The map above shows Rhode Island and South Dakota side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Rhode Island vs South Dakota Geography
Land area
- Rhode Island has a land area of 1,034 square miles (2,678 km²), while South Dakota has 75,808 square miles (196,342 km²).
- South Dakota's land area is 73.3 times larger than Rhode Island's.
Total area
- Rhode Island: 1,545 square miles (4,002 km²) vs South Dakota: 77,116 square miles (199,729 km²), including inland and coastal water.
- South Dakota's total area is 49.9 times larger than Rhode Island's.
Length
- Rhode Island is 61 miles (98 km) long from north to south; South Dakota is 443 miles (712 km).
- South Dakota's north-south length is 7.3 times (626%) longer than Rhode Island's.
Width
- Rhode Island spans 42 miles (67 km) east to west; South Dakota spans 371 miles (597 km).
- South Dakota's east-west width is 8.8 times (783%) wider than Rhode Island's.
Highest point
- Rhode Island's highest point is Jerimoth Hill at 811 feet (247 m); South Dakota's is Black Elk Peak at 7,198 feet (2,194 m).
- Black Elk Peak is 6,387 feet higher than Jerimoth Hill.
Lowest point
- Rhode Island's lowest point is Atlantic Ocean at 0 feet; South Dakota's is Big Stone Lake at 966 feet.
- Rhode Island's lowest point is 966 feet lower.
Rhode Island vs South Dakota Population and History
Population
- Rhode Island has a population of 1,112,308 (2024), while South Dakota has 924,669 (2024).
- Rhode Island's population is 1.2 times (20%) larger than South Dakota's.
Population density
- Rhode Island: 1,075.8 people per square mile vs South Dakota: 12.2.
- Rhode Island's population density is 88.2 times higher than South Dakota's.
Biggest city
- Rhode Island's biggest city is Providence with 194,706 people; South Dakota's is Sioux Falls with 209,289.
- Sioux Falls' population is 1.1 times (7%) larger than Providence's.
Largest metro area
- Rhode Island's largest metropolitan area is Providence-Warwick, RI-MA metro area (1,700,901 people) vs South Dakota's Sioux Falls, SD-MN metro area (308,266).
- Providence-Warwick, RI-MA metro area's population is 5.5 times (452%) larger than Sioux Falls, SD-MN metro area's.
History
- Rhode Island: Admitted to the Union on May 29, 1790, as the 13th state.
- South Dakota: Admitted to the Union on November 2, 1889, as the 40th state.
- In its current form, Rhode Island is the older of the two by 99 years.
Rhode Island vs South Dakota Economy
GDP
- Rhode Island's GDP is $80.4 billion (2024) vs South Dakota's $76.8 billion.
- Rhode Island and South Dakota have about the same economic output.
GDP per capita
- Rhode Island: $72,265 per person vs South Dakota: $83,052.
- South Dakota's GDP per capita is 1.1 times (15%) higher than Rhode Island's.
Average income
- Rhode Island: $70,622 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 Rhode Island's.
Rhode Island vs South Dakota Counties
Number of counties
- Rhode Island has 5 counties, while South Dakota has 66.
- South Dakota's county count is 13.2 times higher than Rhode Island's.
Biggest county by area
- Rhode Island's largest county is Providence County at 410 square miles; South Dakota's is Meade County at 3,471 square miles.
- Meade County's land area is 8.5 times (748%) larger than Providence County's.
Smallest county by area
- Rhode Island: Bristol County (24 sq mi) vs South Dakota: Clay County (412 sq mi).
- Clay County's land area is 17.1 times larger than Bristol County's.
Most populous county
- Rhode Island: Providence County (675,912 people) vs South Dakota: Minnehaha County (208,639 people).
- Providence County's population is 3.2 times (224%) larger than Minnehaha County's.
Least populous county
- Rhode Island: Bristol County (50,145 people) vs South Dakota: Jones County (874 people).
- Bristol County's population is 57.4 times larger than Jones County's.
Richest county
- Rhode Island: Bristol County ($99,923 per capita income) vs South Dakota: Union County ($146,712).
- Union County's income is 1.5 times (47%) richer than Bristol County's.
Poorest county
- Rhode Island: Providence County ($61,040 per capita income) vs South Dakota: Ziebach County ($32,778).
- Providence County's income is 1.9 times (86%) richer than Ziebach County's.
Rhode Island vs South Dakota Taxes
State income tax
- Rhode Island has a top income tax rate of 5.99%, while South Dakota has no state income tax.
- Rhode Island's top rate is 5.99 percentage points higher.
Property tax
- Rhode Island: 1.07% effective rate vs South Dakota: 1.02% of home value per year.
- Rhode Island's rate is 0.05 percentage points higher.
Sales tax
- Rhode Island: 7% combined state and average local rate vs South Dakota: 6.11%.
- Rhode Island's combined rate is 0.89 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Rhode Island official website · South Dakota official website
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More Size Comparisons
All Rhode Island 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.