When the Supreme Court ruled in favor of same-sex marriages, America generally, and the gay community specifically, celebrated. Same-sex marriages, and the gay and lesbian movement is more mainstream than ever.
While the national discussion has been brought to the forefront, at the state level, conversations continue.
Did you know that an estimated 0.14% of South Dakota residents is gay? That ranks as the number 47 most gay state in the nation. That means there are a total of 601 gay households in The Mount Rushmore State.
Our goal with this post is to use data and science to determine the gayest cities in South Dakota.
After analyzing 33 cities with over 1,000 households, we’ve determined these are The Gayest Cities in South Dakota for 2020.
The 10 Gayest Places In South Dakota For 2020
- Hot Springs (Photos)
- Aberdeen (Photos)
- Rapid City (Photos)
- Sioux Falls (Photos)
- Watertown (Photos)
- Vermillion (Photos)
- Tea
- Sturgis (Photos)
- Spearfish (Photos)
- Sisseton (Photos)
What’s the gayest place in South Dakota? According to the facts, Hot Springs is the gayest place in South Dakota for 2020.
For more on how we calculated the top ten, and for more information about these places, read on.
If you’re looking for something more national, check out the gayest cities in America.
For more South Dakota reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In South Dakota
- Cheapest Places To Live In South Dakota
- Most Dangerous Cities In South Dakota
The 10 Gayest Cities In South Dakota For 2020
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Hot Springs is a city in and the county seat of Fall River County, South Dakota, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 3,711. In addition, neighboring Oglala Lakota County contracts the duties of Auditor, Treasurer and Register of Deeds to the Fall River County authority in Hot Springs.
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Aberdeen is a city in and the county seat of Brown County, South Dakota, United States, about 125 miles northeast of Pierre. The city population was 26,091 at the 2010 census, making it the third most populous city in the state after Sioux Falls and Rapid City. Aberdeen is the principal city of the Aberdeen Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Brown and Edmunds counties and has a population of 40,602 in 2010. Aberdeen is considered a college town, being the home of both Northern State University and Presentation College.
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Rapid City is the second most populous city in South Dakota and the county seat of Pennington County. Named after Rapid Creek, on which the city is established, it is set against the eastern slope of the Black Hills mountain range. The population was 67,956 as of the 2010 Census. Known as the “Gateway to the Black Hills” and the “City of Presidents”, it is split by a low mountain ridge that divides the western and eastern parts of the city. Ellsworth Air Force Base is located on the outskirts of the city. Camp Rapid, a part of the South Dakota Army National Guard, is located in the western part of the city. The historic “Old West” town of Deadwood is nearby. In the neighboring Black Hills are the popular tourist attractions of Mount Rushmore, the Crazy Horse Memorial, Custer State Park, and Wind Cave National Park.
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Sioux Falls is the most populous city in the U.S. state of South Dakota and the 145th-most populous city in the United States. It is the county seat of Minnehaha County. and also extends into Lincoln County to the south. It is the 47th fastest-growing city in the United States and the fastest-growing metro area in South Dakota, with a population increase of 22% between 2000 and 2010.
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Watertown is a city in and the county seat of Codington County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 21,482 at the 2010 census. It is the fifth largest city in South Dakota. It is also the principal city of the Watertown Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Codington and Hamlin counties.
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Vermillion is a city in and the county seat of Clay County, in the southeastern corner of the state of South Dakota, and the eleventh largest city in the state. According to the 2010 Census, the population was 10,571. The city lies atop a bluff near the Missouri River.
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Households: 1,597
Rank Last Year: 7 (No Change)
Gay Households: 0 (23rd highest)
% Gay Households: 0.0% (7th highest)
More on Tea: Data
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Sturgis is a city in Meade County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 6,627 as of the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Meade County and is named after Union General Samuel D. Sturgis.
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Spearfish is a city in Lawrence County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 10,494 at the 2010 census.
How do you determine the best cities for same-sex households in South Dakota for 2020
In order to rank the gayest cities in South Dakota, we used the 2014-2018 American Community Survey from the U.S. Census. We looked at:
- Percentage of all households that are unmarried, same sex partners
We limited the analysis to non-CDPs that have over 1,000 households.
We ranked each place from 1 to 33 with the city containing the highest percentage of unmarried, same sex partners households being the most gay.
In the end, ended up being the the most gay place with 4.74% gay households. You can download the data here.
Read on below to learn more about the gayest places in South Dakota. Or skip to the end to see the list of all the places in the state from gayest to straighest.
There You Have It – The Most LGBT Friendly Cities In South Dakota For 2020
If you’re looking at the number of gay households in South Dakota, this is an accurate list.
If you’re curious enough, here are the least gay places in South Dakota:
- Yankton
- Winner
- Belle Fourche
For more South Dakota reading, check out:
- Richest Cities In South Dakota
- Safest Places In South Dakota
- Worst Places To Live In South Dakota
- Most Expensive Places To Live In South Dakota
Detailed List Of The Gayest Places To Live In South Dakota
| Rank | City | Households |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hot Springs | 1,772 |
| 2 | Aberdeen | 12,011 |
| 3 | Rapid City | 29,942 |
| 4 | Sioux Falls | 70,259 |
| 5 | Watertown | 9,545 |
| 6 | Vermillion | 3,924 |
| 7 | Tea | 1,597 |
| 8 | Sturgis | 2,987 |
| 9 | Spearfish | 4,947 |
| 10 | Sisseton | 1,012 |
| 11 | Redfield | 1,198 |
| 12 | Pierre | 6,143 |
| 13 | North Sioux City | 1,288 |
| 14 | Mobridge | 1,492 |
| 15 | Mitchell | 7,038 |
| 16 | Milbank | 1,461 |
| 17 | Madison | 2,550 |
| 18 | Lead | 1,397 |
| 19 | Huron | 5,683 |
| 20 | Hartford | 1,106 |
| 21 | Harrisburg | 1,906 |
| 22 | Fort Pierre | 1,019 |
| 23 | Flandreau | 1,025 |
| 24 | Dell Rapids | 1,362 |
| 25 | Custer | 1,012 |
| 26 | Chamberlain | 1,121 |
| 27 | Canton | 1,127 |
| 28 | Brookings | 8,830 |
| 29 | Brandon | 3,597 |
| 30 | Box Elder | 3,220 |
| 31 | Belle Fourche | 2,403 |
| 32 | Winner | 1,328 |
| 33 | Yankton | 6,238 |
