The map above shows Pennsylvania and South Dakota side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Pennsylvania vs South Dakota Geography
Land area
- Pennsylvania has a land area of 44,742 square miles (115,882 km²), while South Dakota has 75,808 square miles (196,342 km²).
- South Dakota's land area is 1.7 times (69%) larger than Pennsylvania's.
Total area
- Pennsylvania: 46,054 square miles (119,279 km²) vs South Dakota: 77,116 square miles (199,729 km²), including inland and coastal water.
- South Dakota's total area is 1.7 times (67%) larger than Pennsylvania's.
Length
- Pennsylvania is 284 miles (458 km) long from north to south; South Dakota is 443 miles (712 km).
- South Dakota's north-south length is 1.6 times (56%) longer than Pennsylvania's.
Width
- Pennsylvania spans 307 miles (495 km) east to west; South Dakota spans 371 miles (597 km).
- South Dakota's east-west width is 1.2 times (21%) wider than Pennsylvania's.
Highest point
- Pennsylvania's highest point is Mount Davis at 3,210 feet (978 m); South Dakota's is Black Elk Peak at 7,198 feet (2,194 m).
- Black Elk Peak is 3,988 feet higher than Mount Davis.
Lowest point
- Pennsylvania's lowest point is Delaware River at 0 feet; South Dakota's is Big Stone Lake at 966 feet.
- Pennsylvania's lowest point is 966 feet lower.
Pennsylvania vs South Dakota Population and History
Population
- Pennsylvania has a population of 13,078,751 (2024), while South Dakota has 924,669 (2024).
- Pennsylvania's population is 14.1 times larger than South Dakota's.
Population density
- Pennsylvania: 292.3 people per square mile vs South Dakota: 12.2.
- Pennsylvania's population density is 24.0 times higher than South Dakota's.
Biggest city
- Pennsylvania's biggest city is Philadelphia with 1,573,916 people; South Dakota's is Sioux Falls with 209,289.
- Philadelphia's population is 7.5 times (652%) larger than Sioux Falls'.
Largest metro area
- Pennsylvania's largest metropolitan area is Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area (6,330,422 people) vs South Dakota's Sioux Falls, SD-MN metro area (308,266).
- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area's population is 20.5 times larger than Sioux Falls, SD-MN metro area's.
History
- Pennsylvania: Admitted to the Union on December 12, 1787, as the 2nd state.
- South Dakota: Admitted to the Union on November 2, 1889, as the 40th state.
- In its current form, Pennsylvania is the older of the two by 102 years.
Pennsylvania vs South Dakota Economy
GDP
- Pennsylvania's GDP is $1,007.9 billion (2024) vs South Dakota's $76.8 billion.
- Pennsylvania's economic output is 13.1 times larger than South Dakota's.
GDP per capita
- Pennsylvania: $77,062 per person vs South Dakota: $83,052.
- South Dakota's GDP per capita is 1.1 times (8%) higher than Pennsylvania's.
Average income
- Pennsylvania: $70,678 vs South Dakota: $75,699 average income per person (per capita personal income).
- South Dakota's average income is 1.1 times (7%) higher than Pennsylvania's.
Pennsylvania vs South Dakota Counties
Number of counties
- Pennsylvania has 67 counties, while South Dakota has 66.
- Pennsylvania and South Dakota have about the same county count.
Biggest county by area
- Pennsylvania's largest county is Lycoming County at 1,229 square miles; South Dakota's is Meade County at 3,471 square miles.
- Meade County's land area is 2.8 times (182%) larger than Lycoming County's.
Smallest county by area
- Pennsylvania: Montour County (130 sq mi) vs South Dakota: Clay County (412 sq mi).
- Clay County's land area is 3.2 times (216%) larger than Montour County's.
Most populous county
- Pennsylvania: Philadelphia County (1,573,916 people) vs South Dakota: Minnehaha County (208,639 people).
- Philadelphia County's population is 7.5 times (654%) larger than Minnehaha County's.
Least populous county
- Pennsylvania: Cameron County (4,348 people) vs South Dakota: Jones County (874 people).
- Cameron County's population is 5.0 times (397%) larger than Jones County's.
Richest county
- Pennsylvania: Chester County ($110,883 per capita income) vs South Dakota: Union County ($146,712).
- Union County's income is 1.3 times (32%) richer than Chester County's.
Poorest county
- Pennsylvania: Forest County ($30,234 per capita income) vs South Dakota: Ziebach County ($32,778).
- Ziebach County's income is 1.1 times (8%) richer than Forest County's.
Pennsylvania vs South Dakota Taxes
State income tax
- Pennsylvania has a top income tax rate of 3.07%, while South Dakota has no state income tax.
- Pennsylvania's top rate is 3.07 percentage points higher.
Property tax
- Pennsylvania: 1.16% effective rate vs South Dakota: 1.02% of home value per year.
- Pennsylvania's rate is 0.14 percentage points higher.
Sales tax
- Pennsylvania: 6.34% combined state and average local rate vs South Dakota: 6.11%.
- Pennsylvania's combined rate is 0.23 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Pennsylvania official website · South Dakota official website
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More Size Comparisons
All Pennsylvania 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.