The 10 Most Dangerous Cities In South Dakota For 2022

The 10 Most Dangerous Places To Live In South Dakota For 2022

Rapid City represents one of the population centers in South Dakota. With 78,492 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 most dangerous place to live in the state. It reported 673 violent crimes during a year, including 108 rapes and 13 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 3,137 property crimes, Rapid City had South Dakota'shighest pace in that category. This included 657 burglaries and 466 cars stolen.

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 2 most dangerous place in the state.

Over the course of the reporting year 2020, 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 third highest in the state for that category.

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

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 13,888, 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 413 property crimes and 128 violent crimes during the year.

In terms of crime rate, Pierre had the sixth highest pace of property crime in South Dakota. Meanwhile, for violent crime, the city's rate ranked highest.

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 14,712, putting it number 7.0 in the state. With this figure comes a noticeable crime problem, with the community suffering the fourth highest crime rate in South Dakota.

That unfortunate ranking comes about in large part as a result of the 83 violent crimes reported during 2020 -- the reporting year. That includes 24 rapes. In addition, Yankton had 474 property crimes over a 12-month period. Putting those figures in terms of population, the city had the sixth highest pace of violent crimes and the third highest rate of property violations.

Sioux Falls stands as the number 1.0 most populous city in South Dakota. With 187,370 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 1,120 violent crimes during a year, including 13 murders and 97 rapes. In terms of raw numbers, those are high for South Dakota. But on a per-capita basis, Sioux Falls only ranks as the fourth most violent spot in the state.

For property crime, Sioux Falls sees the fifth highest rate in South Dakota. This comes with 4,259 larcenies, 684 burglaries, and 924 stolen cars reported in 2020.

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 second highest in the state for property crime. It had 520 such violations in a year, with 379 larcenies and 75 car thefts.

For violent crime, Mitchell is better off. In a city of 15,726 people, it reported 73 violent crimes. That puts it eighth highest in South Dakota in that category.

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 7 most dangerous spots in the state.

Box Elder reported 59 violent crimes during a year, with 40 aggravated assaults. Those numbers might seem pretty small. But put them in terms of population and the community has fifth highest rate of violent crimes in the state.

The town also reported 292 property crimes during the year. This gave Box Elder South Dakota's seventh highest pace for the category.

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 seventh 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 11th highest pace of property crimes.

Spearfish was built on gold. No, not built out of gold. But the community grew out of a gold rush that took place in the region during the late 19th century. If you've ever seen the TV show Deadwood, Spearfish gets a shoutout there every so often.

Is Spearfish still a golden spot to live? It has its charms, especially if you want to explore the nearby Black Hills National Forest. But it also its share of crime, maybe an outgrowth of its Wild West history. Whatever the case, the town suffers high rates of violations like robbery and arson.

Centrally located in South Dakota, Huron once vied for the position of state's capital and currently hosts the South Dakota State Fair. It also boasts "The World's Largest Pheasant" - a 28-foot-tall statue along Highway 14, meant to advertise the area's ample pheasant hunting.

Gamebirds aren't the only thing in danger in the area, however. For a relatively small town, Huron has its share of crime trouble. The community suffered 43 violent crimes during a year, including 2 rapes. That puts the city 11th highest in the state in terms of highest violent crime rate.

Property crime is an issue as well. Huron had 242 larcenies and 29 burglaries during the year. That gives the town the 13th highest pace of property crime in South Dakota.

Most Dangerous Places To Live In South Dakota FAQs

Is South Dakota a dangerous state?

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.

Is Sioux Falls, SD a dangerous city?

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.