The map above shows Minnesota and South Dakota side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Minnesota vs South Dakota Geography
Land area
- Minnesota has a land area of 79,632 square miles (206,245 km²), while South Dakota has 75,808 square miles (196,342 km²).
- Minnesota's land area is 1.1 times (5%) larger than South Dakota's.
Total area
- Minnesota: 86,943 square miles (225,182 km²) vs South Dakota: 77,116 square miles (199,729 km²), including inland and coastal water.
- Minnesota's total area is 1.1 times (13%) larger than South Dakota's.
Length
- Minnesota is 408 miles (657 km) long from north to south; South Dakota is 443 miles (712 km).
- South Dakota's north-south length is 1.1 times (9%) longer than Minnesota's.
Width
- Minnesota spans 360 miles (580 km) east to west; South Dakota spans 371 miles (597 km).
- Minnesota and South Dakota have about the same east-west width.
Highest point
- Minnesota's highest point is Eagle Mountain at 2,292 feet (699 m); South Dakota's is Black Elk Peak at 7,198 feet (2,194 m).
- Black Elk Peak is 4,906 feet higher than Eagle Mountain.
Lowest point
- Minnesota's lowest point is Lake Superior at 601 feet; South Dakota's is Big Stone Lake at 966 feet.
- Minnesota's lowest point is 365 feet lower.
Minnesota vs South Dakota Population and History
Population
- Minnesota has a population of 5,793,151 (2024), while South Dakota has 924,669 (2024).
- Minnesota's population is 6.3 times (527%) larger than South Dakota's.
Population density
- Minnesota: 72.7 people per square mile vs South Dakota: 12.2.
- Minnesota's population density is 6.0 times (496%) higher than South Dakota's.
Biggest city
- Minnesota's biggest city is Minneapolis with 428,579 people; South Dakota's is Sioux Falls with 209,289.
- Minneapolis' population is 2.0 times (105%) larger than Sioux Falls'.
Largest metro area
- Minnesota's largest metropolitan area is Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI metro area (3,757,952 people) vs South Dakota's Sioux Falls, SD-MN metro area (308,266).
- Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI metro area's population is 12.2 times larger than Sioux Falls, SD-MN metro area's.
History
- Minnesota: Admitted to the Union on May 11, 1858, as the 32nd state.
- South Dakota: Admitted to the Union on November 2, 1889, as the 40th state.
- In its current form, Minnesota is the older of the two by 31 years.
Minnesota vs South Dakota Economy
GDP
- Minnesota's GDP is $507.7 billion (2024) vs South Dakota's $76.8 billion.
- Minnesota's economic output is 6.6 times (561%) larger than South Dakota's.
GDP per capita
- Minnesota: $87,636 per person vs South Dakota: $83,052.
- Minnesota's GDP per capita is 1.1 times (6%) higher than South Dakota's.
Average income
- Minnesota: $75,603 vs South Dakota: $75,699 average income per person (per capita personal income).
- Minnesota and South Dakota have about the same average income.
Minnesota vs South Dakota Counties
Number of counties
- Minnesota has 87 counties, while South Dakota has 66.
- Minnesota's county count is 1.3 times (32%) higher than South Dakota's.
Biggest county by area
- Minnesota's largest county is St. Louis County at 6,248 square miles; South Dakota's is Meade County at 3,471 square miles.
- St. Louis County's land area is 1.8 times (80%) larger than Meade County's.
Smallest county by area
- Minnesota: Ramsey County (152 sq mi) vs South Dakota: Clay County (412 sq mi).
- Clay County's land area is 2.7 times (171%) larger than Ramsey County's.
Most populous county
- Minnesota: Hennepin County (1,273,334 people) vs South Dakota: Minnehaha County (208,639 people).
- Hennepin County's population is 6.1 times (510%) larger than Minnehaha County's.
Least populous county
- Minnesota: Traverse County (3,134 people) vs South Dakota: Jones County (874 people).
- Traverse County's population is 3.6 times (259%) larger than Jones County's.
Richest county
- Minnesota: Hennepin County ($100,352 per capita income) vs South Dakota: Union County ($146,712).
- Union County's income is 1.5 times (46%) richer than Hennepin County's.
Poorest county
- Minnesota: Pine County ($48,677 per capita income) vs South Dakota: Ziebach County ($32,778).
- Pine County's income is 1.5 times (49%) richer than Ziebach County's.
Minnesota vs South Dakota Taxes
State income tax
- Minnesota has a top income tax rate of 9.85%, while South Dakota has no state income tax.
- Minnesota's top rate is 9.85 percentage points higher.
Property tax
- Minnesota: 1.02% effective rate vs South Dakota: 1.02% of home value per year.
- The two are essentially equal.
Sales tax
- Minnesota: 8.14% combined state and average local rate vs South Dakota: 6.11%.
- Minnesota's combined rate is 2.03 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Minnesota official website · South Dakota official website
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More Size Comparisons
All Minnesota 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.