In this article, we will explore some of the most liberal cities in South Dakota, where progressive ideas and inclusive attitudes flourish.
If you’re looking to move to South Dakota and want to know where the majority of South Dakotans lean left, you’ve come to the right place.
Specifically, we wanted to know which cities have the highest number of liberal voters in the Mount Rushmore State.
To do so, we analyzed how the people in each city in South Dakota with a population greater than 5,000 voted during the last presidential election. The cities with the highest percentage of voters who voted Democrat were named the most liberal cities in the state.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 Most Liberal Places In South Dakota For 2026:
If you’re wondering, Belle Fourche is the most conservative city in South Dakota of all those we measured.
And to be clear, we didn’t form this list based on our 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 liberal cities in South Dakota.
And if you already knew these places were liberal, check out some more reading about South Dakota and the most liberal places in the country:
The 10 Most Liberal Places In South Dakota For 2026
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How we determined the most liberal cities in South Dakota for 2026
To find the most liberal places in South Dakota, we used Saturday Night Science – the argument you’d make at a bar – to find the cities with the most liberals.
Straight forward.
We started by making a list of every city in South Dakota over 5,000 people based on the 2020-2024 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 lean the most leftward in their allegiances by:
- Percentage Of Votes For Democratic 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 Democrats, 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.
The winner, Vermillion, is “The Most liberal City in South Dakota For 2026”. The most conservative place in South Dakota was Belle Fourche.
We updated this article for 2026. This report is our eleventh time ranking the most liberal places to live in South Dakota.
Summing Up The Liberal Snowflakes in South Dakota
Well, there you have it, the places in South Dakota that have the highest number of liberals per capita, with Vermillion ranking as the least conservative in the entire state.
The most liberal cities in South Dakota are Vermillion, Sioux Falls, Brandon, Brookings, Aberdeen, Harrisburg, Tea, Yankton, Rapid City, and Box Elder.
If you’re curious, here are the least liberal cities in South Dakota:
- Belle Fourche
- Sturgis
- Watertown
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 Liberal Places In South Dakota
| Rank | City | Population | % Liberal |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vermillion, SD | 11,878 | 54.1% |
| 2 | Sioux Falls, SD | 201,469 | 43.8% |
| 3 | Brandon, SD | 10,996 | 43.8% |
| 4 | Brookings, SD | 23,948 | 41.9% |
| 5 | Aberdeen, SD | 28,189 | 37.3% |
| 6 | Harrisburg, SD | 8,519 | 37.0% |
| 7 | Tea, SD | 6,786 | 37.0% |
| 8 | Yankton, SD | 15,540 | 36.8% |
| 9 | Rapid City, SD | 77,946 | 35.8% |
| 10 | Box Elder, SD | 12,902 | 35.8% |
| 11 | Madison, SD | 6,094 | 35.2% |
| 12 | Pierre, SD | 13,948 | 33.9% |
| 13 | Spearfish, SD | 12,930 | 32.8% |
| 14 | Mitchell, SD | 15,649 | 31.3% |
| 15 | Huron, SD | 14,385 | 29.8% |
| 16 | Watertown, SD | 23,044 | 29.2% |
| 17 | Sturgis, SD | 7,086 | 24.0% |
| 18 | Belle Fourche, SD | 5,804 | 19.6% |