The map above shows South Dakota and Tennessee side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
South Dakota vs Tennessee Geography
Land area: South Dakota has a land area of 75,808 square miles (196,342 km²), while Tennessee has 41,224 square miles (106,770 km²). South Dakota's land area is 1.8 times (84%) larger than Tennessee's.
Total area: South Dakota: 77,116 square miles (199,729 km²) vs Tennessee: 42,130 square miles (109,116 km²), including inland and coastal water. South Dakota's total area is 1.8 times (83%) larger than Tennessee's.
Length: South Dakota is 443 miles (712 km) long from north to south; Tennessee is 191 miles (308 km). South Dakota's north-south length is 2.3 times (132%) longer than Tennessee's.
Width: South Dakota spans 371 miles (597 km) east to west; Tennessee spans 497 miles (800 km). Tennessee's east-west width is 1.3 times (34%) wider than South Dakota's.
Highest point: South Dakota's highest point is Black Elk Peak at 7,198 feet (2,194 m); Tennessee's is Clingmans Dome at 6,624 feet (2,019 m). Black Elk Peak is 574 feet higher than Clingmans Dome.
Lowest point: South Dakota's lowest point is Big Stone Lake at 966 feet; Tennessee's is Mississippi River at 178 feet. Tennessee's lowest point is 788 feet lower.
South Dakota vs Tennessee Population and History
Population: South Dakota has a population of 924,669 (2024), while Tennessee has 7,227,750 (2024). Tennessee's population is 7.8 times (682%) larger than South Dakota's.
Population density: South Dakota: 12.2 people per square mile vs Tennessee: 175.3. Tennessee's population density is 14.4 times higher than South Dakota's.
Biggest city: South Dakota's biggest city is Sioux Falls with 209,289 people; Tennessee's is Nashville with 704,963. Nashville's population is 3.4 times (237%) larger than Sioux Falls'.
Largest metro area: South Dakota's largest metropolitan area is Sioux Falls, SD-MN metro area (308,266 people) vs Tennessee's Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN metro area (2,150,553). Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN metro area's population is 7.0 times (598%) larger than Sioux Falls, SD-MN metro area's.
History: South Dakota: Admitted to the Union on November 2, 1889, as the 40th state. Tennessee: Admitted to the Union on June 1, 1796, as the 16th state. In its current form, Tennessee is the older of the two by 93 years.
South Dakota vs Tennessee Economy
GDP: South Dakota's GDP is $76.8 billion (2024) vs Tennessee's $561.2 billion. Tennessee's economic output is 7.3 times (631%) larger than South Dakota's.
GDP per capita: South Dakota: $83,052 per person vs Tennessee: $77,645. South Dakota's GDP per capita is 1.1 times (7%) higher than Tennessee's.
Average income: South Dakota: $75,699 vs Tennessee: $66,504 average income per person (per capita personal income). South Dakota's average income is 1.1 times (14%) higher than Tennessee's.
South Dakota vs Tennessee Counties
Number of counties: South Dakota has 66 counties, while Tennessee has 95. Tennessee's county count is 1.4 times (44%) higher than South Dakota's.
Biggest county by area: South Dakota's largest county is Meade County at 3,471 square miles; Tennessee's is Shelby County at 753 square miles. Meade County's land area is 4.6 times (361%) larger than Shelby County's.
Smallest county by area: South Dakota: Clay County (412 sq mi) vs Tennessee: Trousdale County (114 sq mi). Clay County's land area is 3.6 times (260%) larger than Trousdale County's.
Most populous county: South Dakota: Minnehaha County (208,639 people) vs Tennessee: Shelby County (910,530 people). Shelby County's population is 4.4 times (336%) larger than Minnehaha County's.
Least populous county: South Dakota: Jones County (874 people) vs Tennessee: Pickett County (5,108 people). Pickett County's population is 5.8 times (484%) larger than Jones County's.
Richest county: South Dakota: Union County ($146,712 per capita income) vs Tennessee: Williamson County ($139,704). Union County's income is 1.1 times (5%) richer than Williamson County's.
Poorest county: South Dakota: Ziebach County ($32,778 per capita income) vs Tennessee: Lake County ($31,572). Ziebach County and Lake County have about the same income.
South Dakota vs Tennessee Taxes
State income tax: South Dakota has no state income tax, while Tennessee has no state income tax.
Property tax: South Dakota: 1.02% effective rate vs Tennessee: 0.45% of home value per year. South Dakota's rate is 0.57 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: South Dakota: 6.11% combined state and average local rate vs Tennessee: 9.61%. Tennessee's combined rate is 3.5 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
South Dakota official website · Tennessee official website
More Size Comparisons
All South Dakota size comparisons · All Tennessee 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.