The 10 Most Dangerous Cities In South Dakota For 2023

The 10 Most Dangerous Places To Live In South Dakota For 2023

Chamberlain, South Dakota, is a small community with a big history. It hosts the South Dakota Hall of Fame. But the small town has also attracted a darker kind of fame: it ranks as the number 1 most dangerous place in the state.

Over the course of the reporting year 2021, Chamberlain suffered 16 violent crimes. This included 3 rapes. Compared to its population of just 2,364, this equals a per-capita violent-crime rate of 676/100k people. That ranks it highest in the state for that category.

Property crime is also a problem. The 76 such violations during the year gives it the highest pace in South Dakota.

Rapid City represents one of the population centers in South Dakota. With 79,910 inhabitants, it comes in at number 2.0 in terms of most people in the state. Moreover, Rapid City is well situated as a home base for some of the area’s biggest attractions, with places likeMount Rushmore and Deadwood located relatively nearby.

While it might serve as a tourist spot, travelers to Rapid City should stay cautious during their trip. The city ranks as the second most dangerous place to live in the state. It reported 513 violent crimes during a year, including 100 rapes and 10 murders. Put into context, that gives Rapid City the second highest violent crime rate for South Dakota.

The community also saw a significant number of non-violent crimes. With 2,450 property crimes, Rapid City had South Dakota’ssecond highest pace in that category. This included 454 burglaries and 421 cars stolen.

Sioux Falls stands as the number 1.0 most populous city in South Dakota. With 191,508 inhabitants, the city might seem miniscule compared to places like Los Angeles, Houston, or New York City. But the area still counts as a massive metropolis for South Dakota.

As with any large city, Sioux Falls has its share of crime. It suffered 1,031 violent crimes during a year, including 3 murders and 100 rapes. In terms of raw numbers, those are high for South Dakota. But on a per-capita basis, Sioux Falls only ranks as the sixth most violent spot in the state.

For property crime, Sioux Falls sees the third highest rate in South Dakota. This comes with 4,003 larcenies, 606 burglaries, and 936 stolen cars reported in 2021.

With a population of 28,494 inhabitants, Aberdeen would count as a small community in many states. However, in South Dakota, it ranks as the number 3.0 most populous cities. Originally built as a railroad stop, Aberdeen has a rich business history. For example, it served as the founding location for the Super 8 chain of motels.

Unfortunately, the city is home to some more illicit business as well. Aberdeen ranks as the fifth most violent spot in South Dakota. That comes as a result of 122 aggravated assaults and 31 rapes in a year. That gives it a per-capita violent-crime rate of 558/100k people.

Looking at property crimes, Aberdeen seems a little safer. Despite being the 3rd biggest city in South Dakota, it has only the fifth highest pace of property crimes.

Located near the western border of South Dakota, Box Elder is home to the Ellsworth Air Force Base. Maybe the presence of all those airmen and airwomen provide a tempting target for criminals. Whatever the reason, the relatively low-population community counts as the number 5 most dangerous spots in the state.

Box Elder reported 63 violent crimes during a year, with 43 aggravated assaults. Those numbers might seem pretty small. But put them in terms of population and the community has fourth highest rate of violent crimes in the state.

The town also reported 231 property crimes during the year. This gave Box Elder South Dakota’s seventh highest pace for the category.

Mitchell is one of the most well-known spots in South Dakota. The town acts as a secondary tourist destination for the state. It might not live up to the level of top attractions, like Mount Rushmore, but the Corn Palace brings in its share of curious guests.

The influx of visitors creates an unfortunate temptation for thieves, however. Mitchell ranks sixth highest in the state for property crime. It had 335 such violations in a year, with 250 larcenies and 29 car thefts.

For violent crime, Mitchell is better off. In a city of 15,741 people, it reported 70 violent crimes. That puts it seventh highest in South Dakota in that category.

Sturgis, a city in Meade County, South Dakota, ranks as the seventh most dangerous place to live in the state. While Sturgis may be known for its annual motorcycle rally, the city faces significant challenges in terms of safety and crime. According to recent crime statistics, Sturgis has reported a total of 20 violent crimes, including 0 murder cases, 3 rapes, 0 robberies, and 17 aggravated assaults.

With a violent crime rate of 285/100k people and a property crime rate of 2,466/100k people, it is evident that the city faces significant challenges in maintaining a secure environment. It is important to note that with focused efforts from local law enforcement and community initiatives, Sturgis has the potential to improve its safety rankings and create a safer living environment for its residents.

Tiny Flandreau, South Dakota, might not seem like an imposing community. After all, the town, located near the easternmost border of the state, has just 2,288 inhabitants. But you might not want to get caught walking the streets of Flandreau late at night. The area happens to be the number 8 most dangerous spot in South Dakota for 2023.

How does this happen? Well, the town reported 14 violent crimes and 35 property crimes during a year. Not exactly eye-popping numbers. But put those in context. Given the area’s puny population, those figures equate to a per-capita rate of 611/100k people for violent crimes and a pace of 1,529/100k people for property crimes.

That means Flandreau has the third highest pace of violent crimes and the 16th highest rate of property crimes in South Dakota.

Yankton has great historical significance for South Dakota. Located along the Missouri River, in the southeastern part of the state, it represented an early jumping-off point for settlement of the region.

In modern times, Yankton sports a population of 14,669, putting it number 7.0 in the state. With this figure comes a noticeable crime problem, with the community suffering the eighth highest crime rate in South Dakota.

That unfortunate ranking comes about in large part as a result of the 54 violent crimes reported during 2021 — the reporting year. That includes 18 rapes. In addition, Yankton had 304 property crimes over a 12-month period. Putting those figures in terms of population, the city had the tenth highest pace of violent crimes and the ninth highest rate of property violations.

Ask your average fifth grader to name a city in South Dakota. If they come up with anything, they’ll probably say Pierre. That’s because the city serves as the state’s capital, making it one of South Dakota’s most high-profile communities.

With a population of 13,710, Pierre ranks as one of the smallest centers of government in the U.S. Even with its tiny size, Pierre has its share of crime. The city had 282 property crimes and 45 violent crimes during the year.

In terms of crime rate, Pierre had the tenth highest pace of property crime in South Dakota. Meanwhile, for violent crime, the city’s rate ranked 12th highest.

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