The map above shows Maine and South Dakota side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Maine vs South Dakota Geography
Land area
- Maine has a land area of 30,845 square miles (79,888 km²), while South Dakota has 75,808 square miles (196,342 km²).
- South Dakota's land area is 2.5 times (146%) larger than Maine's.
Total area
- Maine: 35,380 square miles (91,634 km²) vs South Dakota: 77,116 square miles (199,729 km²), including inland and coastal water.
- South Dakota's total area is 2.2 times (118%) larger than Maine's.
Length
- Maine is 311 miles (501 km) long from north to south; South Dakota is 443 miles (712 km).
- South Dakota's north-south length is 1.4 times (42%) longer than Maine's.
Width
- Maine spans 203 miles (327 km) east to west; South Dakota spans 371 miles (597 km).
- South Dakota's east-west width is 1.8 times (83%) wider than Maine's.
Highest point
- Maine's highest point is Mount Katahdin at 5,253 feet (1,601 m); South Dakota's is Black Elk Peak at 7,198 feet (2,194 m).
- Black Elk Peak is 1,945 feet higher than Mount Katahdin.
Lowest point
- Maine's lowest point is Atlantic Ocean at 0 feet; South Dakota's is Big Stone Lake at 966 feet.
- Maine's lowest point is 966 feet lower.
Maine vs South Dakota Population and History
Population
- Maine has a population of 1,405,012 (2024), while South Dakota has 924,669 (2024).
- Maine's population is 1.5 times (52%) larger than South Dakota's.
Population density
- Maine: 45.6 people per square mile vs South Dakota: 12.2.
- Maine's population density is 3.7 times (274%) higher than South Dakota's.
Biggest city
- Maine's biggest city is Portland with 69,568 people; South Dakota's is Sioux Falls with 209,289.
- Sioux Falls' population is 3.0 times (201%) larger than Portland's.
Largest metro area
- Maine's largest metropolitan area is Portland-South Portland, ME metro area (571,534 people) vs South Dakota's Sioux Falls, SD-MN metro area (308,266).
- Portland-South Portland, ME metro area's population is 1.9 times (85%) larger than Sioux Falls, SD-MN metro area's.
History
- Maine: Admitted to the Union on March 15, 1820, as the 23rd state.
- South Dakota: Admitted to the Union on November 2, 1889, as the 40th state.
- In its current form, Maine is the older of the two by 69 years.
Maine vs South Dakota Economy
GDP
- Maine's GDP is $99.2 billion (2024) vs South Dakota's $76.8 billion.
- Maine's economic output is 1.3 times (29%) larger than South Dakota's.
GDP per capita
- Maine: $70,586 per person vs South Dakota: $83,052.
- South Dakota's GDP per capita is 1.2 times (18%) higher than Maine's.
Average income
- Maine: $68,932 vs South Dakota: $75,699 average income per person (per capita personal income).
- South Dakota's average income is 1.1 times (10%) higher than Maine's.
Maine vs South Dakota Counties
Number of counties
- Maine has 16 counties, while South Dakota has 66.
- South Dakota's county count is 4.1 times (313%) higher than Maine's.
Biggest county by area
- Maine's largest county is Aroostook County at 6,671 square miles; South Dakota's is Meade County at 3,471 square miles.
- Aroostook County's land area is 1.9 times (92%) larger than Meade County's.
Smallest county by area
- Maine: Sagadahoc County (254 sq mi) vs South Dakota: Clay County (412 sq mi).
- Clay County's land area is 1.6 times (62%) larger than Sagadahoc County's.
Most populous county
- Maine: Cumberland County (313,809 people) vs South Dakota: Minnehaha County (208,639 people).
- Cumberland County's population is 1.5 times (50%) larger than Minnehaha County's.
Least populous county
- Maine: Piscataquis County (17,432 people) vs South Dakota: Jones County (874 people).
- Piscataquis County's population is 19.9 times larger than Jones County's.
Richest county
- Maine: Cumberland County ($90,142 per capita income) vs South Dakota: Union County ($146,712).
- Union County's income is 1.6 times (63%) richer than Cumberland County's.
Poorest county
- Maine: Franklin County ($52,725 per capita income) vs South Dakota: Ziebach County ($32,778).
- Franklin County's income is 1.6 times (61%) richer than Ziebach County's.
Maine vs South Dakota Taxes
State income tax
- Maine has a top income tax rate of 7.15%, while South Dakota has no state income tax.
- Maine's top rate is 7.15 percentage points higher.
Property tax
- Maine: 0.91% effective rate vs South Dakota: 1.02% of home value per year.
- South Dakota's rate is 0.11 percentage points higher.
Sales tax
- Maine: 5.5% combined state and average local rate vs South Dakota: 6.11%.
- South Dakota's combined rate is 0.61 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Maine official website · South Dakota official website
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More Size Comparisons
All Maine 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.