The 10 Most Dangerous Cities In South Dakota For 2023


We used data and science to identify the most dangerous cities in the Mount Rushmore State for 2023.

Most dangerous cities in South Dakota research summary. We analyzed the most recent FBI crime data to determine the most dangerous cities in South Dakota based on violent and property crimes per capita. Here are the results of our analysis:

  • The most dangerous city in South Dakota is Chamberlain based on the most recent FBI crime data.

  • The violent crime rate in South Dakota is 676 per 100k people.

  • The property crime rate in South Dakota is 3,214 per 100k people.

  • The safest city in South Dakota is Sisseton.

  • South Dakota is the 14th most dangerous state in the United States.


Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Table | FAQs | References


If you’ve ever read Pierre’s Capital Journal Crime and Courts page, then you know what many South Dakotans already know: this Midwest state has some pretty dangerous places, too.

Do we think it’s because the flatlanders are bored? Jobs are scarce? Low wages? Yes, all three and then some. So, it would be in your best interest to take a look below at RoadSnacks’ list of the most dangerous places in South Dakota for 2023 before you make any life changing decisions.

How’d we determine the most dangerous places in The Mount Rushmore State? We consulted the numbers. In total, we analyzed 29 cities. We looked at the FBI’s latest crime report for violent crime and property crime statistics for every place with over 2,000 residents. We discovered that South Dakota has some pretty interesting statistics when it comes to violent and property crime compared to the national average. South Dakota is winning the arson game, but losing in murder and aggravated assault. And, shockingly, the city with the most assaults and murders in the state has less than 3,000 residents.

While South Dakota was not in the top ten most dangerous states in America, it does have plenty of cities that should have made the most dangerous cities in the country’s list. Maybe these cities need more police presence? We’re not entirely sure. But one thing we do know is that you should check out South Dakota’s most dangerous places below: there may be some surprises.

The Most Dangerous Cities In South Dakota For 2023

  1. Chamberlain
  2. Rapid City
  3. Sioux Falls
  4. Aberdeen
  5. Box Elder
  6. Mitchell
  7. Sturgis
  8. Flandreau
  9. Yankton
  10. Pierre

It’s not lost on us that many of South Dakota’s cheapest places are also the state’s most dangerous–this is usually how it works. And this is definitely what is happening in South Dakota’s number one most dangerous city: rent is cheap, jobs are scarce, and crime is high.

So, where is the most dangerous place in South Dakota for 2023? That would be, Chamberlain.

If you want to know where the rest of the most dangerous places in South Dakota are located, take a look at the list below; and if you don’t find what you’re looking for there, head to the bottom.

Learn more about the safest places in South Dakota.

If you’re looking for something more national, check out the most dangerous cities in America or the most dangerous states in America.

For more South Dakota reading, check out:

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.

Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 2,364
Rank Last Year: 2 (Up 1)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 676 (Most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 3,214 (Most dangerous)
More on Chamberlain:  | Crime Report

Chamberlain, SD

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.

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 79,910
Rank Last Year: 1 (Down 1)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 641 (Second most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 3,065 (Second most dangerous)
More on Rapid City:  | Cost Of Living | Crime Report

Rapid City, SD

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.

Overall SnackAbility

8
/10

Population: 191,508
Rank Last Year: 5 (Up 2)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 538 (Sixth most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 2,895 (Third most dangerous)
More on Sioux Falls:  | Cost Of Living | Crime Report

Sioux Falls, SD

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.

Overall SnackAbility

7
/10

Population: 28,494
Rank Last Year: 8 (Up 4)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 558 (Fifth most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 2,337 (Fifth most dangerous)
More on Aberdeen:  | Cost Of Living | Crime Report

Aberdeen, SD

Source: Public domain

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.

Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 10,876
Rank Last Year: 7 (Up 2)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 579 (Fourth most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 2,123 (Seventh most dangerous)
More on Box Elder:  | Cost Of Living | Crime Report

Box Elder, SD

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.

Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 15,741
Rank Last Year: 6 (No Change)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 444 (Seventh most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 2,128 (Sixth most dangerous)
More on Mitchell:  | Cost Of Living | Crime Report

Mitchell, SD

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.

Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 7,013
Rank Last Year: 13 (Up 6)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 285 (13th most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 2,466 (Fourth most dangerous)
More on Sturgis:  | Cost Of Living | Crime Report

Sturgis, SD

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.

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 2,288
Rank Last Year: 11 (Up 3)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 611 (Third most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 1,529 (16th most dangerous)
More on Flandreau:  | Crime Report

Flandreau, SD

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.

Overall SnackAbility

7
/10

Population: 14,669
Rank Last Year: 4 (Down 5)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 368 (Tenth most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 2,072 (Ninth most dangerous)
More on Yankton:  | Cost Of Living | Crime Report

Yankton, SD

Source: Public domain

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.

Overall SnackAbility

7
/10

Population: 13,710
Rank Last Year: 3 (Down 7)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 328 (12th most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 2,056 (Tenth most dangerous)
More on Pierre:  | Cost Of Living | Crime Report

Pierre, SD

Methodology: How we determined the most dangerous cities in South Dakota for 2023?

Every year the FBI release two crime datasets on cities in South Dakota. First a preliminary dataset limited to the biggest cities in South Dakota, followed by a more detailed release at the end of the year.

For our analysis, we focused on the 2021 data, specifically the 2021 Crime In The United States Report for South Dakota. We will update the results when data becomes available in September 2023.

