Do you live in one of the murder capitals of South Dakota?
We all watch the news with horror when we hear about a homicide that happens not that far away from us. While a murder just blocks or even a couple of towns away from your house would make anyone uneasy, in the long run, most likely, where you live is relatively safe.
To find the cities in South Dakota with the most murders and the highest murder rates per capita, we used Saturday Night Science to compare the FBI crime data on murders for the 6 cities in the Mount Rushmore State with over 12,000 residents.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
Cities With Highest Murder Rates In South Dakota
What city has the highest murder rate in South Dakota? The city with the highest murder rate in South Dakota is Vermillion with 8.3 murders per 100,000 people.
What is the city in South Dakota with highest number of murders? The city in South Dakota with the highest number of murders is Rapid City with 4 murders.
Read on below to see how we crunched the numbers and how your town in South Dakota ranked. There were ‘only’ 6 cities in South Dakota where a city reported a murder to the FBI, meaning 22 places had no murder.
For more reading on the Mount Rushmore State check out:
- Best Places To Live In South Dakota
- Cheapest Places To Live In South Dakota
- Most Dangerous Cities In South Dakota
The 10 Murder Capitals Of South Dakota For 2025
/10
Population: 12,015
Murders: 1 (4th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 8.3 (Most)
More on Vermillion: Data
/10
Population: 13,924
Murders: 1 (4th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 7.2 (2nd Most)
More on Pierre: Data
/10
Population: 15,588
Murders: 1 (4th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 6.4 (3rd Most)
More on Yankton: Data
/10
Population: 80,850
Murders: 4 (Most)
Murders Per 100k: 4.9 (4th Most)
More on Rapid City: Data
/10
Population: 28,100
Murders: 1 (4th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 3.6 (5th Most)
More on Aberdeen: Data
/10
Population: 206,559
Murders: 1 (4th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 0.5 (6th Most)
More on Sioux Falls: Data
Methodology: How we calculated the murder capitals of South Dakota
While there are surveys and public polls on what cities in a state are the most dangerous, we wanted to rely on something other than speculation and opinion. Instead, we used Saturday Night Science to compare the hard numbers from the FBI’s last year of reporting. Specifically, we analyzed the FBI’s Uniform Crime Report, which summarizes the number of murders in each city annually.
We only looked at every single city in South Dakota for which FBI data was available for the most recent FBI Crime In The United States. That left us with 6 cities to rank.
We took the number of murders per capita as the ranking factor. The place with the most murders per capita based on the most recent data is Vermillion. It is our tenth time ranking the places with the most murders per capita in South Dakota. We updated the list for 2025.
Summary: The Places With The Most Murders In South Dakota For 2025
If you’re looking at the places in South Dakota with the most murders, and where residents have the highest chances of being killed themselves, this is an accurate list. Again, these statistics are an indication of where crimes occur, not a statement about the effectiveness of the law enforcement in the areas they serve.
The cities with the highest murder per capita in South Dakota are Vermillion, Pierre, Yankton, Rapid City, Aberdeen, and Sioux Falls.
For more South Dakota reading, check out:
- Best Places To Raise A Family In South Dakota
- Fastest Growing Cities In South Dakota
- Safest Places In South Dakota
- Best Cities For Singles In South Dakota
- Worst Places To Live In South Dakota
Murder Rates By City In South Dakota
| Rank | City | Population | Murders | Murders/100K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vermillion, SD | 12015 | 1 | 8.32 |
| 2 | Pierre, SD | 13924 | 1 | 7.18 |
| 3 | Yankton, SD | 15588 | 1 | 6.42 |
| 4 | Rapid City, SD | 80850 | 4 | 4.95 |
| 5 | Aberdeen, SD | 28100 | 1 | 3.56 |
| 6 | Sioux Falls, SD | 206559 | 1 | 0.48 |