The map above shows South Dakota and Texas side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
South Dakota vs Texas Geography
Land area: South Dakota has a land area of 75,808 square miles (196,342 km²), while Texas has 261,259 square miles (676,657 km²). Texas' land area is 3.4 times (245%) larger than South Dakota's.
Total area: South Dakota: 77,116 square miles (199,729 km²) vs Texas: 268,599 square miles (695,668 km²), including inland and coastal water. Texas' total area is 3.5 times (248%) larger than South Dakota's.
Length: South Dakota is 443 miles (712 km) long from north to south; Texas is 808 miles (1,300 km). Texas' north-south length is 1.8 times (82%) longer than South Dakota's.
Width: South Dakota spans 371 miles (597 km) east to west; Texas spans 777 miles (1,250 km). Texas' east-west width is 2.1 times (109%) wider than South Dakota's.
Highest point: South Dakota's highest point is Black Elk Peak at 7,198 feet (2,194 m); Texas's is Guadalupe Peak at 8,730 feet (2,661 m). Guadalupe Peak is 1,532 feet higher than Black Elk Peak.
Lowest point: South Dakota's lowest point is Big Stone Lake at 966 feet; Texas's is Gulf of Mexico at 0 feet. Texas's lowest point is 966 feet lower.
South Dakota vs Texas Population and History
Population: South Dakota has a population of 924,669 (2024), while Texas has 31,290,831 (2024). Texas' population is 33.8 times larger than South Dakota's.
Population density: South Dakota: 12.2 people per square mile vs Texas: 119.8. Texas' population density is 9.8 times (882%) higher than South Dakota's.
Biggest city: South Dakota's biggest city is Sioux Falls with 209,289 people; Texas's is Houston with 2,390,125. Houston's population is 11.4 times larger than Sioux Falls'.
Largest metro area: South Dakota's largest metropolitan area is Sioux Falls, SD-MN metro area (308,266 people) vs Texas's Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX metro area (8,344,032). Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX metro area's population is 27.1 times larger than Sioux Falls, SD-MN metro area's.
History: South Dakota: Admitted to the Union on November 2, 1889, as the 40th state. Texas: Admitted to the Union on December 29, 1845, as the 28th state. In its current form, Texas is the older of the two by 44 years.
South Dakota vs Texas Economy
GDP: South Dakota's GDP is $76.8 billion (2024) vs Texas's $2,769.8 billion. Texas' economic output is 36.1 times larger than South Dakota's.
GDP per capita: South Dakota: $83,052 per person vs Texas: $88,517. Texas' GDP per capita is 1.1 times (7%) higher than South Dakota's.
Average income: South Dakota: $75,699 vs Texas: $69,823 average income per person (per capita personal income). South Dakota's average income is 1.1 times (8%) higher than Texas'.
South Dakota vs Texas Counties
Number of counties: South Dakota has 66 counties, while Texas has 254. Texas' county count is 3.8 times (285%) higher than South Dakota's.
Biggest county by area: South Dakota's largest county is Meade County at 3,471 square miles; Texas's is Brewster County at 6,184 square miles. Brewster County's land area is 1.8 times (78%) larger than Meade County's.
Smallest county by area: South Dakota: Clay County (412 sq mi) vs Texas: Rockwall County (127 sq mi). Clay County's land area is 3.2 times (224%) larger than Rockwall County's.
Most populous county: South Dakota: Minnehaha County (208,639 people) vs Texas: Harris County (5,009,302 people). Harris County's population is 24.0 times larger than Minnehaha County's.
Least populous county: South Dakota: Jones County (874 people) vs Texas: Loving County (48 people). Jones County's population is 18.2 times larger than Loving County's.
Richest county: South Dakota: Union County ($146,712 per capita income) vs Texas: Loving County ($220,625). Loving County's income is 1.5 times (50%) richer than Union County's.
Poorest county: South Dakota: Ziebach County ($32,778 per capita income) vs Texas: Starr County ($34,180). Ziebach County and Starr County have about the same income.
South Dakota vs Texas Taxes
State income tax: South Dakota has no state income tax, while Texas has no state income tax.
Property tax: South Dakota: 1.02% effective rate vs Texas: 1.31% of home value per year. Texas's rate is 0.29 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: South Dakota: 6.11% combined state and average local rate vs Texas: 8.2%. Texas's combined rate is 2.09 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
South Dakota official website · Texas official website
More Size Comparisons
All South Dakota size comparisons · All Texas 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.