So what criteria did we use? Have a look:

  • Violent Crimes Per Capita
  • Property Crimes Per Capita

In order to make the analysis as apples to apples as possible, we only considered South Dakota cities over 2,000 in population. That left us with 29 cities in South Dakota.

We then ranked each city from 1 to 29 for the two criteria with a #1 ranking being the most dangerous for the particular criteria.

Next, we averaged the two rankings into one “Dangerous Index”.

Finally, we ranked every city on the “Dangerous Index” with the lowest index being the most dangerous in South Dakota — Chamberlain. Any ties went to the smaller city.

Most Dangerous Places To Live In South Dakota FAQs

Yes, South Dakota is a dangerous state as it ranks as the #14 most dangerous state in the United States based on our analysis of the latest FBI Crime Data. The violent crime rate in south dakota ranks eighth highest in the United States — 29.29% worse than US average violent crime rate. The property crime rate in the Mount Rushmore State ranks 26th highest in the United States — 0.08% better than US average property crime rate. The latest reporting year from the FBI was 2020.

Yes, Sioux Falls is a dangerous city. Sioux Falls ranks as the #105 most dangerous out of 320 major cities over 100,000 people in the United States based on our analysis of the latest FBI Crime Data. Keep in mind that are always safe and dangerous parts of any city, so even though Sioux Falls might be considered dangerous you still need to be aware of where you are.

Compared to other big cities, the violent crime rate in Sioux Falls ranks 113th highest in America — 8.9% worse than US average violent crime rate. The property crime rate in the ranks 10highest in the United States — 17.9% worse than US average property crime rate. Note the latest reporting year from the FBI was 2020 and that no city in America is ‘dangerous’. Despite the uptick in murders, it’s nothing like you’d see in Tijuana or Caracas where the murder rate is 2x any American city.

Graphing The Most Dangerous And Safest Places In South Dakota

Most Dangerous Cities In South Dakota Graph

Click To Enlarge

Summary: Locking It All Up In South Dakota

So what is the most dangerous city in South Dakota? After analyzing 29 cities in South Dakota, Chamberlain takes the top spot as the most dangerous city in South Dakota based on the most recently reported FBI data — 2021.

The latest FBI crime data shows that Chamberlain ranks as the most dangerous city in South Dakota for 2023.

We want to point out again that there’s still safes places in Chamberlain and that this isn’t a comment on the people that live there. So please don’t beat us up.

It’s not lost on us that many of South Dakota’s cheapest places are also the state’s most dangerous–this is usually how it works. And this is definitely what is happening in South Dakota’s number one most dangerous city: rent is cheap, jobs are scarce, and crime is high.

So, where is the most dangerous place in South Dakota for 2023? That would be, Chamberlain.

If you want to know where the rest of the most dangerous places in South Dakota are located, take a look at the list below; and if you don’t find what you’re looking for there, head to the bottom.

Learn more about the safest places in South Dakota.

If you’re looking for something more national, check out the most dangerous cities in America or the most dangerous states in America.

Here are the safest cities in South Dakota:

  1. Vermillion (Pop. 11,088)
  2. Beresford (Pop. 2,046)
  3. Lennox (Pop. 2,520)
  4. Mobridge (Pop. 3,364)
  5. Canton (Pop. 3,635)
  6. Tea (Pop. 6,739)
  7. Brookings (Pop. 25,088)
  8. Madison (Pop. 7,120)
  9. Brandon (Pop. 10,297)
  10. Sisseton (Pop. 2,392)

For more South Dakota reading, check out:

Crime By City In South Dakota

Rank City Population Violent Crimes Per Capita Property Crimes Per Capita
1 Chamberlain 2,364 676 3,214
2 Rapid City 79,910 641 3,065
3 Sioux Falls 191,508 538 2,895
4 Aberdeen 28,494 558 2,337
5 Box Elder 10,876 579 2,123
6 Mitchell 15,741 444 2,128
7 Sturgis 7,013 285 2,466
8 Flandreau 2,288 611 1,529
9 Yankton 14,669 368 2,072
10 Pierre 13,710 328 2,056
11 Lead 2,929 375 1,297
12 Winner 2,773 252 1,622
13 Belle Fourche 5,712 245 1,838
14 Huron 13,504 355 1,251
15 Spearfish 12,047 174 1,917
16 Hot Springs 3,479 402 546
17 North Sioux City 2,975 168 1,882
18 Watertown 22,383 223 1,344
19 Summerset 2,769 36 2,094
20 Vermillion 11,088 153 1,614
21 Beresford 2,046 195 830
22 Lennox 2,520 238 476
23 Mobridge 3,364 208 505
24 Canton 3,635 165 962
25 Tea 6,739 163 1,187
26 Brookings 25,088 107 673
27 Madison 7,120 112 407
28 Brandon 10,297 67 456
29 Sisseton 2,392 83 334

References

  • FBI UCR 2022

  • Census – American Cumminity Survey

This article is an opinion based on facts and is meant as infotainment. It is our tenth time ranking the most dangerous places to live in South Dakota and is updated for 2023.
About Chris Kolmar

Chris Kolmar has been in the real estate business for almost ten years now. He originally worked for Movoto Real Estate as the director of marketing before founding HomeSnacks.

He believes the key to finding the right place to live comes down to looking at the data, reading about things to do, and, most importantly, checking it out yourself before you move.

If you've been looking for a place to live in the past several years, you've probably stumbled upon his writing already.

You can find out more about him on LinkedIn or his website.