Now that we’re headed towards the next big election, we wanted to get a better sense of what parts of South Dakota would be the most likely to back Donald Trump again.
Specifically, which cities have the highest number of conservative voters in the Mount Rushmore State?
To do so, we used Saturday Night Science to measure how each city in South Dakota with populations greater than 5,000 voted in past elections. The cities with the highest percentage of voters who voted Republican were named the most conservative cities in the state.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 most conservative places in South Dakota for 2024
If you’re wondering, Vermillion is the most liberal city in South Dakota of all those we measured.
And to be clear, we didn’t form this list based on our own biases — we relied on the cold hard data. For more on how we ran the numbers, keep on reading. Then we’ll take a closer look at each of our top 10 most conservative cities in South Dakota.
Additional reading about South Dakota and the most conservative places in the country:
The 10 Most Conservative Places In South Dakota For 2024
/10
Percent Republican: 77.7%
More on Belle Fourche: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Percent Republican: 72.2%
More on Box Elder: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Percent Republican: 72.2%
More on Sturgis: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Percent Republican: 68.1%
More on Watertown: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Percent Republican: 67.9%
More on Huron: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Percent Republican: 66.4%
More on Mitchell: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Percent Republican: 63.3%
More on Pierre: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Percent Republican: 63.3%
More on Spearfish: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Percent Republican: 62.7%
More on Madison: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Percent Republican: 61.0%
More on Rapid City: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
How we determined the most conservative cities in South Dakota for 2024
To find the most conservative places in South Dakota, we used Saturday Night Science – the argument you’d make at a bar – to find the cities with the most conservatives.
We started by making a list of every city in South Dakota over 5,000 people based on the 2018-2022 American Community Survey. That left us with 18 cities and towns.
We then measured the voting record and MIT election data to determine which places rock the most rightward in their allegiances by:
- Percentage Of Votes For The Republican President In 2020
Because no voting data exists at the city level, we used county-level election results from the 2020 election. We assigned every city in a county the percentage of votes that went to the Republicans, effectively extending the county’s results to the city level. In cases where larger cities encompassed an entire county, the election outcomes accurately reflected the city’s political landscape.
Next, we ranked each city from 1 to 18 for each criterion, where number one was the most conservative.
The winner, Belle Fourche, is “The Most Conservative City in South Dakota For 2024”. The most liberal place in South Dakota was Vermillion.
We updated this article for 2024. This report is our tenth time ranking the most conservative places to live in South Dakota.
Summing Up The Conservative Strongholds in South Dakota
Well, there you have it, the places in South Dakota that have the highest number of conservatives per capita, with Belle Fourche ranking as the most conservative in the entire state.
The most conservative cities in South Dakota are Belle Fourche, Box Elder, Sturgis, Watertown, Huron, Mitchell, Pierre, Spearfish, Madison, and Rapid City.
If you’re curious, here are the least conservative cities in South Dakota:
- Vermillion
- Brandon
- Brookings
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
- 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
Most Conservative Places In South Dakota
| Rank | City | Population | % Conservative |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Belle Fourche, SD | 5,670 | 77.7% |
| 2 | Box Elder, SD | 11,905 | 72.2% |
| 3 | Sturgis, SD | 7,121 | 72.2% |
| 4 | Watertown, SD | 22,718 | 68.1% |
| 5 | Huron, SD | 14,179 | 67.9% |
| 6 | Mitchell, SD | 15,656 | 66.4% |
| 7 | Pierre, SD | 14,105 | 63.3% |
| 8 | Spearfish, SD | 12,268 | 63.3% |
| 9 | Madison, SD | 6,271 | 62.7% |
| 10 | Rapid City, SD | 75,632 | 61.0% |
| 11 | Tea, SD | 5,922 | 60.6% |
| 12 | Harrisburg, SD | 7,157 | 60.6% |
| 13 | Sioux Falls, SD | 193,401 | 60.6% |
| 14 | Yankton, SD | 15,421 | 60.4% |
| 15 | Aberdeen, SD | 28,388 | 60.3% |
| 16 | Brookings, SD | 23,530 | 54.9% |
| 17 | Brandon, SD | 10,919 | 53.3% |
| 18 | Vermillion, SD | 11,667 | 43.1% |