Ranked from official statistics; every city opens its own guide.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 08/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Among the 30 largest places in South Dakota, Sioux Falls has the most residents (201,469), followed by Rapid City and Aberdeen. Click any column to sort; click a city for its guide.
Across the 30 places in South Dakota that we cover, the median is 7,086 and the average 18,015; the figure runs from 201,469 (Sioux Falls) to 2,932 (Mobridge). That is a spread of 68.7 times between the two ends.
The first five are Sioux Falls, Rapid City, Aberdeen, Brookings, Watertown. A high or low position is not good or bad on its own: size brings more employers and services but also longer commutes and more competition for housing. Use the Compare tab on each city page to see how two places differ across income, rent, commute and education, and check the county page for the local job market.
| # ⇅ | City ⇅ | County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sioux Falls | Minnehaha County | 201,469 | $75,970 | $1,035 |
| 2 | Rapid City | Pennington County | 77,946 | $70,870 | $1,109 |
| 3 | Aberdeen | Brown County | 28,189 | $64,405 | $762 |
| 4 | Brookings | Brookings County | 23,948 | $63,493 | $889 |
| 5 | Watertown | Codington County | 23,044 | $69,600 | $942 |
| 6 | Mitchell | Davison County | 15,649 | $58,620 | $851 |
| 7 | Yankton | Yankton County | 15,540 | $67,804 | $790 |
| 8 | Huron | Beadle County | 14,385 | $61,452 | $888 |
| 9 | Pierre | Hughes County | 13,948 | $77,672 | $983 |
| 10 | Spearfish | Lawrence County | 12,930 | $65,688 | $963 |
| 11 | Box Elder | Pennington County | 12,902 | $73,008 | $1,491 |
| 12 | Vermillion | Clay County | 11,878 | $50,456 | $764 |
| 13 | Brandon | Minnehaha County | 10,996 | $110,806 | $976 |
| 14 | Harrisburg | Lincoln County | 8,519 | $108,724 | $1,362 |
| 15 | Sturgis | Meade County | 7,086 | $54,404 | $780 |
| 16 | Rapid Valley (unincorporated) | Pennington County | 6,975 | $83,208 | $1,174 |
| 17 | Tea | Lincoln County | 6,786 | $120,139 | $1,220 |
| 18 | Madison | Lake County | 6,094 | $65,593 | $981 |
| 19 | Belle Fourche | Butte County | 5,804 | $65,071 | $983 |
| 20 | Dakota Dunes (unincorporated) | Union County | 3,936 | $136,125 | $1,225 |
| 21 | Dell Rapids | Minnehaha County | 3,905 | $100,170 | $962 |
| 22 | Hot Springs | Fall River County | 3,548 | $66,338 | $897 |
| 23 | Milbank | Grant County | 3,525 | $56,011 | $548 |
| 24 | Hartford | Minnehaha County | 3,478 | $99,893 | $938 |
| 25 | North Sioux City | Union County | 3,045 | $71,908 | $1,098 |
| 26 | Canton | Lincoln County | 3,033 | $60,850 | $673 |
| 27 | Summerset | Meade County | 3,022 | $119,271 | $1,288 |
| 28 | Lead | Lawrence County | 3,006 | $73,047 | $835 |
| 29 | Blackhawk (unincorporated) | Meade County | 2,934 | $71,993 | n/a |
| 30 | Mobridge | Walworth County | 2,932 | $65,357 | $953 |
Cities With the Cheapest Rent · Cities With the Highest Household Income · Cities Where Rent Takes the Smallest Share of Income · Cities With the Lowest Unemployment · Cities in the Highest-Paying Counties · Most College-Educated Cities · Cities With the Most Homeowners · Cities With the Most Remote Work · Cities With the Shortest Commutes
Unincorporated places are census-designated places: they have no city government but are counted as communities. Figures describe the city itself.
Sioux Falls, with 201,469 (among the 30 largest places; ACS 2020–2024).
The 30 largest places in South Dakota by population.