet; South Dakota's is Big Stone Lake at 966 feet.
- Louisiana's lowest point is 974 feet lower.
Louisiana vs South Dakota Population and History
Population
- Louisiana has a population of 4,597,740 (2024), while South Dakota has 924,669 (2024).
- Louisiana's population is 5.0 times (397%) larger than South Dakota's.
Population density
- Louisiana: 106.4 people per square mile vs South Dakota: 12.2.
- Louisiana's population density is 8.7 times (772%) higher than South Dakota's.
Biggest city
- Louisiana's biggest city is New Orleans with 362,701 people; South Dakota's is Sioux Falls with 209,289.
- New Orleans' population is 1.7 times (73%) larger than Sioux Falls'.
Largest metro area
- Louisiana's largest metropolitan area is New Orleans-Metairie, LA metro area (966,230 people) vs South Dakota's Sioux Falls, SD-MN metro area (308,266).
- New Orleans-Metairie, LA metro area's population is 3.1 times (213%) larger than Sioux Falls, SD-MN metro area's.
History
- Louisiana: Admitted to the Union on April 30, 1812, as the 18th state.
- South Dakota: Admitted to the Union on November 2, 1889, as the 40th state.
- In its current form, Louisiana is the older of the two by 77 years.
Louisiana vs South Dakota Economy
GDP
- Louisiana's GDP is $329.2 billion (2024) vs South Dakota's $76.8 billion.
- Louisiana's economic output is 4.3 times (329%) larger than South Dakota's.
GDP per capita
- Louisiana: $71,594 per person vs South Dakota: $83,052.
- South Dakota's GDP per capita is 1.2 times (16%) higher than Louisiana's.
Average income
- Louisiana: $61,897 vs South Dakota: $75,699 average income per person (per capita personal income).
- South Dakota's average income is 1.2 times (22%) higher than Louisiana's.
Louisiana vs South Dakota Counties
Number of counties
- Louisiana has 64 counties, while South Dakota has 66.
- Louisiana and South Dakota have about the same county count.
Biggest county by area
- Louisiana's largest county is Vernon Parish at 1,327 square miles; South Dakota's is Meade County at 3,471 square miles.
- Meade County's land area is 2.6 times (162%) larger than Vernon Parish's.
Smallest county by area
- Louisiana: Orleans Parish (170 sq mi) vs South Dakota: Clay County (412 sq mi).
- Clay County's land area is 2.4 times (143%) larger than Orleans Parish's.
Most populous county
- Louisiana: East Baton Rouge Parish (453,022 people) vs South Dakota: Minnehaha County (208,639 people).
- East Baton Rouge Parish's population is 2.2 times (117%) larger than Minnehaha County's.
Least populous county
- Louisiana: Tensas Parish (3,844 people) vs South Dakota: Jones County (874 people).
- Tensas Parish's population is 4.4 times (340%) larger than Jones County's.
Richest county
- Louisiana: St. Tammany Parish ($82,398 per capita income) vs South Dakota: Union County ($146,712).
- Union County's income is 1.8 times (78%) richer than St. Tammany Parish's.
Poorest county
- Louisiana: East Carroll Parish ($36,751 per capita income) vs South Dakota: Ziebach County ($32,778).
- East Carroll Parish's income is 1.1 times (12%) richer than Ziebach County's.
Louisiana vs South Dakota Taxes
State income tax
- Louisiana has a top income tax rate of 3%, while South Dakota has no state income tax.
- Louisiana's top rate is 3 percentage points higher.
Property tax
- Louisiana: 0.53% effective rate vs South Dakota: 1.02% of home value per year.
- South Dakota's rate is 0.49 percentage points higher.
Sales tax
- Louisiana: 10.13% combined state and average local rate vs South Dakota: 6.11%.
- Louisiana's combined rate is 4.02 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Louisiana official website · South Dakota official website
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More Size Comparisons
All Louisiana 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.