The map above shows Michigan and South Dakota side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Michigan vs South Dakota Geography
Land area
- Michigan has a land area of 56,611 square miles (146,622 km²), while South Dakota has 75,808 square miles (196,342 km²).
- South Dakota's land area is 1.3 times (34%) larger than Michigan's.
Total area
- Michigan: 96,713 square miles (250,486 km²) vs South Dakota: 77,116 square miles (199,729 km²), including inland and coastal water.
- Michigan's total area is 1.3 times (25%) larger than South Dakota's.
Length
- Michigan is 489 miles (786 km) long from north to south; South Dakota is 443 miles (712 km).
- Michigan's north-south length is 1.1 times (10%) longer than South Dakota's.
Width
- Michigan spans 453 miles (728 km) east to west; South Dakota spans 371 miles (597 km).
- Michigan's east-west width is 1.2 times (22%) wider than South Dakota's.
Highest point
- Michigan's highest point is Mount Arvon at 2,014 feet (614 m); South Dakota's is Black Elk Peak at 7,198 feet (2,194 m).
- Black Elk Peak is 5,184 feet higher than Mount Arvon.
Lowest point
- Michigan's lowest point is Lake Erie at 571 feet; South Dakota's is Big Stone Lake at 966 feet.
- Michigan's lowest point is 395 feet lower.
Michigan vs South Dakota Population and History
Population
- Michigan has a population of 10,140,459 (2024), while South Dakota has 924,669 (2024).
- Michigan's population is 11.0 times larger than South Dakota's.
Population density
- Michigan: 179.1 people per square mile vs South Dakota: 12.2.
- Michigan's population density is 14.7 times higher than South Dakota's.
Biggest city
- Michigan's biggest city is Detroit with 645,705 people; South Dakota's is Sioux Falls with 209,289.
- Detroit's population is 3.1 times (209%) larger than Sioux Falls'.
Largest metro area
- Michigan's largest metropolitan area is Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI metro area (4,400,578 people) vs South Dakota's Sioux Falls, SD-MN metro area (308,266).
- Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI metro area's population is 14.3 times larger than Sioux Falls, SD-MN metro area's.
History
- Michigan: Admitted to the Union on January 26, 1837, as the 26th state.
- South Dakota: Admitted to the Union on November 2, 1889, as the 40th state.
- In its current form, Michigan is the older of the two by 52 years.
Michigan vs South Dakota Economy
GDP
- Michigan's GDP is $702.5 billion (2024) vs South Dakota's $76.8 billion.
- Michigan's economic output is 9.1 times (815%) larger than South Dakota's.
GDP per capita
- Michigan: $69,274 per person vs South Dakota: $83,052.
- South Dakota's GDP per capita is 1.2 times (20%) higher than Michigan's.
Average income
- Michigan: $63,690 vs South Dakota: $75,699 average income per person (per capita personal income).
- South Dakota's average income is 1.2 times (19%) higher than Michigan's.
Michigan vs South Dakota Counties
Number of counties
- Michigan has 83 counties, while South Dakota has 66.
- Michigan's county count is 1.3 times (26%) higher than South Dakota's.
Biggest county by area
- Michigan's largest county is Marquette County at 1,809 square miles; South Dakota's is Meade County at 3,471 square miles.
- Meade County's land area is 1.9 times (92%) larger than Marquette County's.
Smallest county by area
- Michigan: Benzie County (320 sq mi) vs South Dakota: Clay County (412 sq mi).
- Clay County's land area is 1.3 times (29%) larger than Benzie County's.
Most populous county
- Michigan: Wayne County (1,771,063 people) vs South Dakota: Minnehaha County (208,639 people).
- Wayne County's population is 8.5 times (749%) larger than Minnehaha County's.
Least populous county
- Michigan: Keweenaw County (2,161 people) vs South Dakota: Jones County (874 people).
- Keweenaw County's population is 2.5 times (147%) larger than Jones County's.
Richest county
- Michigan: Oakland County ($93,579 per capita income) vs South Dakota: Union County ($146,712).
- Union County's income is 1.6 times (57%) richer than Oakland County's.
Poorest county
- Michigan: Lake County ($39,505 per capita income) vs South Dakota: Ziebach County ($32,778).
- Lake County's income is 1.2 times (21%) richer than Ziebach County's.
Michigan vs South Dakota Taxes
State income tax
- Michigan has a top income tax rate of 4.25%, while South Dakota has no state income tax.
- Michigan's top rate is 4.25 percentage points higher.
Property tax
- Michigan: 1.18% effective rate vs South Dakota: 1.02% of home value per year.
- Michigan's rate is 0.16 percentage points higher.
Sales tax
- Michigan: 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
Michigan official website · South Dakota official website
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More Size Comparisons
All Michigan 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.