The map above shows New Mexico and South Dakota side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
New Mexico vs South Dakota Geography
Land area
- New Mexico has a land area of 121,313 square miles (314,198 km²), while South Dakota has 75,808 square miles (196,342 km²).
- New Mexico's land area is 1.6 times (60%) larger than South Dakota's.
Total area
- New Mexico: 121,593 square miles (314,925 km²) vs South Dakota: 77,116 square miles (199,729 km²), including inland and coastal water.
- New Mexico's total area is 1.6 times (58%) larger than South Dakota's.
Length
- New Mexico is 395 miles (635 km) long from north to south; South Dakota is 443 miles (712 km).
- South Dakota's north-south length is 1.1 times (12%) longer than New Mexico's.
Width
- New Mexico spans 498 miles (801 km) east to west; South Dakota spans 371 miles (597 km).
- New Mexico's east-west width is 1.3 times (34%) wider than South Dakota's.
Highest point
- New Mexico's highest point is Wheeler Peak at 13,150 feet (4,008 m); South Dakota's is Black Elk Peak at 7,198 feet (2,194 m).
- Wheeler Peak is 5,952 feet higher than Black Elk Peak.
Lowest point
- New Mexico's lowest point is Red Bluff Reservoir at 2,842 feet; South Dakota's is Big Stone Lake at 966 feet.
- South Dakota's lowest point is 1,876 feet lower.
New Mexico vs South Dakota Population and History
Population
- New Mexico has a population of 2,130,256 (2024), while South Dakota has 924,669 (2024).
- New Mexico's population is 2.3 times (130%) larger than South Dakota's.
Population density
- New Mexico: 17.6 people per square mile vs South Dakota: 12.2.
- New Mexico's population density is 1.4 times (44%) higher than South Dakota's.
Biggest city
- New Mexico's biggest city is Albuquerque with 560,326 people; South Dakota's is Sioux Falls with 209,289.
- Albuquerque's population is 2.7 times (168%) larger than Sioux Falls'.
Largest metro area
- New Mexico's largest metropolitan area is Albuquerque, NM metro area (926,303 people) vs South Dakota's Sioux Falls, SD-MN metro area (308,266).
- Albuquerque, NM metro area's population is 3.0 times (200%) larger than Sioux Falls, SD-MN metro area's.
History
- New Mexico: Admitted to the Union on January 6, 1912, as the 47th state.
- South Dakota: Admitted to the Union on November 2, 1889, as the 40th state.
- In its current form, South Dakota is the older of the two by 23 years.
New Mexico vs South Dakota Economy
GDP
- New Mexico's GDP is $147.1 billion (2024) vs South Dakota's $76.8 billion.
- New Mexico's economic output is 1.9 times (92%) larger than South Dakota's.
GDP per capita
- New Mexico: $69,046 per person vs South Dakota: $83,052.
- South Dakota's GDP per capita is 1.2 times (20%) higher than New Mexico's.
Average income
- New Mexico: $58,249 vs South Dakota: $75,699 average income per person (per capita personal income).
- South Dakota's average income is 1.3 times (30%) higher than New Mexico's.
New Mexico vs South Dakota Counties
Number of counties
- New Mexico has 33 counties, while South Dakota has 66.
- South Dakota's county count is 2.0 times (100%) higher than New Mexico's.
Biggest county by area
- New Mexico's largest county is Catron County at 6,924 square miles; South Dakota's is Meade County at 3,471 square miles.
- Catron County's land area is 2.0 times (99%) larger than Meade County's.
Smallest county by area
- New Mexico: Los Alamos County (109 sq mi) vs South Dakota: Clay County (412 sq mi).
- Clay County's land area is 3.8 times (278%) larger than Los Alamos County's.
Most populous county
- New Mexico: Bernalillo County (671,747 people) vs South Dakota: Minnehaha County (208,639 people).
- Bernalillo County's population is 3.2 times (222%) larger than Minnehaha County's.
Least populous county
- New Mexico: Harding County (635 people) vs South Dakota: Jones County (874 people).
- Jones County's population is 1.4 times (38%) larger than Harding County's.
Richest county
- New Mexico: Los Alamos County ($98,378 per capita income) vs South Dakota: Union County ($146,712).
- Union County's income is 1.5 times (49%) richer than Los Alamos County's.
Poorest county
- New Mexico: Cibola County ($36,397 per capita income) vs South Dakota: Ziebach County ($32,778).
- Cibola County's income is 1.1 times (11%) richer than Ziebach County's.
New Mexico vs South Dakota Taxes
State income tax
- New Mexico has a top income tax rate of 5.9%, while South Dakota has no state income tax.
- New Mexico's top rate is 5.9 percentage points higher.
Property tax
- New Mexico: 0.63% effective rate vs South Dakota: 1.02% of home value per year.
- South Dakota's rate is 0.39 percentage points higher.
Sales tax
- New Mexico: 7.68% combined state and average local rate vs South Dakota: 6.11%.
- New Mexico's combined rate is 1.57 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
New Mexico official website · South Dakota official website
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More Size Comparisons
All New Mexico 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.