South Dakota
Low tax burden · COL index 95
Wins 8 categories
California
High tax burden · COL index 142
Wins 4 categories
South Dakota has no state income tax. California's top rate is 13.3%. Cost of living in California (index 142) runs 49% higher than South Dakota (index 95). Property taxes are meaningfully different: South Dakota averages 1.08% annually vs California's 0.71%. The median home in California costs $790K vs $310K in South Dakota.
Taxes
Housing & Cost of Living
Crime & Safety
Healthcare
Education
Childcare
Utilities & Daily Costs
Social Policy
Category wins
8
South Dakota
4
California
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Are Californians moving to South Dakota?
The rise of remote work also made it easier for people to leave California, especially for college graduates and higher-income households. High-income Californians mostly move to states without income taxes (Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming).
What is the leading cause of death in South Dakota?
Local physicians or coroners submit death certificates to the South Dakota Department of Health. Over the past 17 years, 2008-2024, the two most common causes of death have been heart disease and cancer.
Is moving to South Dakota a good idea?
Is South Dakota mainly Republican or Democrat?
Several Democrats represented South Dakota for multiple terms in both chambers of Congress, but the state government is largely controlled by the Republican Party, whose nominees have won the state in each of the last 14 presidential elections.